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Fri 22 Sep, 2006 03:46 pm
GOOD NEWS! I would not willingly leave my two dogs behind. ---BBB
Pet protection bill sent to Bush
By MARY DALRYMPLE, Associated Press Writer
Wed Sep 20, 2006
Congress called for emergency preparedness plans that include helping individuals and families with pets, under legislation sent Wednesday to President Bush.
It was during Hurricane Katrina that people saw the images of anguished pet owners asked to abandon their animals to gain shelter or be rescued.
"It became evident during Hurricane Katrina, when asked to choose between abandoning their pets (and) their own personal safety, many pet owners chose to risk their lives and remain with their pets, and some of them perished," said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, an Ohio Democrat who has two beagles and a cocker spaniel, said the bill is about "compassion and the recognition of the importance of compassion in the life of this nation."
The bill calls for state and local emergency preparedness plans to make provisions for families with pets and individuals with service animals.
It grants the Federal Emergency Management Agency the authority to help state and local governments develop emergency and evacuation plans that take pets and service animals into account.
It also authorizes some federal financial help for states establishing emergency shelters for people and their pets, and it permits FEMA to assist individuals with pets and service animals after a major disaster.
Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle said the change recognizes the fact that two-thirds of U.S. households have pets.
"The legislation reflects the reality that if you do not care for animals and recognize the human-animal bond, you're going to undermine the effectiveness of any disaster preparedness or response plan," he said.
The House passed the bill by voice vote. The Senate had passed it August.
"If we treat pets like family during our daily lives, we've got to treat them like family during emergencies," said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., one of the sponsors of Senate's version of the bill. "Better emergency planning will mean more family members ?- including the family pet ?- will be able to get out of harm's way."
First let me say I am an animal lover of the highest order and I have always had pets that I have gone to great lenghts to protect.
Next let me say that I think this is one of those "feel good" bills that everyone can applaud but nothing will ever get done about.
When I lived in Galveston we were evacuated. We were damn lucky to find a hotel that would accept our pets. This was an orderly and well coordinated evacuation and we were paying our own way. It was still very difficult.
I was visiting Texas when Katrina hit and worked at a shelter. It was chaos. It was awful for the people having to stay there. It was a warehouse. I can't even begin to imagine what it might have been like if pets had to have been cared for there too.
Right now America can't pay for **** and the debt keeps running up and up and up. I would love to know where the funds to pay for this are expected to come from.
I want to know why they are going to let other people suffer so that someone can bring a pet. During Katrina they were using helicopters to evac people. In a case like that who is going to be left so that some selfish person can bring fido with them. I know people love their pets and I feel for them, but people do come first and not animals.
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