Washington, DC - Congressmen Tom Lantos (D-CA) and Christopher Shays (R-CT), Co-Chairs of the Friends of Animals Caucus, introduced legislation to ensure that in any future disaster, federal officials will not separate people from their household pets and service animals such as seeing-eye dogs, as they did in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (PETS Act) requires local and state emergency preparedness authorities to include in their evacuation plans how they will accommodate household pets or service animals in case of a disaster. Local and state authorities must submit these plans in order to qualify for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Shays said, "Katrina taught us the hard lesson that, as we prepare for future emergencies, it's important we include in our plans ways to protect our pet owners and their pets. The common-sense bill we will introduce today requires state and local preparedness groups to include in their protocols plans for evacuation of pet owners, pets and service animals in the event of a major disaster so that owners don't have to make a choice between their personal safety and their pets' safety."

At a news conference announcing the bill, officials from the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Doris Day Animal League and the Best Friends Animal Society emphasized their support for this initiative.

Shays is Vice-Chair of the Government Reform Committee, Chairman of its Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations and sits on the Home