No Pet Left Behind
Remember after Hurricane Katrina when the rescue teams were trying to get people to leave their homes where their was no electricity or water and it was actually dangerous for people to stay due to toxins in the air and flooding water and decaying wildlife? One of the problems that rescue teams had was that people refused to abandon their pets, something many people across the nation completely understood, because for many of us a pet is another family member, for some of us like me pets are our children. No one would have expected those people to abandon their children if they were human beings, but animals are not considered worthy of the same help.
Senators Ted Stevens (R-AK), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ, Lincoln Chafee (R-RI, and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and House Representatives Tom Lantos (D-CA), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Barney Frank (D-MA), Don Young (R-AK) and James Oberstar (D-MN) have sponsored bills (S. 2548 & H.R. 3858) in their respective Houses of Congress to make sure that what happened during Hurricane Katrina never happens again.
The PETS Act requires local and state emergency preparedness authorities to include in their evacuation plans how they will accommodate household pets and service animals in case of a disaster. Local and state authorities must submit these plans in order to qualify for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Furthermore, the Senate version of the PETS Act (S. 2548):
- Grants FEMA the authority to assist in developing these plans.
- Authorizes financial help to states to create emergency shelters for people with their animals.
- Requires the provision of essential assistance for individuals with household pets and service animals, and the animals themselves, following a major disaster.
In addition to the trauma experienced by evacuees who are forced to abandon their animal companions and the subsequent suffering the animals endure, there are serious health and safety risks to disaster areas that are exacerbated by the abandoning of pets. Many of these problems can be mitigated or eliminated simply through the proper planning and response. [“Pets Evacuation and Transportaion Standards Act” (The Humane Society)]
The good news is that the U.S. House of Representatives voted 349-24 to pass it’s version of PETS on May 22nd. If you want to see who those naughty 24 Republicans were who voted against it, click here and be sure to write them a letter and tell them what you think about their vote too.
So, now that just leaves the Senate. Want to know what you can do to help let your Senators know you want PETS passed? Stop by this Take Action website and it has phone numbers and email links to everyone and everywhere with tips on what to say. I encourage you to do it all.
