Posted on 09/22/2005 1:03:57 PM PDT by cwiz24
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal disaster grants to state and local governments should be conditioned on how they accommodate pets in their evacuation plans, say lawmakers disturbed that some Hurricane Katrina victims refused to leave home because they couldn't take their animals with them.
"I cannot help but wonder how many more people could have been saved had they been able to take their pets," Rep. Tom Lantos, D-California, said Thursday.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
My wife and I had this discussion after Hurricane Katrina. 9mm between the dogs' eyes and we're out of there. Can't let the animals suffer and I don't want them going feral either.
I wouldn't leave my guinea pigs behind. I don't care what anyone says.
More laws and regulations. Wonderful.
Thousands and thousands of people refused to leave their homes because they had to leave their pets behind. Perhaps the pets should not be allowed on the evacuation buses with people who might be hurt or allergic, but perhaps at the evacuee pick-up stations, there can be vehicles provided specifically for people's pets (provided the pet is properly restrained). Sure, the people would be separated from their pets for a little while, but it's better than leaving them behind or the person staying behind himself and potentially dying.
utter BS legislation.
Most areas with an actual plan have shettlers SPECIFIC for those with pets.
Nagin and Blanco dropped the ball and they are CYA to say it was not their fault.
FL has pet provisions, TX has pet provisions.
LA incompetence did not acomodate pets. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FEDS.
(the democrats want to blame Bush for killing fido. hmmm [s]JOHN ROBERTS PERSONALLY KILLED PETS IN NEW ORLEANS WITH GUNS PROVIDED BY THE NRA! [/s] GASP! )
Says it all.
Yup, Cute little buggers.
But imagine 2700 of them stinking up the Astrodome in and out of cages. Turds everywhere. Food for the next guy's dobermans... It gets crazy in short order.
I'm not saying it's an easy fix. I'm just saying it's worth trying to solve. I really can't imagine leaving my little pigs behind. I love those little critters.
BobCNY THANK YOU. HellO. I thot I was on the PETA site.
BobCNY THANK YOU. HellO. I thot I was on the PETA site.
Well, in my particular case, my furkids are small, can stay in a crate, I have the means to evacuate (and I certainly would do it as soon as the even "suggest" it... why wait until they order me to do it?) My fin kids, I guess I would have to leave them and hope for the best for them.
I absolutely agree with you on the idea that, if for any reason you cannot provide or take care of your pets, in normal and even in somewhat extraordinary situations, you should not have them. Ever heard of people having 40 of 50 cats? Arghhhh!!
Just like with human children (conceive only as many as you can support and take care of), have only the pets you can reasonably take care of.
Nothing like getting on a bus with Leroy's pit bulls. He trains them to fight but he calls them his pets and after all they dont eat much.Only an arm or a lef at worst. Yes Stoppig a mile out to let Tyrones German Shepherd pee isnt a big deal. Hope no one on the bus is allergic to Ruby's cats. who come up with these crazy ideas? If people who have pets dont have a car thats tough.
I had a guinea pig named Peanut as a kid, looked JUST like the one on the right in your picture. What a blast from the past!
I wouldn't leave my pets (I have a dog) behind if I had to evacuate. But I also wouldn't expect the authorities to do it for me. Part of being a pet owner is making plans to handle situations like that. And if someone tried to force me to leave them they'd end up leaving without me.
LQ
The rule for shelters that have pet provisions are simple.
ALL pets must be caged. YOU must bring enough pet food for three days. No food will be provided. There will be no place to exercise the dog, cat or fish. It is a shelter not a vactation resort.
If you have thee dogs then you bring three portable kennels to let the dogs stay contained.
This only points out NO incompetence in preparation that they did not already have this.
This is not a federal issue, this is a local gov COMPETENCE ISSUE.
In an emergency, time and assets are limited. Would people be denied evacuation in favor of pets? By whom and by what criteria would the transport resources be allocated? Would a dog or cat be kicked off a bus to squeeze one more person aboard? Or vice versa? Would the call to load lifeboats become "Women and children and pets first"?
I'll be flamed to a cinder for saying this, but it doesn't sound as though this situation is being taken at all seriously. In a real emergency, choices often sacrifice even human life. I can't believe the emergency workers who were evacuating people left pets behind to be cruel; sometimes choices are finite.
This law should ALSO REQUIRE the owners to take their pets and that would FORCE RESPONSIBILITY on those who normally try to evade it.Likewise,those who ignore this law and their pets are rescued should be heavily fined and billed for food,housing and medical care.
-PJ
No one said it would be easy. Surely there is something that can be done for animals rather than just leave them in houses and streets to starve to death.
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