Rescuing animals and reuniting them with their owners in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was an arduous mission for the Louisiana SPCA staff and its volunteers, but a lot of good came from a terrible situation.

“Katrina caught everyone off guard,” recalled Laura Maloney, CEO of the shelter at the time the storm hit on Aug. 29, 2005. “The storm wasn’t supposed to hit New Orleans, and when it turned only days before, there was very little time for anyone to prepare. At that time, no one in the country truly had that kind of experience.”

The trials and tribulations of those days, however, have brought changes to state evacuation policies that have served as models for other areas.

In 2005, many residents refused to evacuate because they didn't want to leave beloved pets behind. Other an

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