An official of the Louisiana State University School of veterinary medicine said the state has made strides in planning for animal evacuations in natural disasters.

Rebecca Adcock, who is working with the Louisiana State Animal Response Team, told members of the press at the Baton Rouge Press Club that the state Legislature passed a bill covering pet evacuations.

“This is something that puts us ahead nationally, “she said. The new law places most of the responsibility for evacuating pets during hurricanes and other disasters on the shoulders of local governments, which must develop plans in coordination with state and federal officials.

Still, Adcock said, money hasn’t been funneled to local governments. She called the lack of money “one of the gaps in the plan.”

The state set aside $150 million for future evacuation costs, and the new law makes it more probable that money will find its way to local agencies to for evacuation planning and expenses.

Adcock also said that the best place for pets in a disaster is with the pets’ owners.

She said that emergency animal shelters are not ideal for pet security and identification, so owners should evacuate to the home of a relative or some other place that welcomes pets.

After Katrina, the lion’s share of the cost of evacuating pets in New Orleans and other places were paid from donations from animal-protection groups, pet food companies and pharmaceutical manufacturers, Adcock said.

In August the Humane Society of the United States gave several thousand animal carriers worth about $150,000 to the Louisiana Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

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