The Animal Welfare Act : how it protects your dog and cat

Historic, Archive Document

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United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Veterinary Services

The Animal
Welfare Act

How It Protects
Your Dog and Cat

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THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT
How It Protects Your Dog and Cat

872004

If you own a dog or cat, or are in the market
for one, you may want to know about the
Animal Welfare Act — a Federal law that re-
quires humane care, treatment, and transpor-
tation for your pet and other animals.

• The law requires wholesale animal breeders
and dealers to handle dogs and cats
humanely.

• The law requires animal dealers to keep
records that help trace lost and stolen dogs
and cats.

• The law requires humane handling of dogs
and cats traveling on commercial vehicles.

• The law requires humane treatment of dogs
and cats in laboratories, exhibitions, or in com-
mercial resale businesses.

The Animal Welfare Act

Congress passed the Act in 1966, and later
amended it in 1970 and 1976. It protects not
only dogs and cats, but also many other
animals. Principally, the Act covers animals if
used for research studies in laboratories, if ex-
hibited in zoos and circuses, if raised for sale
to pet shops, and if transported commercially.
At present, rats and mice are not regulated,
and the act does not cover poultry, domestic
farm livestock and coldblooded animals, like
snakes and alligators.

In passing the Act, Congress moved to cor-
rect abuses in the commercial handling of
many warmblooded animals, especially dogs
and cats. Testimony in Congressional hearings
showed that dogs and cats used in laboratory
work sometimes suffered unnecessarily.
Sometimes dogs and cats were commercially
produced for the pet market without proper
care and treatment. And dogs and cats
shipped in commerce sometimes got no more
attention than a load of machine parts.

Enforcement of the Act is carried out by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), prin-
cipally through its Animal and Plant Health In-
spection Service (APHIS). This agency licenses
or registers dog and cat breeders, dealers,
brokers, transportation companies, exhibitors,
and research facilities. However, most retail
pet stores and private individuals who sell
dogs and cats as pets to individual owners are
not regulated.

Regulated businesses must identify each
dog and cat they handle and keep records on
the origin and disposition of each animal.

These businesses also must follow Federal
standards for humane care and treatment of
dogs and cats. These include: housing, han-
dling, feeding, watering, sanitation, ventilation,
transportation, and protection against ex-
tremes of heat, cold, and weather. Animals
also must receive proper veterinary care, and
incompatible animals must be separated from
one another.

APHIS veterinarians and animal health
technicians enforce these regulations and
standards by regular inspections of licensed
and registered persons, and animal care com-
pliance officers conduct thorough investiga-
tions of violations. Persons convicted of viola-
tions can be penalized by suspension or revo-
cation of their license to do business — plus
they can receive fines, or even prison sen-
tences for serious offenses.

Production and Shipment of Puppies and
Kittens

Dog and cat breeders for the pet trade must
be licensed by APHIS and inspected to assure
that they comply with Federal standards for
animal care and treatment.

When breeders ship puppies or kittens to
market, the young animals must be at least 8
weeks old. The only exception is for puppies
and kittens shipped to research institutions.
Then the young animals must be weaned or be
transported with their mother.

Dogs and cats must be examined by a
licensed veterinarian within 10 days of the time
they are shipped, and a health certificate must

be prepared showing that they are healthy.

You may want to see this health certificate
when you buy an animal. However, to be sure
of your new pet’s current health, APHIS sug-
gests you have your own veterinarian give the
dog or cat a health check right after purchase.

Anyone taking custody of your future pet as
it travels to the pet store comes under Federal
regulation. This includes brokers who make up
shipments and truckers who move puppies and
kittens to freight terminals.

The Animal Welfare Act places a special
responsibility on commercial carriers — airlines,
trains, and trucks that carry dogs and cats.

The carrier’s agent must see to it that the
animal being shipped is not too young, has a
valid health certificate, and travels in a safe,
strong container with adequate space and ven-
tilation. If a pet shipment is delayed, carriers
must provide shelter, food, and water. In tran-
sit, pets must be protected from excessively
high or low temperatures and must receive
adequate ventilation. After animals arrive at a
terminal, the carrier must notify the pet store
to pick up the shipment promptly or arrange to
give the animals proper care until they are
called for.

Traveling with Your Dog or Cat

The Animal Welfare Act again provides pro-
tection for your pet if you take it with you on a
trip by commercial carrier or ship it alone.

Both you and the carrier must meet certain re-
quirements that assure the safety and health
of your pet throughout the trip.

You, as shipper of the animal, must not ship
dogs or cats if they are less than 8 weeks old.
You must provide a sturdy, comfortable, well-

ventilated container that meets Federal stan-
dards. You should call the carrier well ahead
of time to get a reservation for your pet; and
you must make special arrangements with the
carrier to hold your pet safely at the terminal if
you drop it off more than 4 hours before the
scheduled departure. You may not drop off
your pet more than 6 hours before departure.
Identification of the animal and its destination
must be clearly marked on the container; and
if the trip is to be an unusually long one, you
must provide instructions for food and water.

Although Federal law does not require you,
as a pet owner, to obtain a veterinary health
certificate to ship your pet, it is a good idea to
have your veterinarian examine your dog or
cat and fill out a certificate. Most States re-
quire health certificates for dogs and cats
shipped in from outside the State. And the car-
rier may ask you for a certificate rather than
attempt to distinguish between your personal
pet and a commercially shipped animal, for
which a Federal health certificate is required.

After accepting your pet, a carrier must give
it the same care, traveling conditions, and
prompt handling required for all traveling dogs
and cats. You yourself should make arrange-
ments to have your pet picked up promptly
after arrival, or else the carrier may have to
board your pet — at your expense.

Protection for Strayed or Stolen Pets

Some thieves cruise a neighborhood and
“petnap” dogs and cats for later sale as hunt-
ing dogs, guard dogs, pets, or laboratory
animals. Of course, reputable dealers and
research facilities do not want stolen or
strayed pets; however, before passage of the

Animal Welfare Act, it was difficult for buyers
to check the source of the dogs and cats they
purchased.

The Act requires every federally licensed or
registered business, institution, or agency to
record the name and address of every person
from whom it buys a dog or a cat. Each animal
must be identified individually, and the records
must show the identifying number and descrip-
tion. Whenever a dealer acquires a dog or cat,
the animal must be held for a specified time to
facilitate the tracing of lost or stolen animals.

Federal inspectors check the accuracy of
records by comparing them with the records
kept by other dealers in the same marketing
chain. While this recordkeeping system does
not prevent all “petnapping,” it discourages
thieves from selling stolen pets through com-
mercial market channels.

USDA officials have the following sugges-
tions on what you as a pet owner can do to
protect your dog or cat from loss or theft:

1. Provide identification. Immediately take
steps to individually identify your dog or cat.
Tattoos are best because they can’t get lost
and are difficult to alter. Tags on the collar
have the advantage of providing space for
clearer, more detailed information. There is
nothing wrong with having both tattoos and
tags. Also, jot down for later reference your
pet’s identifying marks, plus its color, breed,
and size, and take a clear, closeup color
photograph.

2. Restrain pets. Keep cats inside. Put
dogs outside only in fenced yards or on a
leash. Train dogs to return to your side on ver-
bal command. Keep dogs and cats from roam-
ing by neutering them at the age your veterin-
arian recommends — usually about 6 months.

3. Know your allies. Prepare a list of
persons who can help you find a lost or stolen
pet, and keep the list handy and up to date.

List the phone numbers of local pounds,
shelters, and other animal collection centers.
Add newspaper offices, radio stations, and TV
stations that have lost-and-found departments,
as well as police, sheriff, dog warden, and
other officials who might help.

4. Act promptly. The quicker you start look-
ing for a lost dog or cat, the better. Tracing
becomes more difficult as people’s memories
dim. Search your own neighborhood frequently;

then widen your search, calling the “allies” on
your list. Spread the identification of your pet
and its photograph to bulletin boards and to
everyone you ask about your pet.

Don’t overlook children in the neighborhood
as a source of information; they seem to have
an eye open for pets out of place.

5. Don’t give up. Keep looking for more
than a few days. Strays sometimes return to
their old neighborhood days or even weeks
after you first miss them.

Protecting Animals in Research

Dogsfand cats are used as laboratory
animals in some experiments to improve
human health and well-being. Many of these
animals are specifically bred for the purpose;
the rest are surplus dogs and cats brought to
pounds.

Laboratory animal dealers and institutions
using laboratory animals are regulated by
APHIS and must comply with the Federal stan-
dards for the care and treatment of dogs, cats,
and other animals. At research institutions, a
veterinarian must certify that acceptable stan-
dards of care and treatment are provided for
the animals. Dealers and research institutions
are inspected periodically for compliance.

Other Protection for Dogs and Cats

Handlers of dogs and cats working in animal
acts, such as those seen in circuses, also are
licensed or registered by APHIS. In addition to
meeting Federal standards of care, regulated
exhibitors must see to it that animals are not
cruelly trained or overworked.

Another provision of the Animal Welfare Act
prohibits dogfighting exhibitions. USDA co-

operates with Federal, State, and local law en-
forcement agencies to track down those in-
volved. The Act provides for large fines and
heavy prison sentences for those convicted of
engaging in or promoting dogfights.

Unwanted Pets Pose Problems

Pet ownership is fun, but it also is a
responsibility. Millions of people who have
dogs and cats sometimes forget this. As a
result, animal shelters destroy a surplus
population of nearly 13 million dogs and
cats each year; another 5 million are aban-
doned and roam wild. Most die within a
year — they starve, die from disease, or are
struck by vehicles. While they run loose,
however, they may spread disease and bite
or scratch the unwary.

So think ahead and avoid having un-
wanted pets on your hands. Don’t get a pet
unless your family can take care of it. Be
sure a specific member of your family is
responsible for it. Choose a type and breed
of dog or cat that suits your needs now and
in the future — and one that is suitable for
your home or apartment. And get your dog
or cat neutered after it is 6 months old, so it
won’t produce unwanted young. Only those
seriously and knowledgeably interested in
breeding purebred animals should assume
responsibility for raising litters of dogs and
cats.

If you no longer can care for a pet, try to
find it another home with people who will
care for it properly. If that is impossible,
don’t just abandon the animal to a random
death. The most humane alternative is to
have a veterinarian end its life painlessly.

USDA welcomes the cooperation of
informed people in enforcing the Animal
Welfare Act. Complaints from the public
receive first priority for inspection. Anyone who
knows of an apparent violation of the Act
should write the Animal Care Staff, Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA, Room
765 Federal Building, 6505 Belcrest Road,
Hyattsville, MD 20782.

United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Slightly revised March 1986