On Sunday June 11, 2006, kids from Hazlet, New Jersey, hosted an open party for " NO PETS LEFT BEHIND." They raised money for the Legislative Fund of The Humane Society of the United States, which works to pass laws that help animals.

More than 63 percent of American households share their homes with pets. Pets are part of the family, and there is a special bond between people and their animals. The PETS ACT (S.B. 2548/H.R. 3858) will help preserve this bond when disasters, like Hurricane Katrina, strike.

When Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast last fall, evacuation and rescue efforts were often delayed because evacuees were told they could not bring their animals and therefore chose to stay in the homes-putting themselves at risk rather than abandon their animals.

Disaster planning must include provisions for people's pets in order to be effective. The PETS Act will do just that by requiring that local and state disaster plans address animal issues. The Senate version of the PETS Act goes further by requiring essential assistance for individuals with household pets and service animals, and the animals themselves, following a major disaster.