Update—October 18, 2022: VICTORY! Today, President Biden signed the Planning for Animal Wellness (PAW) Act into law. Under this new law, government agencies and outside experts will collaborate to review and update best practices for companion, service, and assistance animals in disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts.
It has been an exciting summer for this legislation, which passed the Senate by unanimous consent in August and subsequently passed the House of Representatives in September.
We are grateful to Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH) as well as Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Peter DeFazio (D-OR) for leading the charge on this important legislation. We are also grateful to President Biden for signing the PAW Act.
Every year, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters force families to flee their homes. A 2021 ASPCA survey revealed that 83% of current pet owners reported living in a community that faces natural disasters. Lack of emergency resources for those with companion animals leave people with an impossible decision: evacuate without their beloved pets or risk sheltering in place to stay together.
The PAW Act will foster collaboration among state and local governments, academia and non-profits to establish best practices for addressing the needs of household pets, service and assistance animals, and captive animals before, during and after natural disasters.
What You Can Do
Please use the form below to email your U.S. representative and senators, thanking them for advancing the PAW Act. Thank you for using your voice to keep people and pets safe!
