If you’re an animal lover like me, this story will boil your blood.

Imagine being outside when Hurricane Irma strikes. You have no shelter or protection from the elements, and no protective clothing. On top of that, the people you love most just dumped you there. And then left you alone.

It’s pretty dire, isn’t it? Your chance of survival would be nil.

Yet that’s what over 50 pets — 49 dogs and two cats — faced, until Palm Beach County Animal Care rescued them. And I’m not talking about animals left inside houses either. They were outside in yards, and even tied to trees, poles, and cars.

Such treatment would be a death sentence for these dogs. Hurricane winds of 100+ mph would fling projectiles at the trapped animals. And then there’s flooding, which would slowly drown them. It certainly would be a slow, brutal, and terrifying demise for these pets.

In addition, it’s also very illegal for pet owners abandon their animals in such a manner. The Director of Animal Care in Palm Beach County intends to prosecute these deadbeat owners. “This is absolutely felony animal cruelty. It’s deliberate,” she said. Florida’s State Attorney Dave Aronberg added, “This is a prime example of animal cruelty. We will find you, and we will prosecute you.”

Moreover, it’s not as if pet owners didn’t have options for their animals. Florida has dozens of pet-friendly shelters for families bringing their fur babies. In addition, Gov. Rick Scott urged non-pet hotels to waive their rules and accept pets during this emergency.

And even if a family has no other options, they would be able to surrender their pet to an animal shelter, with the understanding that they would not get it back. Of course this is heartbreaking for all, but it’s certainly better than abandoning a dependent animal to a near-certain death.

But it’s not like Florida pet owners are the only bad actors, either. Remember the story of Lucky, the Texas dog abandoned in Hurricane Harvey? Here’s her famous picture, which went viral:

Fortunately, a photographer found her, untied her, and released her. Then after spending a sleepless night worrying about the little pooch, he returned to find her, and also found another dog, two cats, and a pony also abandoned on the property.

Are these owners that ignorant? Are they unaware of what will happen to their dogs? Or do they see dogs as mere property, something that they can easily replace if broken. But dogs don’t operate that way. To them their owners are not interchangeable. As pack animals, dogs see their owners as their entire world. Even cats, certainly more independent than dogs, bond with their owners, although that bond is much more subtle. I know this — I have two of the inscrutable little critters. But to abandon any pets who depend on humans to the killing elements of a hurricane is just plain heartless.