American pets are increasingly approaching the status of US citizens in terms of rights.
In August, the US Senate unanimously approved the corresponding bill, thereby supporting the initiative of the House of Representatives, which had adopted a similar document back in the spring. After both acts are consolidated, the bill will go to President George Bush for signature.
Animal rights advocates, who intensified their fight for legislative changes after the drama of New Orleans, did not wait for the president's signature and are already singing praises to the sensitivity and care of the senators, who even in the midst of the global fight against terrorism did not forget about thousands of dogs, cats, and representatives of more exotic domestic animals. The United Animal Nations (UAN), founded over 20 years ago, issued a special thank-you statement. 'Too many lives were lost during last year's Hurricane Katrina, including because people, not receiving permission to take their pets on rescue transport, remained in the disaster zone,' said UAN President and Executive Director Nicole Forsyth. 'Therefore, we applaud our senators for understanding the importance of the bonds between people and their pets.'
Animal rights advocates cite some sociological surveys showing that at least two-thirds of Americans today would refuse to evacuate in the event of a threat if they were not allowed to take their pets to a safe place. True, in the context of a real, not hypothetical, natural disaster, the number of 'refuseniks' turns out to be much smaller. But, according to Reuters, during the rescue operation in New Orleans, several thousand residents of the jazz capital motivated their refusal to leave home precisely by concern for animals. Volunteers had to rescue them along with their dogs and cats from the watery captivity during additional operations.
The 'animal' aspect of the New Orleans tragedy forced American authorities to change their views on human companions. And while Congress debated the nuances of the new Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, municipal officials began compiling lists of pets. Even in huge New York, the mayor's office promised to provide shelters during emergencies for dogs and cats as well. Their names, along with the surnames of city residents, were entered into the 'emergency lists' of the rescue service in May of this year. True, rescuers do not yet account for reptiles and other exotic animals, and dog and cat owners are given a number of conditions: for evacuation, it is necessary to present documents for the pet, including a vaccination certificate, have a supply of food for several days, and transportation is possible only in special crates. If the animal has parasites, flea extermination must be carried out. In addition, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned in advance that the rescue service would handle the evacuation of animals only after the safety of their owners had been ensured. 'Our priority has been and remains the evacuation of people,' he stated in May.
But it must be taken into account that this statement was made several months before the Senate amended the bill prepared by the House of Representatives. If the first version of the law was more of a well-meaning wish and request to rescuers, the Senate version already provides for the allocation of central financial assistance to states and municipalities for the creation and development of special shelters for Americans who do not want to part with their non-human companions.