Take pets with you during an evacuation to keep them safe.
Hurricane Katrina brought attention to the plight of pets in a natural disaster. During the evacuation state authorities did not allow pets in shelters or rescue vehicles and forced owners to leave them behind. While previously ignored in government rules and regulations, both state and federal legislation now recognize pet welfare, allowing you to bring them with you during evacuations.
PETS Act
Approved by the federal government in 2006, the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act contains provisions to include companion animals in all disaster planning, according to the Humane Society of the United States. The act requires that local and state governments include pets in all natural disaster evacuation plans in order for these governments to receive Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants. The act also gives FEMA the authority to assist local governments in making such plans. The bill sets aside federal funding to establish pet-friendly emergency shelters and authorizes FEMA to help evacuate those with pets and just the pets themselves.
Louisiana's Pet Evacuation Law 615
In 2006, after Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana passed a bill to aid local parishes and municipalities in evacuating people and their pets and provide shelter during a natural disaster, according to the Animal Law Coalition. The measure established the Louisiana State Animal Response Team (LSART) to oversee and plan pet evacuation during emergency situations. The bill requires the establishment of an identification system to reunite pets and their owners after emergencies. According to the LSART Household Pet Evacuation & Sheltering Manual, people arriving at shelters with pets will attach plastic bar-coded tab-band collars (given to them by evacuation employees) around their pets' necks and attach matching bar-coded bands to their own wrists. This way, pets and owners can reunite after a disaster by comparing the bar-coded tags on owners and pets. This procedure applies only to dogs and cats. The bill provides for the set up of emergency shelters for pets and allows owners to ride on public transportation with pets in carriers. The Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and the Department of Agriculture and Forestry oversee these plans for each local area.
Other State Pet Evacuation Laws
Along with Louisiana, Florida, New Hampshire, Vermont and Hawaii all passed pet evacuation laws in 2006, according to Stateline. These laws contain provisions for animal shelters during evacuations. Service animals must accompany their owners and do not have to go to separate shelters during natural disasters. In New York, the transit authority revised its rules allowing pets to ride on public transportation in an emergency situation. Connecticut, Virginia, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, New Mexico and Nevada have laws that require the inclusion of pets in planning for natural disasters. Maine passed a law that calls for the development of an Animal Response Team and California now requires that the Office of Emergency Services incorporate the California Animal Response Emergency System (CARES) in its planning for evacuations.
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