Newsday columnist takes in more than 200 pets

As Long Islanders and their pets flocked to evacuation shelters in preparation for Tropical Storm Irene, some pets had no place to go.

But Newsday columnist Marc Morrone came to the rescue and took in more than 200 pets ranging from birds, ferrets, rabbits, fish, lizards and guinea pigs.

“Now, I know what Noah went through,” said Morrone, co-owner of the Rockville Centre store Parrots of the World.

After LIers found out that many of the evacuation shelters would only accept cats and dogs, Morrone said the pet owners started dropping off their animals at his store Friday and continued until Saturday.

“People just kept coming and dropping them off,” said Morrone, who spent Saturday night in his 10,000-square-foot store with all the pets.

A majority of the pets went home Tuesday as power was being restored to more areas of Long Island.

“I was in business during Hurricane Gloria but that took us by surprise,” Morrone said. “This was like nothing I ever experienced.”