SPOKANE, Wash. — A new Washington law requires local governments to plan ahead for pets when it comes to natural disasters and emergencies and Spokane County Emergency Management says it is already doing everything the law calls for.
When wildfires raged across Spokane County in 2023, hundreds of people and their pets were sent scrambling for shelter. The state now requires cities and counties to think ahead, to make evacuating with a companion animal less stressful.
Under a law that took effect this month, local governments must ensure there is shelter for people with pets in natural disasters or extreme weather. They must also publicly post resources for those evacuating with their animals…