In 2005, Hurricane Katrina taught a lot of folks about emergency preparedness and procedures. And the next year, it changed the landscape of animal welfare in this country when it comes to emergency response to people and pets.
Now rescue agencies are required by law to rescue companion animals along with people, thanks to the passage of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act.
But humane welfare agencies learned something else when well-intentioned rescuers descended on communities and decamped with dogs and cats to "rescue" them: they belonged to people who wanted to reclaim them. So now, the animals leaving parts of storm-ravaged Texas and Florida are dogs and cats that were already in shelters. They're being shipped north, to communities like Duluth, so Florida and Texas pets can stay where it will be easier for their owners to find them.
