Recently, your U.S. Senator John Kennedy introduced a bill that would radically expand and shift federal regulations while undermining expert care and oversight for dog breeding.
Your U.S. Senators, need to hear your opposition to this bill.
Senate Bill 1538, the so-called “Better CARE for Animals Act” shifts enforcement of dog breeder licensing under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). This would circumvent oversight authority by an agency staffed by animal experts that focuses on improving animal husbandry; and instead place it with one with little or no animal expertise that focuses on violations as potential federal crimes.
SB 1538 would also empower the DOJ to file charges, seize animals and impose penalties regardless of whether USDA has determined or even alleged that there has been a violation of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
Your Senators need to hear from you TODAY! Please contact them immediately. Let them know you are a constituent and ask them to not sponsor or support S. 1538, the “Better CARE for Animals Act. Scroll Down for more information.
Talking Points on S. 1538:
- Explain you are a constituent.
- Ask them to oppose S. 1538 the so-called “Better Care for Animals Act”; which will do precisely the opposite of its name by removing crucial animal experts from the chain of animal welfare oversight. Removing subject matter expertise will undermine both animal care and enforcement of violations.
- DOJ does not have staff, veterinarians or experts in animal husbandry and behavior that are experienced in evaluating AWA compliance or enforcement.
- Rather than creating more efficiency, it creates redundant and potentially conflicting authorities and jurisdictions. This will cause greater bureaucracy and expand the backlog of cases at USDOJ.
- S 1538 is unnecessary as the USDA already can and does seek assistance from DOJ when appropriate.
- 1538 allows owners to be forced to pay for the costs of care of seized animals by non-government entities while legal proceedings are pending, regardless of the outcome – with no provision for restitution.
- Ask the Senators to instead support additional financial resources for USDA so they can appropriately enforce the requirements they already have.
Senators Kennedy and Cassidy and their local staff to hear from you TODAY!
Visit AKC’s Legislative Action Center and type your address in the “Find Your Elected Officials” box to find local contact information for your senators.
Alternatively, you may contact them at their Washington offices:
Senator Kennedy
437 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4623
Senator Cassidy
Email form for Sen. Cassidy
455 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5824
If possible, please let the AKC GR team (doglaw@akc.org) know you contacted your lawmakers and if you received any response.
For questions or more information, contact doglaw@akc.org, visit AKC’s Legislative Action Center www.akcgr.org or contact 919-816-3720.
Background: About Federal Dog Breeder Licensing and Oversight
Anyone who maintains more than 4 “breeding females” (a term that is undefined but is generally considered to mean an intact female) and transfer even one of the offspring “sight unseen” is subject to licensing under the AWA. “Breeding females” include any combination of cats, dogs, or other small pet mammals such as hamsters, guinea pigs, etc. (Learn more). The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which is staffed by thousands of animal experts, currently administers AWA licensing requirements. As part of their mission, which includes improving animal care and welfare, the agency’s experts recognize performance-based animal care standards and provide expertise, training, and certification programs that benefit animals and those who care for them.