New Law Aims to Help Pets During Natural Disasters: The FOUND Act

The FOUND Act and Pet Welfare

• 💔 The FOUND Act, or Friends of Oreo Uniting During Disaster, is new legislation aimed at reducing heartache for pet owners during natural disasters.
• 💡 The law was inspired by stories of pets lost and found during the Los Angeles wildfires, highlighting the emotional toll on owners.

Stories of Loss and Rescue

• 🐎 An Altadena man was seen leading his horse through downtown Pasadena amidst wildfire flames.
• 🐈 In the Palisades, a woman was forced to evacuate without her cat, Aggie, who was later found.
• 🐶 Oreo, a Pomeranian, escaped a first responder rescue during the Los Angeles firestorm, becoming the namesake for the act.
• 🐷 Animal rescuers shared wild stories, including rescuing four 400-pound farm pigs and a 140-pound tortoise from burning properties.

Key Provisions of Assembly Bill 478

• 📝 Assembly Bill 478 proposes establishing a clear evacuation plan for pets.
• 🗂️ It aims to create a centralized database for lost and found pets.
• ⏳ The bill seeks to extend the adoption period for animals found during natural disasters from 72 hours to 90 days.

The Importance of Animal Advocacy

• 🗣️ The legislation is championed by individuals and organizations like Social Compassion and the Animal Advocacy Network.
• 🐾 The goal is to prevent the suffering and loss of animals, drawing parallels to the estimated 400-500,000 animals that perished during Hurricane Katrina.
• ⚖️ Animal rescuers hope the bill becomes law by September and eventually expands from a state to a federal law.