SWFL first responders train to save animals before the next hurricane hits

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (WINK) — On a boat off Bonita Beach, Fort Myers Police Department, and other first responders are training for a scenario they hope they never face again: rescuing animals in a hurricane.

Wearing helmets and rescue gear, crews moved across calm Gulf waters Friday as part of a hands-on search-and-rescue training program designed to improve disaster response for pets and livestock.

The waters off Bonita Beach shimmered under clear skies Friday, a scene that looked more like a postcard than a training ground.

Today, they’re calm.

But everyone out here knows how quickly that can change.

First responders in SWFL spent the day throwing themselves into the water, practicing boat rescues, and simulating emergency animal recoveries in conditions designed to mirror hurricane response scenarios.

Eric Thompson, part of the animal search and rescue training team, said the program prepares responders for a wide range of real-world emergencies.

“They’re learning how to drive boats, rescue people out of the water out of their boats, rescue animals out of the water today, and then tomorrow we start our swim water skills, so that’s their swimming day — if you’re wading in water or have to go swim after a victim, they practice those skills tomorrow,” Thompson said.

For many of the responders involved, the training is rooted in experience they would rather not repeat.

Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida, destroying homes, stranding residents, and leaving countless animals trapped in floodwaters.

In rural communities like Arcadia — where horses and cattle are common — the challenges were even more severe.

“The only thing we could do was try and get them to the highest ground we could find, and most of the time they were still in pretty deep waters where their feet were getting infections and stuff,” said Lt. William Daniels of DeSoto Fire Rescue.

He said those moments still stay with responders today.

“It’s a sad situation because you know most of them are going to pass away.”

Fort Myers police officer Alain Gagnon described the emotional weight of disaster response.

Now, agencies across Southwest Florida are working to make sure they are better prepared when the next major storm arrives.

A $25,000 grant from the ASPCA is funding the four-day training program for 36 first responders, including members of the Fort Myers Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, agricultural response teams, the Florida State Guard, DeSoto Fire Rescue, and multiple fire districts across the region.

Training includes land-based search techniques, water rescues, and fire scenario simulations — all designed to replicate the conditions responders may face during a major hurricane.

Because when the next storm hits, officials say it won’t be a training exercise—It will be real—And they want to be ready.