The new law requires the Department of Emergency Management to develop an emergency response plan to address the needs of animals in an emergency and to assist localities in developing their own emergency response plans.
"Thousands of animals were left behind in the Gulf Coast during Hurricane Katrina because residents were not allowed to evacuate with their pets or ignored evacuation orders because they were not able to bring their pets along," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The Humane Society of the United States. "We are grateful to Virginia lawmakers for recognizing that pets are part of the family and working to keep people and pets together in emergencies. With Virginia's new law, we hope no pet will be left behind when disaster strikes."
Similar laws have been passed in several other states, including Illinois, Virginia, California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, New Mexico and the District of Columbia. In October 2006, President Bush signed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act which requires local and state emergency preparedness authorities to include pets and service animals in their evacuation plans. Local and state authorities must submit these plans in order to qualify for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
