New law includes pets, service animals in disaster planning

Michael Roescher's calm delivery belied the harrowing story he told of being in his house with his daughters during the 2011 tornado that leveled his Monson home and much of the town. He and his girls were forced to flee without their seven cats and agonized as they waited until the wreckage could be inspected to try to recover them. Dozens of volunteers gathered to sift through the debris of his ruined home until all seven cats were recovered alive. Local veterinarians and shelters gave Roescher's cats free medical treatment and shelter. His poignant story demonstrated the need for S. 1172, a new law that requires that all local emergency management plans include pets and service animals. The measure, which passed the House of Representatives and was signed into law in March, was celebrated belatedly but joyously by animal protection organizations, emergency planning officials and legislators at a ceremony on the State House steps on Tuesday, June 3. Representatives of the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL), Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), the State of Massachusetts Animal Response Team (SMART), state and local emergency planning agencies and the American Red Cross of Massachusetts joined the bill's author and chief sponsor, Senate Majority Whip Karen Spilka and other legislators in hailing the new measure. About 50 people and several adoptable animals from the ARL and MSPCA shelters attended. Spilka remarked, "I was really proud to work with my colleagues on this because we all recognize the contributions our pets make to our lives every single day." Marveling at the relative speed with which the bill became law, she added, "When you realize that we got it through in the first session, that's pretty amazing."

Sen. Spilka, who lives in Ashland and represents the Second Middlesex and Norfolk District, drafted, filed and advocated for the bill after a 2012 breakfast meeting at which her longtime friend and veterinarian, Dr. David Schwartz of SMART and Kara Holmquist, MSPCA Director of Advocacy, enlightened her on the dilemma faced by pet parents who were ordered to evacuate in disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy but who found it difficult to find places that would take their animals. "During a disaster, the failure to evacuate becomes a real public safety issue," Spilka said. Schwartz echoed that sentiment. "While we are looking at all the animal partners today, this law is about public safety. This is a law that takes care of the people who own the animals. We never want them to have to decide between their own safety and the safety of their pets," Schwartz said. Acknowledging the role of disaster-management specialists, he continued, "The people who are doing all the work for our public safety are the emergency managers across the state. They deserve all the credit for seeing that we stay safe, and SMART and all the other animal organizations will be there to help them with the animal piece." Speaking on behalf of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Planning Department Coordinator Mike Philbin said, "We've been working on the importance of animal protection as part of emergency management for quite a while. We get it." Spilka and other speakers asserted that in the event of an emergency evacuation, they would be unwilling to leave their four-legged family members behind.

While S. 1172's backers are grateful to have won government inclusion of companion animals in emergency rescue situations, ARL president Mary Nee emphasized the importance of household responsibility for disaster readiness as well. "It is not just about government planning. Every one of us who owns a pet needs to take responsibility to plan for an evacuation." Underscoring that sentiment, the ARL presented pet emergency-supply kits packed in red backpacks with the ARL logo to Senator Spilka and her colleagues who supported the bill. Nee also referred attendees to the ARL's web site at www.arlboston.org for a list of essential pet supplies for evacuation.