• Hero Banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Buying or Selling a Practice
Hospital Design
Leadership & Personal Growth
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Technology
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Live Conferences
Conference News
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

USDA Urged by Congress to Reinstate Access to Inspection Reports

April 12, 2018
Amanda Carrozza

Congress is calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase public access to its inspection reports on animal breeders and other animal-related facilities.

The $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill that President Donald Trump signed on March 23 was a staggering 2232 pages. Tied to the bill’s extensive language was a document that calls for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase public access to inspection reports on animal breeders and other animal-related facilities. According to various news reports and the congressional document, the department is in violation of mandates that require public access to the reports.

The battle to reinstate full access dates back more than a year. On February 3, 2017, the USDA removed inspection documents from a public database, citing privacy concerns. The move eliminated tens of thousands of reports detailing how many animals are kept by research labs, companies, zoos, and circuses, and whether those animals are being treated humanely under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). This initial rollback elicited criticism from both lawmakers and animal advocacy groups.

RELATED:

  • PACE Act to Strengthen Animal Fighting Prohibitions
  • California Ballot Initiative Seeks Stricter Farm Animal Welfare Laws
Advertisement

In response to the initial backlash, the USDA said it would repost some of the inspection documents with redacted information to protect privacy, and that records could be requested through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). However, animal advocacy groups and reporters have said the agency is censoring nearly all the useful information in these documents. At the time, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) said in a statement, “This action benefits no one, except facilities who have harmed animals and don’t want anyone to know.”

In the congressional directive published on March 21—and first obtained by Science Magazine—Congress wrote that the move by the USDA to restrict access was not in agreement with requirements, which say that users need to be able to access all documents related to enforcement of animal welfare laws.

“USDA is directed to comply with these requirements and is reminded that as part of its oversight responsibilities, Congress has the right to make any inquiry it wishes into litigation in which USDA is involved. USDA is directed to respond to any such inquiries fully,” the congressional directive reads.

On Monday, the USDA started restoring details in its animal welfare inspection reports from March. While much of the information on the reports remains redacted, these appear to be the first reports since August to show animal inventories. The reports prior to March have not been updated to include any information on animal inventories, and the USDA has not released any statements about its plans for prior reports.

In addition to the congressional document, the HSUS filed a lawsuit against the USDA on March 21 for its failure to release crucial animal welfare public records. In her blog post about the lawsuit, Kitty Block, acting president and CEO of HSUS, said the USDA withheld more than 600 photographs and nearly a dozen videos obtained in connection with AWA inspections that the HSUS had requested.

“Timely access to AWA and [Horse Protection Act] records is critical not only for ensuring that the USDA is properly regulating and inspecting facilities licensed or otherwise covered under these laws, but also to satisfy the interests of consumers wanting to know whether the breeder they are about to buy a puppy or a show horse from, or the zoo they are about to patronize, has been in compliance with the humane standards required by these laws,” Block wrote. “The USDA’s decision to keep these public records hidden is not the only sign of its tilt toward a lack of transparency and accountability.”


Advertisement

Latest News

Humanimal Trust joins World Federation for Animals

News wrap-up: This week’s headlines, plus Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine presents Temple Grandin, PhD, MS, with an honorary degree

Can our Pride panel answer these LGBTQ+ trivia questions?

Creating inclusive spaces for the LGBTQ+ community in vet med

View More Latest News
Advertisement