From Last Chance for Animals:
Earlier this week, in both the House and the Senate, the Pet Safetey and Protection Act was reintroduced.
S. 714, the senate version, was introduced by Senator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii. H.R. 1280, the house version, was introduced by Rep. Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania and had 22 co-sponsors.
The bill will amend the Animal Welfare Act to ensure that all dogs and cats used by research facilities are obtained legally. Specifically, it will make Class "B" dealers an illegal source of animals for medical research laboratories.
The United States Department of Agriculture licenses animal dealers. Anyone selling animals to laboratories (or selling more than 24 dogs or cats per year at the wholesale level) must be licensed. Class "A" dealers maintain their own breeding colonies, while Class "B" dealers obtain animals from "random sources" -- meaning they can legally be obtained from pounds, shelters and people that have bred and raised the animals themselves. However, investigations have revealed that dealers illegally acquire animals from "bunchers," who steal animals from backyards, cars and through "free to good home" ads.
The current system, in which the USDA regulates the dealers via the Animal Welfare Act, is not working -- as the USDA is unable (or unwilling) to enforce the AWA and the AWA, as it currently exists, does not provide adequate protection to America's companion animals.
Find out more about the issue on the Dealing Dogs web page
Also, learn more about the Pet Safety and Protection Act.
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