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For Immediate Release
October 06, 2006 |
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President Bush Signs Bill
to Leave No Pet Behind in Disaster Planning and Evacuation
Washington, D.C .–The Humane Society of the United
States today celebrated the news that President George W.
Bush – who said during Hurricane Katrina that if he
had to evacuate the one thing he would take would be his dog
Barney – has signed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation
Standards (PETS) Act to help ensure that America’s pets
and service animals aren’t left behind in the next disaster.
The bill – which was introduced in the House by Rep.
Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) and Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.), Co-Chairs
of the Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus, and in the
Senate by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Sen. Frank Lautenberg
(D-N.J.) – requires the inclusion of companion animals
in disaster planning at the state and local levels. It was
approved by unanimous voice vote in the U.S. Senate on August
4 and the U.S. House of Representatives on September 20.
“We’re tremendously grateful to the House and
Senate leaders who reacted swiftly by introducing the legislation,
and shepherded it through the committee process and floor
votes to today’s signing by the President,” said
Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of
the United States. “While Katrina wreaked so much devastation
and disruption, it also highlighted the remarkable bond between
this nation and our pets and service animals, and the need
for public policy to echo that appreciation of animals.”
The final bill that the President signed contains provisions
to help with disaster planning, including:
requiring that local and state emergency preparedness authorities
include plans for pets and service animals in their disaster
plans to qualify for grants from FEMA;
granting FEMA the authority to assist states and local communities
in developing disaster plans to accommodate people with pets
and service animals;
authorizing federal funds to help create pet-friendly emergency
shelter facilities; and
allowing FEMA to provide assistance for individuals with pets
and service animals, and the animals themselves, following
a major disaster.
“People victimized by disasters should not suffer needless
additional injury by having to abandon their household pets
or service animals to their fate,” said Rep. Tom Lantos.
“With the cooperation of state and local authorities
under the mandates of this new law, nobody will ever again
have to confront the choice between personal safety and that
of their animal companions.”
“During Hurricane Katrina, tens of thousands of animals
became homeless or perished. Many pet owners stayed with their
pets and perished,” added Rep. Chris Shays. “Today,
we ensured that won't happen again. Communities across the
nation are now required to include pet owners and their pets
in emergency evacuation plans. I am grateful for the advocacy
of The Humane Society of the United States and the bipartisan,
bicameral support of this measure."
HSUS disaster experts note that evacuations will run more
smoothly if pets are included in pre-disaster planning. “People
lost their lives in the wake of Katrina because government
responders told them their animals had to be left behind and
they couldn’t bear to abandon their pets,” said
Pacelle. “For many people who face losing everything,
their pet is the only comfort they have left.”
There are over 358 million pets in the United States residing
in 63 percent of American households. A recent Zogby International
poll found that 61 percent of pet owners say they would refuse
to evacuate if they could not take their pets with them.
“We learned many important lessons from Hurricanes
Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. One of these lessons was that we
must put procedures in place to evacuate not only residents
in areas impacted by a natural disaster, but also pets and
service animals,” said Sen. Ted Stevens. “This
legislation is an important step forward in our efforts to
mitigate personal suffering during times of disaster.”
“People see pets as part of their family and they do
not want to leave any family members behind,” added
Sen. Frank Lautenberg. “As we learned during Hurricane
Katrina, when people need to choose between safety and their
pets, some of them will choose their pets. Now, they don't
need to make that choice.”
In addition to Rep. Lantos, Rep. Shays, Sen. Stevens, and
Sen. Lautenberg, who sponsored the legislation and shepherded
it through to passage, The HSUS would also like to thank key
committee members for their support, including Sen. Susan
Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), the
chair and ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee, and Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska)
and Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), the chair and ranking member
of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Also of special importance were the efforts of Sen. Robert
Byrd (D-W.Va.), who included parallel language on disaster
planning and response for people with pets and service animals
in the FY 07 Homeland Security Appropriations bill, which
provides the funding for the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA).
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