Arizonans in Congress urged to support Goldie’s Act

Metro Creative Connection

Congress must pass Goldie’s Act (HR 349) to fix the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s persistent failure to protect dogs in puppy mills.

The Animal Welfare Act already requires commercial breeders to provide basic care, but the USDA has largely stopped enforcing it. Inspections of licensed facilities are often infrequent, and violations are not always documented. Even more frustrating, the USDA often allows violators to escape without penalty and does not provide care to animals in obvious need of aid. In fact, despite well-documented suffering, the USDA has not confiscated a single dog from a licensed breeder in more than five years.

Goldie’s Act would close these dangerous enforcement gaps. It would require inspectors to document violations, render aid to suffering animals, assess violations for penalties and share information with local law enforcement. These common-sense reforms would save countless dogs from suffering.

I urge Rep. Greg Stanton to cosponsor Goldie’s Act and urge Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego to cosponsor Goldie’s Act when it’s introduced in the U.S. Senate. Congress must ensure that the USDA does its job and protects vulnerable animals trapped in puppy mills.

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