A stupid question that needs answering

[figmo]

Ganked from kayshapero who ganked it from ataniell93, who ganked it from somewhere else....

FEMA is now taking a national petition to see how many Americans want to allow hurricane survivors to be allowed to take their pets with them as they evacuate or pet rescue agencies to be allowed to come into ravaged areas and rescue pets. The number is 1-202-646-2763. Everyone call this number and let them know that all life is valuable. When you have done calling, let everyone you know know about this number. Even as I type, the ASPCA is readying a truck convoy to head for New Orleans and the thousands of animals dying there. It's coming down as something of a paramilitary operation. Again, please call FEMA. 1-202-646-2763. Besides donating to any of the charitable organizations out there, this is one of the more important things we can do.

msminlr tried calling and didn't even get an answering machine and recommends waiting till business hours Monday to try.

To me this is a no-brainer. Who wouldn't want to allow folks to evacuate their non-human family members? If I had to evacuate, Lady would be the first "thing" to go into the car (her "doggie Dramamine" would be second, followed by supplies).

Comments

[cellio]

I can grudgingly understand a desire to keep some shelters pet-free, but only so long as some suitable provisions are made for the pets -- ideally some pets-permitted shelters that people afraid of dogs etc don't go to. But that's about shelterss; refusing to let the people onto the boats/helicoptors/trucks etc at all without their pets is inexcusable. The cat on my lap isn't taking a space a person could have occupied, after all, and if they won't let me into the shelter they can just drop me by the side of the road and I'll fend for myself.

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Suppose you're on a plane, bus, etc with someone allergic to cats?

[cellio]

There are two kinds of allergies, inconvenient and deadly. I've never heard of a deadly pet allergy, but maybe that can exist. Failing that, people in an evacuation have to understand that they might be uncomfortable. I'm allergic to many perfumes; do I get to boot their wearers off the bus so I can avoid getting sick? Or do I just have to live with it for the duration of the trip?

Dog allergy

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

... three times now I've nearly been taken to hospital because I almost stopped breathing because of pet allergies. (Luckily in two cases the inhaler and antihistamines kicked in, the third time I *should* have gone to hospital but instead stayed outside of the house with the dog and suffered badly for about six hours)

pickledginger spent several days in hospital here in the UK after an asthma attack (which was quite possibly an allergic reaction, though we'll never know).

Yes, if someone is wearing a perfume that makes you physically ill, they can stop using it or get off the bus.

Re: Dog allergy

[figmo.livejournal.com]

They should have separate evacuation areas for folks with pets, but dammit, allow the pets!

[kayshapero]

Exactly. Heck, back when my daughter had pet goldfish, my emergency evacuation plans from here included them (large plastic bags of the sort you bring them home from the store in as an interim, with a small, portable fishtank to decant them into once we stopped moving. Not perfect, but better than leaving them.) It's a matter of basic responsibility, and nobody who doesn't understand that has any business acquiring a real pet. Get a tomagachi