farm bill contains new protections for pets

Earlier today President Trump signed the Agriculture Improvement Act into law. Better known as the Farm Bill, the law contains crucial new protections for animals.

The Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act contained within the bill bans the slaughter, trade and import/export of cats and dogs for human consumption. While consuming dogs and cats is rare in the U.S., this provision is important because only six states have laws prohibiting it. Just as critical is the trade aspect. News reports from Egypt recently suggested that the government was allowing the shipment of unowned cats and dogs abroad for consumption, to places like South Korea where the infamous annual dog meat festival takes place, as a way to reduce the population of stray animals in the country. This practice is now prohibited in the U.S. thanks to the bill.

The bill also contained a measure to help animals affected by domestic violence. The Protecting Animals with Shelter (PAWS) Act provides new domestic violence protections for animals while allocating grant funds for shelters to add, improve and otherwise help find accommodations for pets in these situations. This is so important because one reason victims sometimes give for remaining in a dangerous situation is the question of what would happen to their beloved pet. Currently only 3% of shelters serving victims of domestic violence accept pets as well.  

Other good news for animals comes in the form of clarity around dog fighting and cockfighting, which were previously banned in all U.S. states and are now prohibited in all U.S. territories (Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands) as well. Also good is something NOT in the bill. The Protect Interstate Commerce Act was thankfully rejected and removed. It would have usurped individual state and local laws passed to protect animals, such as humane farming practices and the banning of puppy mills, and made it harder for advocates and local communities to pass laws on behalf of animals.

While the Farm Bill contains some great successes for animals, there is still work to be done. The KITTEN Act, which would bar the USDA from using kittens in painful experiments, has bipartisan support in the House and a version was just introduced in the Senate. You can learn more about the decades of experiments that brought about the KITTEN Act and show your support for it by signing our petition to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue.