Posted on 08/06/2006 11:59:15 AM PDT by 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.
WTG, DC! Good waste of time and money! IDIOTS! BRING BACK THE WHIG PARTY!
They could not even get the people out much less the animals.
Clearly, the Senate has too much time on its hands.
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.
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.
I'm at a loss for words.....
I can hear it now:
Flood/hurricane coming, "See those 1000 head of cattle, they're my pets...."
I'm absolutely outraged that the Senate wasted time on this trivial legislation.
Don't they know there are STILL baseball players using steroids?
Here, officer, hold my bamboo viper.
Good move.
Saving dogs and cats helps to save human lives.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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