Friday, June 7, 2024 | 2 a.m.
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The House Agriculture Committee approved a bill that neglected to address the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decades-long failure to fulfill its obligations under the Animal Welfare Act.
This means the extreme suffering of dogs in puppy mills will continue to be ignored. Rather than requiring USDA inspectors to remove animals found suffering at licensed facilities, the bill merely instructs inspectors to “consider” removal.
But it doesn’t stop there. A provision in the bill also narrows the definition of “suffering,” which will lead to even fewer animals in distress receiving the urgent care they need.
On top of all of this, the bill allows the USDA to further shirk its enforcement responsibilities by passing off problems with licensees to local law enforcement agencies.
We need a farm bill that protects dogs from inhumane treatment, not one that exacerbates their vulnerability. I urge Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., to vote against any version of the bill that does not contain Goldie’s Act — lifesaving legislation that would address and correct the USDA’s enforcement failures.
