Lets Talk It Over Amy Erwin Managing Editor

Bill 607, authored by Clo Fontenot (R-Livingston) garnered some pretty hefty support from state officials such as State Treasurer John Kennedy, and Bob Odom, the well known and either loved or hated State Commissioner of Agriculture. Along with those guys came organizations such as the Humane Society of Louisiana, the Louisiana SPCA, and their respective national offices. And then there were the people…just the plain old everyday people who love their pets.

Those of you who know me know that along with my children, our dog Sam and our cat Camille (and of course their offspring), are very important figures in my life. And yes, my kids do come first but sometimes I’m sure they think I love my pets more than I love them. And, being single, I’ve been known to tell men who want to spend time with me, that it’s going to be a “love me, love my pets” type relationship.

But back to the topic at hand…there are two things that strike me as I watch Bill 607 advance through the legislative process (So far, it has passed through the Senate Committee with no problem). First of all, the Office of Homeland Security will be in charge of planning pet evacuations and it’s not going to be cheap. It seems to me that if I’m being evacuated in the midst of a hurricane, I’d be more than willing to hold my pet or pets or I’d be glad to put them in a box or kennel and/or on a leash. As a pet owner I am willing to pay to evacuate my pets. And only if I couldn’t afford to do so, would I expect the state to help. Now I may not be very smart but how will even the smartest of them at the Legislature figure out what it would cost to evacuate all those animals? Like who decides how many people have family pets or service animals?? I know for a fact that my cat doesn’t have a Social Security Card or was counted in the last census. I’m also sure that Sam, the big Black Lab, doesn’t have a “green card” (does that mean she’s sort of like all those illegal aliens!) And how does one figure how many extra school buses it’s going to take to move hundreds of dogs, cats, bird, fish, etc? And who’s the person that’s going to estimate how many times an area will need to be evacuated during the course of a hurricane season? I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling very apprehensive about hurricane season 2006.

The second thing that strikes me is the huge crowd that turned out on Monday, in support of this legislation. The crowd was bigger than when they rallied for the bill that was aimed at supporting funding for the mentally retarded. And how about when the teachers rally? Nope more people love their pets than teachers. Or when our police officers are trying to get additional funding? That would be a “negatory”, good buddy…once again our pets win the “big crowd” prize.

As I write this article, there’s a little black pooch, sleeping on my desk here at the Chamber Voice “office” on Marchand Dr. His name is Keno and he’s Debbie Peltier’s dog. We teasingly say that his feet never touch the ground because one of us holds him all the time. Talk about a spoiled dog!!! But guess what? The pleasure that he gives me (as do mine at home) is worth any sacrifice and I can tell you I’d never get on an evacuation bus if I couldn’t take Keno, Sam or Camille ( and all of their babies!) with me.

And just in case any of you guys are wondering, I tend not to trust people that my huge black lab doesn’t like. So, if Sam doesn’t get off the bed that’s a sign that you aren’t getting into it.