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Action Alert
Thank the USDA & President Obama for Expanding Oversight of Puppy Mills
USDA Animal Welfare Act Regulation ASPCA Position: Support Action Needed: Using the form below, thank the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Obama Administration for taking steps to protect our nation’s puppies.
Every year, thousands of puppies are sold over the Internet and shipped to consumers like any other product. Websites advertising happy, healthy puppies often conceal the grim reality that they are fronts for puppy mills—large-scale, commercial breeding operations where dogs are kept in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions with complete disregard for the animals’ wellbeing.
All of this is hidden from public view because outdated laws did not apply to Internet breeders—until now!
In the second week of September, the USDA issued a rule that brings breeders who sell animals to consumers sight-unseen under the regulatory umbrella of the Animal Welfare Act. Unlike the breeders who supply puppies to pet stores, the vast majority of breeders selling dogs directly on the Internet are unlicensed. For the first time, USDA inspectors will be laying eyes on animals who have been ignored for too long.
This rule has been a long time coming. Last year, the ASPCA and our members were among the hundreds of thousands in the animal welfare community who contacted the USDA in support of the rule.
What You Can Do Please take a minute to thank the USDA and President Obama for taking steps to protect our nation’s puppies. It’s important that our government officials know that animal welfare is important to their constituents.
Thank you for speaking up on behalf of our nation’s puppies and breeding dogs. This is a great step forward, and you helped make this happen.
Take Action
1 COMPOSE MESSAGE Your Contact Information: This system requires that you provide your name and contact information. This information will be used to identify you to the recipient, who may contact you by email or phone in response to your message, and may be used by the ASPCA to contact you in furtherance of our mission.
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Message Recipients: Barack Obama (D), President Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Delivery Method:
Email
Subject: Thank You for Issuing New Rule to Protect Puppy Mill Dogs
Required text: (this text will appear at the beginning of your message) Thank you for releasing the final rule that takes a huge step forward in protecting dogs kept by large-scale, commercial breeders by bringing a new segment of these breeders--those who sell animals to consumers sight-unseen--under the regulatory umbrella of the Animal Welfare Act. I support the USDA's continued efforts to close a loophole that has left many thousands of dogs vulnerable to inhumane treatment without any government or public oversight.
Editable text: (edit or add your own text - 9379 characters left) Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
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Required text: (this text will appear at the end of your message) I hope that the USDA continues to take steps to improve the lives and welfare of all of our nation's animals.
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