Many reluctant to evacuate without pets

DENVER, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Forty-seven percent of U.S. adults say they would refuse disaster rescue if it meant leaving without a family pet, American Humane Association officials say.

The survey by the research organization Caravan for American Humane Association finds that 72 percent agreed there should be formal evacuation plans for pets.

"During Hurricane Katrina, American Humane and others rescued nearly 10,000 animals," Marie Belew Wheatley, president of the American Humane Association, says in a statement. "As Gustav set its sights on Louisiana we were part of efforts that temporarily and safely housed more than 1,000 animals for evacuating residents who needed a place to shelter their pets."

The survey of 1,005 U.S. adults also indicated people with children were 62 percent more likely to leave their pet and evacuate than those without children.

Fifty-five percent of dog owners would refuse evacuation efforts, compared to 43 percent of cat owners, and dog owners were 41 percent more likely than cat owners to say pets should be rescued at all costs when rescuers encounter them. Forty-five percent say animals should be rescued only after all humans and 34 percent say animals could be rescued along with humans "if time and space permits."

No margin of error was provided.