USDA Announces Recent Animal Welfare Act and Horse Protection Act Enforcement Actions

 

 

USDA Animal Care:

Ensuring the welfare of the animals we regulate is at the heart of everything we do.

  

 

USDA Announces Recent Animal Welfare Act and Horse Protection Act Enforcement Actions

 

 

Link to news release:

 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/2013/05/enforcement_actions_march_april.shtml

 

Full text of news release below:

 

WASHINGTON, May 17, 2013--The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is continuing to move more swiftly and consistently to take enforcement action in response to animal welfare violations. As part of its effort to make its actions transparent and accessible to the public, APHIS is highlighting enforcement actions taken in response to violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and Horse Protection Act (HPA).

 

Copies of documents related to these actions, as well as copies of official warnings, are available in the APHIS FOIA Reading Room at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/foia/enforcement_actions.php.

 

During the month of March, APHIS filed administrative complaints alleging that the following persons violated the AWA or HPA:

AWA Docket No. 13-0194; American Airlines.

AWA Docket No. 13-0197; Joseph and Rhoda Graber.

 

The following persons entered into pre-litigation settlement agreements (also known as stipulations) in connection with alleged violations of the AWA or HPA:

APHIS Case No. MO10116-AC; Sherrie Zuspann.

APHIS Case No. MO120011-AC; James Herr.

APHIS Case No. OK10001-AC; Oklahoma Champion Pups Trust.

APHIS Case No. LA11009-AC; University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

APHIS Case No. MI11084-AC; MPI Research, Inc.

APHIS Case No. MN120030-AC; John Renner and Lyle Renner a/k/a Renner’s Kennel.

 

USDA's administrative law judges and judicial officer issued decisions and orders under the AWA or HPA involving the following persons:

AWA Docket No. 12-0103; Hugo Tommy Liebel a/k/a Hugo T. Liebel d/b/a Florida State Family Entertainment, LLC d/b/a Florida State Family Circus d/b/a Liebling Brothers Circus d/b/a Liebling Brothers Family Circus.

AWA Docket No. 12-0586; Cash Wiley d/b/a Wiley Exotics d/b/a Sharkarosa Exotics.

AWA Docket No. 13-0012; Willa Mae Page.

AWA Docket No. 12-0296; Jeffrey Ash d/b/a Ashville Game Farm d/b/a Ashville Game Farm, Inc.

 

During the month of April, APHIS filed administrative complaints alleging that the following persons violated the AWA or HPA:

AWA Docket No. 13-0203; Wanda Reed d/b/a Wanda’s Little Pets.

 

The following persons entered into pre-litigation settlement agreements (also known as stipulations) in connection with alleged violations of the AWA or HPA:

APHIS Case No. NV-120005-AC; Monica Grusenmeyer.

APHIS Case No. OK10019-AC; George Olmstead.

APHIS Case No. SD130001-AC; Gary Lee Sheetz d/b/a Lakeview Kennels, Inc.

APHIS Case No. TN10142-AC; Jeanine Dyer d/b/a Bybee Ridge Kennel.

APHIS Case No. CO120007-AC; CARE Research, LLC.

APHIS Case No. IA11059-AC; David and Joane Cline.

APHIS Case No. KS120011-AC; Barbara Schneider.

APHIS Case No. MD10039-AC; Jerry Holly.

APHIS Case No. NJ120179-AC; Bristol Myers Squibb Company.

 

USDA's administrative law judges and judicial officer issued decisions and orders under the AWA or HPA involving the following persons:

AWA Docket No. 11-0222; Tri-State Zoological Park of Western Maryland, Inc. and Robert Candy.

AWA Docket No. 12-0277; Gus White a/k/a Gustave White, III d/b/a Collins Exotic Animal Orphanage.

AWA Docket No. 12-0428; Cindy Bardin d/b/a/ Jungle Experience.

AWA Docket No. 12-0052; Lanzie Carroll Horton a/k/a Junior Horton d/b/a/ Horton’s Pups.

AWA Docket No. 13-0109; Alaska Airlines.

HPA Docket Nos. 12-0624, 12-0638, 12-0643, 13-0019, 13-0028, 13-0030, 13-0035; Brice Edwin “Eddie” Baucom.

 

The AWA requires that minimum standards of care and treatment be provided for certain animals bred for commercial sale, used in research, transported commercially or exhibited to the public. It excludes those animals raised for food or fiber. Persons who operate facilities in these categories must provide their animals with adequate care and treatment in the areas of housing, handling, sanitation, nutrition, water, veterinary care and protection from extreme weather and temperatures.

 

To ensure that its licensees are meeting the AWA standards, APHIS inspectors conduct routine, unannounced inspections of all licensed facilities. Violations of the AWA can lead to penalties, including official warnings, civil penalties and license suspensions/revocations. For more information on the inspection and enforcement processes, visit APHIS’ animal care website at www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/.

 

The HPA is the federal law that prohibits horses subjected to a practice called soring from participating in shows, sales, exhibitions and auctions. Soring is a cruel and abusive practice used to accentuate a horse’s gait. APHIS works actively with the horse industry to protect against such abuse, ensuring that only sound and healthy horses participate in shows, sales, exhibitions and auctions. APHIS’ ultimate goal is to end the inhumane practice of soring completely.

 

The HPA authorizes APHIS to issue civil penalties and to disqualify violators from participating in horse shows, exhibitions and sales. Both the AWA and HPA contain criminal penalties as well.

 

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