Dear Editor,
Meteorologists predict that the storms of this hurricane season could be as bad as those in 2005.
Amid the many gaps Hurricane Katrina exposed in our government’s disaster plans was a lack of any provision “to ensure that State and local emergency preparedness operational plans address the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency. “Congress
began working to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act to include this provision in mid-September
2005 with the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS)
Act. H.R. 3858 was passed on May 22 and S. 2548 was received in the
Senate and read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs on May 23.
Passage of the PETS Act is needed to increase the lives that can
be saved in a disaster or an emergency - both animal lives and of
the lives of people who refuse to be forced to abandon their animals.
In order for this to become law, every citizen needs to contact the
members of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
encouraging them to bring this legislation to the full house for
a vote as soon as possible. With a call to (202) 224-4751, you can
make this request to the 8 Republican committee members and with
a call to (202) 224-2627, you can make this request to the 7 Democratic
committee members. Although neither of our senators is on this committee,
citizens of West Virginia should also call Senator Rockefeller to
ask him to join Senator Byrd in cosponsoring this important piece
of legislation.
Susan Kemenyas
