December 26, 2021
By Dana Hedgpeth
A number of beagles (click here) have already been rehomed at an out-of-state adoption shelter.
Federal officials (click here) making unannounced inspections this summer of a large beagle-breeding facility in Virginia found dozens of animal welfare violations: records indicating that hundreds of puppies had died of “unknown causes” over a span of months; dogs’ food dispensers teeming with insects; and reeking kennels with piles of feces, urine and food underneath them.
Based on the routine inspections conducted in July, officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited Envigo — an Indianapolis-based firm that breeds dogs and sells them as research animals to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries — for mistreatment of beagles and poor conditions at the facility in Cumberland, Va., about 50 miles west of Richmond.
Officials said records at the facility showed that in a seven-month period, more than 300 puppies died of “unknown causes.” There were incomplete records on the deaths....
When the USDA inspected the "Envigo" facility it didn't write a report, it forced the removal of beagles to shelters and pet rescues. The agencies of the USA are operating better and in strong advocacy for MORAL treatment for every aspect of American life. Morality isn't just for humans.
This action by the USDA brought pressure to government officials to act.
The controversy surrounding the Envigo dog breeding facility in Cumberland County continues to grow, and has led Virginia’s senators to demand federal action....
No, they didn't shutter the place either, they enforced existing law and improved the facility and it's practices.
...Documents outlining improvements made over the past four months at the Cumberland Envigo facility mirrored the plan the company described in November, including improving pay, increasing staff, improving training, improving infrastructure and improving outreach to find homes for dogs that are no longer needed at the facility....
And it hasn't stopped just with dogs. Being a moral society is more than vaccinations and the right to become a member of the uplifting Middle Class. It is the entire focus of life as an American.
Recovering the USA post Trump isn't easy or simple, but, it is moral and correct.
February 18, 2022
By Andre Bell and Lyndsay M. Cole
The proposal would ensure each individual bird that is subject to the AWA is raised and maintained in conditions that ensure its good health and well-being and that its physical and behavioral needs are met. The proposed rule outlines how entities with birds can obtain a license and the standards they would have to follow.
APHIS is asking the public to provide comments on how this proposed rule would impact the regulated community, as well as ways that APHIS might assist regulated entities with implementation of these standards, whether through documents, guides, training, or other means. APHIS also invites comments on the proposed operating standards for facilities, the proposed animal health and husbandry standards, and the proposed transportation standards.
These proposed standards would allow APHIS to ensure the welfare of birds while affording flexibility in implementing the standards to bird breeders, dealers, exhibitors, and transporters....
