Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act
{{Short description|United States federal law}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2017}}
The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (PETS) was a bi-partisan initiative in the United States House of Representatives to require states seeking Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance to accommodate pets and service animals in their plans for evacuating residents facing disasters.{{cite web |url = https://www.congress.gov/109/plaws/publ308/PLAW-109publ308.pdf |title = Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act] |publisher = Office of Christopher Shays |date = September 2005 |access-date = August 30, 2007 }}
Pets that are NOT Service animals, must still follow the laws regarding service animals during a disaster. Introduced by Congressmen Tom Lantos (D-California) and Christopher Shays (R-Connecticut) on September 22, 2005, the bill passed the House of Representatives on May 22, 2006, by a margin of 349 to 29.{{cite web |last = Shays |first = Christopher |url = http://www.house.gov/shays/issues/animal/index.htm#pets |title = Animal Welfare: Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act |publisher = Office of Christopher Shays |access-date = August 30, 2007 |url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20061012052212/http://www.house.gov/shays/issues/animal/index.htm#pets |archivedate = October 12, 2006 |df = mdy-all }} Technically an amendment to the Stafford Act, it was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 6, 2006.{{cite press release |url = https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061006-15.html |title = President Bush Signs H.R. 3858, the 'Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006' |publisher = White House |access-date = September 10, 2007 }} The bill is now Public Law 109-308.{{cite web |url = http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.03858: |title = H.R.3858 |publisher = Library of Congress |access-date = August 30, 2007 }}
Background
The bill was initiated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when the abandonment of many thousands of pets and other animals brought the matter of animal welfare to national attention.{{cite news |last = Nolan |first = R. Scott |date = October 15, 2005 |url = http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/oct05/051015a.asp |title = Katrina's other victims |work = Journal of the American Veterinary Association |access-date = August 30, 2005 |url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929084101/http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/oct05/051015a.asp |archivedate = September 29, 2007 |df = mdy-all }} In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Bush administration conducted a review of public relief efforts and where the infrastructure in place at the time failed.{{cite web | url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/reports/katrina-lessons-learned/chapter5.html | title=Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned - Chapter Five: Lessons Learned }} The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Act served as an amendment to section 403 of Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. which had been in place since November 23, 1988 with no previous amendments. PETS was put in place to ensure that upon major disaster or emergency, FEMA has authorization to give shelter and care to people with service animals as well as household pets. Two other documents were involved in the activation of the PETS Act. These documents were Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act and National Response Framework.{{Cite web |title=Background of PETS Act |url=http://www.nationalmasscarestrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/dap-9523-19-eligible_costs_related_to_pet_evacuations_and_sheltering.pdf |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=www.nationalmasscarestrategy.org}} The PKERA made FEMA the sole agency responsible for national emergency response, while the National Response Framework was used to identify how the national government, along with communities and states would execute well coordinated national responses to disasters and emergencies. PERKA was signed into law August 3, 2006. National Response Framework amendments were finished October 4, 2006. To determine when the PETS Act would be activated, FEMA developed a policy titled Eligible Costs Related to Pet Evacuations and Sheltering. This policy operationally defined the terms household pet, service animal, and congregate household pet shelter. The policy states that only local and state governments are eligible to participate in the rescue and shelter of pets for reimbursement.{{Cite web |title=History of PETS Act |url=http://www.nationalmasscarestrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/dap-9523-19-eligible_costs_related_to_pet_evacuations_and_sheltering.pdf |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=www.nationalmasscarestrategy.org}} The policy also states that private nonprofit groups can not be reimbursed directly. The bill's primary proposer, Tom Lantos, indicated that a press picture of a child being separated from his dog was the bill's catalyst; "The dog was taken away from this little boy, and to watch his face was a singularly revealing and tragic experience. This legislation was born at that moment."{{Cite news |url = http://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-passes-pet-evacuation-bill/ |title = House Passes Pet Evacuation Bill |access-date = May 16, 2017 |language = en |publisher = CBS News }} On the congressional record for the bill, he explained more fully:
The scene from New Orleans of a 9-year-old little boy crying because he was not allowed to take his little white dog Snowball was too much to bear. Personally, I know I wouldn't have been able to leave my little white dog Masko to a fate of almost certain death. As I watched the images of the heartbreaking choices the gulf residents had to make, I was moved to find a way to prevent this from ever happening again.{{cite web |url = http://www.govtrack.us/congress/record.xpd?id=109-h20060920-51&bill=h109-3858 |title = Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006 Section 51 |work = GovTrack |date = September 20, 2006 |access-date = August 31, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930033539/http://www.govtrack.us/congress/record.xpd?id=109-h20060920-51&bill=h109-3858 |archive-date = September 30, 2007 |url-status = dead }}
= Hurricane Katrina animals =
Stories of abandoned pets after Katrina filled the media.{{cite news |url = https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1113609 |title = More and more abandoned pets in New Orleans rescued |publisher = ABC News }}
{{cite news |url = http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/09/0909_050909_katrina_petrescue.html |title = Katrina's stranded pets spur massive aid effort |work = National Geographic News }}{{Cite book |authorlink = Cathy Scott |last = Scott |first = Cathy |year = 2008 |title = Pawprints of Katrina: Pets Saved and Lessons Learned |location = Hoboken, NJ |publisher = Howell Book House |isbn = 978-0-470-22851-7 |title-link = Pawprints of Katrina }} The issue raised questions of class concern, as animal welfare activist noted in the Washington Post that some hotels who took in evacuees allowed customers to bring their pets, but those forced to rely on public assistance had no options.{{cite news |last = Dawn |first = Karen |date = September 10, 2005 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/09/AR2005090901824.html |title = Best friends need shelter, too |newspaper = The Washington Post |access-date = August 30, 2007 }}
One particular case that garnered widespread attention was that of "Snowball", a small white dog made famous by Associated Press' coverage of the evacuation of the New Orleans Louisiana Superdome. The authorities who assisted evacuees onto buses refused to allow pets to board. Foster reported that "Pets were not allowed on the bus, and when a police officer confiscated a little boy's dog, the child cried until he vomited. 'Snowball, snowball,' he cried."{{cite news |last1=Associated Press |title=Sad story of little boy and his dog grips U.S. |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/9223167/ns/health-pet_health/t/sad-story-little-boy-his-dog-grips-us/#.W62QBhNKjUI |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130913095751/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/9223167/ns/health-pet_health/t/sad-story-little-boy-his-dog-grips-us#.W62QBhNKjUI |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 13, 2013 |work=msnbc.com |date=6 September 2005 |language=en}}
The story of "Snowball" became a centerpiece in fundraising appeals by welfare organizations and various ad-hoc websites were created by people soliciting funds to help locate Snowball and reunite him with the boy. On September 6, 2005, USA Today reported that Terry Conger, a veterinarian and information officer for the Incident Command Center that coordinated animal rescue efforts in Louisiana, said state veterinary officers had confirmed that Snowball is safe in a Louisiana shelter and that his owner had been located in Texas.{{cite news |last = Manning |first = Anita |date = September 6, 2005 |url = https://www.usatoday.com/life/2005-09-06-katrina-pets_x.htm |title = Rescuers scramble to reach animals left in dire straits |work = USA Today |access-date = August 30, 2007 }} However, it appears the veterinarian officials were mistaken. On September 10, 2005, the Lexington Herald-Leader quoted Conger as saying that original reports of Snowball's recovery were inaccurate and that "the chances of finding it [Snowball] and returning it to its owner are next to nil".{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}}
Opposition
While the bill received wide support, it did have opponents. Two Representatives from the State of Georgia who opposed, Lynn Westmoreland-(R) and Charlie Norwood-(R), announced through spokesmen concerns that the law would unfairly impose federal control over state governance and negatively impact resources from other areas of emergency planning necessary to protect human lives.{{citation |last = Kemper |first = Bob |date = May 23, 2006 |url = http://westmoreland.house.gov/news/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=44148 |title = Pet-loving Georgians call bill a disaster |work = Atlanta Journal-Constitution |via = Office of Lynn A. Westmoreland |access-date = August 30, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070725212206/http://westmoreland.house.gov/news/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=44148 |archive-date = July 25, 2007 |url-status = dead }}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
Irvine, Leslie. 2009. Filling the Ark: Animal Welfare in Disasters. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. {{ISBN|978-1-59213-834-0}}
Category:Acts of the 109th United States Congress
Category:Effects of Hurricane Katrina
Category:Federal Emergency Management Agency
Category:United States federal emergency management legislation
Category:United States federal legislation articles needing infoboxes
Category:Animal welfare and rights legislation in the United States