Some Glades residents fleeing Hurricane Irma left their pets tethered to trees and cars before evacuating the area, county officials said Saturday.

Dianne Sauve, head of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, said the department will be pursuing criminal charges against owners who abandoned their dogs and left them tied up in places where they would not be able to escape the storm.

Animal control officers rescued 26 dogs from Pahokee and Belle Glade on Friday. Animal control closed at 1 p.m. today.

HURRICANE IRMA: Get the latest news and information on the storm

On Friday, 23 abandoned dogs were removed from one mobile home park in the Glades region, Sauve said. County officials will file court documents seeking legal custody of the dogs that were abandoned and left to fend for themselves during the storm, Sauve added.

ON FACEBOOK: JOIN MORE THAN 17,000 OF YOUR SOUTH FLORIDA NEIGHBORS.We�re weathering this storm together.