[wideawake]

Not ripping you here, but for many people, pets are just as much family as any human member

I know people who feel that way. If someone is single and has a pet, hey - their decision.

But any parent who kept children in harm's way to save a pet is out of their blinking mind.

Additionally, pet provision at shelters would cause people to ask why pets were taking up valuable shelter space and causing sanitation issues while there were humans still trying to reach shelter.

[Pirate21]

any parent who kept children in harm's way to save a pet is out of their blinking mind. Additionally, pet provision at shelters would cause people to ask why pets were taking up valuable shelter space and causing sanitation issues while there were humans still trying to reach shelter.

Some very valid points. Gee, this is a prime example of the incredible heartbreak and difficult decisions that disasters such as these cause. I don't think we can imagine what these people are enduring.

[MarMema]

The point is that there are plenty of groups with the resources to go in and rescue many animals in advance,
and the authorities would have been saved a lot of hard work they are having to do now, imo, if they had allowed those groups to do the jobs they want to do.