Pets v People: Evacuate women and animals first?

A ABCNews article (here: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1197480) shows that a new bill is being introduced that would force local governments to plan to evacuate pets.
I do understand the need for such plans. There were too many sad stories comming out of post-Katrina coverage of abandoned pets because their owners had to choose to stay or leave without their beloved pets.
If there's one thing I don't like about the bill, it's the penalty. While I do agree with the concept, the need to evacuate pets as well as humans, I think cutting off disaster grants is too harsh. We shouldn't abondon people when they abandon pets, as heartless as it is.
It would be great if the plan was to evacuate these pet WITH humans. I do find it sad when any plans are made that don't take it into account that pets should come along with their owners. But I find it worse when we have no choice but to abandon pets.
One of my political science professors says, we are the only country who can afford dolphin trainers. So why can't we afford to evacuate all living beings from our homes when disaster strikes?