The
USDA is considering outsourcing some of its Animal Welfare Act
inspections of USDA-regulated facilities to private third parties—a move
that would essentially lead to industry self-policing and reduced accountability. This would be harmful for the welfare of animals kept in puppy mills, roadside zoos and research facilities.Past
experience has shown how terribly wrong an approach like this can be
for animals. The USDA already uses third parties to inspect for signs of
horse soring, a cruel training practice that has been illegal for
decades, but persists largely due to outsourcing.
The
agency's decision to hand off some of its oversight responsibilities,
likely to groups with ties to the very businesses they would be
inspecting, is not the answer to increased animal protections. Will you fight for animals and oppose the use of private third-party inspections to enforce animal welfare laws?
The
USDA should retain full oversight authority over all inspections of
puppy mills, roadside zoos and research facilities. The USDA should not
view third-party inspections and certifications favorably when
determining the frequency
of federal inspections that may be needed. This type of industry
self-policing reduces transparency and accountability and has already
proven to fail. |
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