WASHINGTON -- The National Guard will begin escorting animal rescue crews into abandoned homes to retrieve pets left behind by people who evacuated from Gulf Coast hurricanes, Sen. John Ensign said Wednesday after returning from the region.
The Nevada Republican, a licensed veterinarian, said he secured the arrangement while visiting Louisiana and meeting with rescue leaders.
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Coast Guard Vice Admiral Thad Allen, head of the hurricane recovery efforts, plans to name a point person this week to coordinate animal rescue efforts, Ensign said.
"There has not been somebody to coordinate the effort to go in and get the animals," he said.
Ensign met with Allen and also toured an emergency animal shelter set up by Louisiana State University.
Animal welfare groups estimate thousands of pets remain locked in homes. At least 3,500 pet owners have asked for help finding their animals, Ensign said.
In many cases, Louisianans refused to heed evacuation orders because pets were not allowed in shelters. Ensign said local and federal governments should change their policy to prevent widespread disease among animals left behind.
"While I think the animals are important, there's a public health concern as well," Ensign said.
Aside from animal care efforts, Ensign toured parts of Louisiana on a Cessna plane owned by the state of Louisiana. He flew over coastal towns demolished by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
"There was one little beach town and all that was left were concrete pads," Ensign said.
After meeting with disaster response personnel whom he declined to identify citing privacy reasons, the Nevadan said many workers are concerned about how the Federal Emergency Management Agency is spending money.
Ensign said he learned that "there's a huge amount of money and very little accounting." He plans to raise the issue at Senate hearings.
Ensign said he chartered a corporate jet to fly him and several members of his staff to New Orleans. He said he paid for the trip from his congressional account because Senate rules prevented him from accepting a free flight.
Ensign's staff did not immediately respond to queries about the cost of the trip and the identity of the jet's owner.
