PAWS Act signed into law, bringing greater attention to animals during natural disasters

In the wake of the passage of his Planning for Animal Wellness (PAW) Act earlier this month, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) toured the American Red Cross at its Lansing, Mich., chapter this week to highlight community efforts to help them – and their pets – recover from natural disasters.

“Today, I heard tragic stories from disaster response and animal welfare professionals on how people in Michigan and across the nation have been harmed because they refused to leave their beloved pets behind and evacuate when disasters strike. No one should have to choose between these beloved animals, which are often considered family members, and getting to safety,” Peters said. “Now that it’s law, my bipartisan PAW Act will help ensure that every American, as well as first responders and dedicated disaster response and animal rescue workers from organizations like the Red Cross and Michigan Humane, are better prepared to keep every member of our family — even the ones with paws, fur, and feathers — safe amid extreme weather events.”

PAW directed the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to create an advisory group of outside experts to assess current FEMA guidance and guarantee its policies reflect the best practices for animal care in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. Introduced by Peters in the Senate, it was sponsored in the House by U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV).

Accordingly, Peters took this trip to highlight how the Red Cross and Michigan Humane society work to shelter, rescue, and care for household pets before, during, and after extreme weather events, and took in stories of recent efforts in Florida, where members of the Michigan Humane Emergency Animal Rescue team assisted with animal rescue operations after Hurricane Ian. The senator was shown safety equipment, medical supplies, and other items key to extreme weather response and met with animal welfare professionals caring for injured animals across the state during and after natural disasters.

“Michigan Humane is committed to the health and safety of every animal, including by ensuring that our dedicated Animal Rescue Team is quickly on the ground after natural disasters to rescue cherished pets that may have been harmed,” Matt Pepper, CEO of Michigan Humane, said. “Now that the PAW Act has been signed into law, this team can be sure that they have the most up-to-date guidance from FEMA on how to prevent the loss of household pets from natural disasters. By leading this effort, Senator Peters has once again shown his commitment to protecting animals and their families.”