"No Pet Left Behind" Bill Passes Senate

Reuters (via. Newsmax.com) ^ | Aug. 5, 2006 | unknown

[Frank T]

WASHINGTON -- In the wake of haunting images of pets left behind in flooded New Orleans, the U.S. Senate passed a bill Friday requiring local and state disaster agencies to take pets and service animals into account in their emergency planning.

The Senate approved the bill by unanimous consent in the early hours before recessing for its summer break.

The House of Representatives passed a similar bill in May and differences must be worked out before the legislation is sent to President Bush.

Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, called the measure "an important step in ensuring Americans will never again be forced to make an impossibly difficult choice: leave their animal behind while they flee a disaster or take their chances by staying in a disaster-stricken area with their pet."

The Senate bill gives the Federal Emergency Management Agency authority to help develop the plans, and authorizes financial help to states to create emergency shelters for people with animals.

Thousands of people refused to evacuate because they did not want to abandon their pets when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast last year, and thousands of pets were left behind.

[Frank T]

How is this a matter for Washington, and not the state and local level authorities?

[WKUHilltopper]

WTG, DC! Good waste of time and money! IDIOTS! BRING BACK THE WHIG PARTY!

[Orange1998]

They could not even get the people out much less the animals.

[Arm_Bears]

Clearly, the Senate has too much time on its hands.

[Williams]

Just keep passing more and more federal laws costing everyone more and more money. Now, considering some PEOPLE die in floods, which resources should be diverted to saving animals as per the federal mandate? Oh, no problem, just raise federal, state and local taxes.

[BulletBobCo]

[digger48]

The people had a weeks warning and had a chance to get out on their own before the storm, but didn't.

There shouldn't have been anyone TO rescue.

[KoRn]

I'm at a loss for words.....

[dakine]

I can hear it now:
Flood/hurricane coming, "See those 1000 head of cattle, they're my pets...."

[djf]

I'm absolutely outraged that the Senate wasted time on this trivial legislation.

Don't they know there are STILL baseball players using steroids?

[dsc]

Here, officer, hold my bamboo viper.

[DennisR]

"How is this a matter for Washington, and not the state and local level authorities?"

Because in Washington's eyes, you and I are both idiots and need to be told what to do every day. And only they are smart enough to know these kinds of things. We are the unwashed masses.

There - hopes that helps you understand the situation. \sarc.

[trumandogz]

Good move.

Saving dogs and cats helps to save human lives.

[ansel12]

"requiring local and state disaster agencies to take pets and service animals into account in their emergency planning."



I hope there are some giant loop holes in this, I don't want to see helicopters brought down by panicked Dobermans.

[CindyDawg]

We don't need big government and rules and regulations but I do think we need to be more flexible though. A simple, if you can get them to a shelter and they are contained and vaccinated, they can come in, should do IMO. Saving pets should never be a priority over lives but to save lives, sometimes you have to give a little. The rescue workers should be given authority to make that decision though IMO. If you have a 91 y/o being lifted off of her roof clutching her little dog , what's the harm? If it is going to cause delay, for other animal situations they could tell the owner to leave the animal or take a chance and wait until they can come back.

[davisfh]

"Good move.

Saving dogs and cats helps to save human lives."

You're right. I can't imagine any circumstance where we would abandon our little dog.

[CindyDawg]

A better law IMO would be that homeowners, after making an informed decision should be allowed to return to their property immediately after a storm.

[FormerACLUmember]

Evil democrats and moron Republicans more concerned about pit bulls and tough old alley cats, than about the mass slaughter (government funded, no less) of innocent babies plus defenseless sick and elderly humans.

[A knight without armor]

Right. I would not leave without my cat. When I had a dog I would not have left without her. You cannot explain this to those who feel differently.

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

This is not the fault of the federal government or the Bush administration.All of these problems would have been avoided had it not been for the total incompetence of the mayor and the governor of Louisiana