Management staff in Palm Beach County rescued 49 dogs a few days before the hurricane, which were thrown in the streets and left to their own devices, writes Daily Mail.

"This is a vivid example of cruel treatment of animals, we will find these people and hold them accountable," said Dave Aronberg, District Attorney of Palm Beach County.

Many of the animals rescued before Irma were tied to pillars or put on the street in cages, which only complicated their situation after the collapse of the hurricane.

The director of the animal welfare agency Diane Soave and Aronberg will initiate criminal proceedings against those who abandoned the animals before the hurricane, provided that they can collect enough evidence against these individuals.

In addition to pets rescued by the agency, Animal Care and Control also saved about 40 cats and dogs that were abandoned by their owners due to an impending storm.

According to Suave, such actions of the owners are always on the threshold of hurricanes, but the number of abandoned animals before the arrival of Irma was extremely high.

Some simply brought the animals to the protection agency or to the county shelters.

According to the laws of Florida, the surrender of an animal to a shelter means that a person renounces ownership of his pet and can not return it after the end of the hurricane.

In total, in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, about 600 animals were abandoned or abandoned to shelters in the streets, which the Agency for the Protection of Animals.

The agency created an emergency shelter for animals in Duncan, South Carolina, and expects it to continue working within a week of the hurricane to complete the movement of animals to a safe place.