A day after the devastating Palisade fire, a reunion between a man and his dog went viral, helping to inspire a new California bill aimed at helping pet owners in emergencies.
On Tuesday, District 51 Congressional Democratic Caucus Chairman Rick Chavez Zbur announced AB 478, The Found Act, symbolizing the unity of Oreo’s friends during a disaster.
This is “an important new bill to ensure that pets are protected in emergencies and that local governments implement clear steps to assist pet owners during evacuation.”
During the wildfires in January, Casey Colvin, a resident of Pallisard in the Pacific, was not at home when the fire began. Due to the evacuation order, he was not allowed to return home to save the two dogs, Tikatikatika and Oreo.
Calfire Battalion chief Brent Pasquat was able to go to Colvin’s residence to try and help, but only Tika Tika Tika was able to find Tika Tika. Ireo was still missing.
Colvin lost his home, but a few days later he received some good news that his beloved pet Oreo was found in his driveway.
“We were lucky to be able to connect with social compassion and their rescue network. Without their help and the help of many others, we would never have seen Oreo live again. I don’t know how he survived such a broken heart,” Colvin said.
Colvin explained that there is no official procedure for him to save Oreo. He said he contacted the non-emergency police line and animal control, but neither could help him coordinate the rescue.
“We hope that the passage of discovered acts will make reunions like Mine and Oreo the norm,” Colvin said.
“Pets are more than just property, they are family. When a disaster occurs, no one has to choose their safety and their pet’s survival.”
According to ZBUR, the key elements of the discovered act are:
Pet Rescue Procedures – Cities and counties need to update their emergency plans to specify procedures for rescue of pets that are still in mandatory evacuation zones. Emergency Preparation Resources – Local governments will direct you to provide clear online resources for pet evacuation and unified assistance, and will direct a list of rescued pets. Extended retention period for rescued pets – Ensure that rescued pets from evacuated areas are retained for at least 90 days – recruited, euthanized or relocated – Significant improvements from the current 72-hour minimum – Pet owners will give more time to retrieve the animal.
AB 478 will be featured on the Policy Committee in the coming days.
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