Watch: Man trying to evacuate Florida with his dog not allowed on flight

As Florida prepares for Hurricane Irma to make landfall early Sunday morning and Gov. Rick Scott urges Floridians to evacuate ahead of time, many of the state's residents are heeding the advice and catching the next available flight out of town with their families.

But one man decided after waiting in line for an hour at Miami International Airport Thursday night that he had no choice but to stay and ride out the storm for one simple reason: He couldn't leave his dog.

Matt Varga of Kendall, Florida, told CNN that after standing in the long line waiting to speak with a ticket agent, the airlines told him he would not be allowed on a flight with his dog, Mika, because he didn't have a pet carrier. Varga said he visited 10 different stores in search of a carrier for his beloved pet, to no avail.

"I waited an hour in line at the agent office and I don't have a pet carrier — they won't let me in without a pet carrier," Varga said. "So I'm heading back to Kendall and just ride out the storm [sic]."

South Florida is expected to receive life-threatening winds and storm surge, and although Irma was downgraded from category 5 to category 4 early Friday morning, FEMA Chief Brock Long said at a news conference that the storm is still expected to be devastating.

"Obviously, Hurricane Irma continues to be a threat that is going to devastate the United States," Long said. "We're going to have a rough couple of days."

While airlines are waiving the additional pet fee for those evacuating from Irma's projected path, some residents like Varga who can't find a proper carrier will have to make a tough decision: stay and ride out the storm with their pets or evacuate and leave the animals behind.

(H/T: Raw Story)