Washington, DC – Today Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) introduced the Planning for Animal Wellness (PAW) Act. This legislation directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish an advisory group of outside experts who will align FEMA guidance to match current best practices in animal care for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

“Our pets are integral parts of our lives,” said Rep. Dina Titus. “No one should have to make the impossible choice between leaving them behind or evacuating to safety in the event of a natural disaster. My bill will make certain FEMA guidance matches current best practices so that first responders and federal disaster response workers can help pet owners plan to keep every member of their family, even the furry ones, safe.”

The PAW Act builds upon the bipartisan Providing Responsible Emergency Plans for Animals at Risk of Emerging Disasters (PREPARED) Act (H.R. 1442) Rep. Titus introduced along with Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) in 2021. The PREPARED Act would require entities regulated under the Animal Welfare Act, such as zoos, commercial animal dealers, and research facilities, to have contingency plans in place to safely evacuate and care for animals in an emergency or disaster situation. The bill currently has 156 bipartisan cosponsors.

Background

The Planning for Animal Wellness (PAW) Act would:

• Create a working group at FEMA to review best practices and current Federal guidance related to the sheltering and evacuation of pets throughout the emergency management process.
• The working group would consist of animal experts from academia, non-profits, the veterinarian field, and state and local government.
• If the working group determines that current best practices are insufficient, FEMA would be required to update its federal guidance within 1.5 years of the bill’s enactment into law.

Full text of the bill can be found here.

A one-page summary of the bill can be found here.

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