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Dec 25, 2006 6:39 pm US/Central
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Groups Advocate Help For Animals In Disasters
(STNG)
Nine states have passed laws to help animals in emergencies or major disasters. Now two organizations are pushing for Illinois to become the tenth.
The American Society for the Prevention of Creulty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are urging Gov. Rod Blagojevich to sign a bill that would require the Illinois emergency operations plan to take into account the needs of those with pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Art Tenhouse, according to a release from the ASPCA.
While few such laws existed before Hurricane Katrina, when thousands of people were seperated from their pets, officials are taking notice so as to not repeat the scenario.
California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont have passed similiar laws and a resolution was passed in New Mexico, the release said.
President Bush signed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act in October, which requires the inclusion of companion animals in disaster planning at the state and local levels, the release said.
In the U.S., there are over 358 million pets residing in 63 percent of American households, and according to a recent poll by Zogby International, 61 percent of pet owners said they'd refuse to evacuate if they could not take their pets, the release said.
(Source: Sun-Times News Group Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2006. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)