Category: Animal Registry Blackout

A coalition of animal and health organizations has filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s decision to conceal animal welfare records. The censored documents include information about revealing whether laboratories, puppy mills, roadside zoos, and other animal-using businesses are engaged in practices that violate the federal Animal Welfare Act [AWA]. Campaigners from animal rights charity PETA, the Physician’s Committee For Responsible Medicine [PCRM], the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the Rescue and Freedom Project (formerly the Beagle Freedom Project) are all plaintiffs in the case.…

The government just made it nearly impossible to track the abuse of millions of animals used in laboratories each year. VegNews speaks to Beagle Freedom Project founder Shannon Keith to find out what we can do to weather the blow. On February 3, 2017, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), removed all records of animals used in laboratories—including information related to instances of abuse—from its website. This action has devastating implications for animals and greatly impedes the ability of advocates…

LOS ANGELES, CA–(Marketwired – Feb 14, 2017) – Beagle Freedom Project (BFP), the renowned non-profit national, animal rescue and advocacy organization, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). BFP, along with five other animal advocacy groups, are challenging the USDA-APHIS to restore the Animal Abuse Registry, an online database of records related to puppy mills, laboratories, roadside zoos, traveling animal shows, and other enterprises that use and exploit helpless animals. It was earlier this month that, without warning,…

By removing public access to animal welfare records, the USDA has made it much harder for the BFP and other organizations to rescue and rehome animals in need. A digital filing cabinet stuffed with inspection reports, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s animal welfare data, was unlocked and open to the public — until last Friday. Many had no reason to peruse the now inaccessible documents, but those who viewed them frequently say dogs and other animals are at risk if they can’t. “Our organization uses this database almost on a daily…

Animal welfare organizations were stunned and outraged Friday when the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) removed animal welfare inspection reports, enforcement records, and other information about the treatment of animals from its website, citing privacy and other laws. The move rolls back decades of hard-fought wins from groups like Farm Sanctuary and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), who worked to increase transparency and get information into the hands of consumers who could then vote with their wallet and feet when commercial dog breeders, zoos, and research…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has removed a slew of animal welfare data — including inspection records for institutions like zoos, laboratories and commercial breeders — from its website. Previously, anyone could use a search tool on the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service website to look up such information. The general public, as well as animal advocacy groups and journalists, could use the search function to see whether facilities had violated animal welfare regulations. USDA APHIS attributed the change to concerns about privacy, adding in its announcement on…