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Jul 29, 2006 3:22 pm US/Eastern
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Shelters For Pets And Their Owners Planned
Hurricane Shelters For Pets And Owners In Works
WEST PALM BEACH (AP) ―
When Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans, more than 10,000 people refused evacuation because they wouldn't leave behind their pets.
Rescuers wouldn't allow people to bring animals, and most shelters weren't accepting them. Some who stayed with their pets became casualties, among more than 1500 people who died along the Gulf Coast.
The loss of life got emergency managers thinking, you can't save people without saving their pets.
Many hurricane shelters across the South are now opening their doors to humans and their animals in hopes of saving more lives in future storms.
Louisiana and Florida require local governments to include pets in emergency plans. Texas, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi and North Carolina also are considering similar measures.
On the federal level, the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act passed the House in April and is now before a Senate committee. It would require local governments prepare to evacuate people and their pets or risk losing federal funds.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)