Pet Safety and Protection Act (PSPA)

S.1834/H.R.3907

Legislation would prevent stolen or stray dogs and cats
from being sold to researchers

Last Chance for Animals (LCA) commends Senator Daniel Akaka (HI) for reintroducing the Pet Safety and Protection Act (PSPA) on October 21, 2009. LCA urges everyone to call their representatives and senators, telling them to support and cosponsor the PSPA!

Though the PSPA passed in both the House and Senate as amendments in their respective 2007 Farm Bills, unfortunately the provision was excluded in the final version of the 2008 Farm Bill.

U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) reintroduced the Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2009 on October 21, which will amend the Animal Welfare Act to ensure that all dogs and cats used by research facilities are obtained legally. "We must stop stray and stolen dogs and cats from being illegally sold to research facilities," said Senator Akaka. "This bill does not impair or impede research. It will end the fraudulent and unethical practices of certain dealers and the unnecessary suffering of dogs and cats in their care."

Class B Dealers are people who collect dogs and cats to sell to the research industry. They often acquire these animals through illegal and unethical means—such as responding to “free-to-good-home” ad in newspapers, falsifying records to keep the true origins of the animals unknown, and stealing pets kept outside in yards.

The National Academies' Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR), which advises the federal government on issues related to animals used in research, released their report on May 29, 2009, entitled "Scientific and Humane Issues in the Use of Random-Source Dogs and Cats in Research." The report found that it is not necessary to obtain animals from Class B dealers for National Institute of Health research. All members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) committee viewed LCA's HBO film "Dealing Dogs" as part of their deliberations, and LCA is recognized on page 76 of this report.

LCA urges everyone to call their representatives and senators, telling them to support and cosponsor the PSPA!

To send an email to your Representative, CLICK HERE

To send an email to your Senators, CLICK HERE

For more information about the Pet Safety and Protection Act CLICK HERE

Your help is now needed to pass the PSPA in the U.S. Senate and stop, once and for all, the supply of stolen pets to research laboratories!

Thanks to your letters, e-mails, phone calls, and donations to Last Chance for Animals (LCA), The PSPA was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on July 26, 2007 as an amendment to the Farm Bill. This crucial LCA-endorsed legislation now moves on to the U.S. Senate.

The PSPA, which strengthens federal protections for companion animals, was attached to the Farm Bill in the U.S. House of Representatives as an amendment by Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.). LCA thanks House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) for accepting the Israel-Doyle amendment as part of the Farm Bill.

The PSPA prevents stolen companion animals from being sold into research. The PSPA was introduced as a direct response to recent Last Chance for Animals investigations of "Class B" dealers who traffic in family companion animals for research

The PSPA is so close to passing because of the intense nationwide attention focused on pet theft by the Emmy-nominated and Genesis Award winning film “Dealing Dogs” - the HBO documentary of LCA’s undercover investigation and bust of the nation's most notorious Class “B” dealer, C.C. Baird. To purchase your own copy of “Dealing Dogs” directly from LCA, thus contributing to future LCA animal cruelty investigations, click here.

Next Step – Help Pass The Pet Safety and Protection Act In the Senate!

The Pet Safety and Protection Act (S. 714) was introduced in the Senate by Senator Akaka (D-HI). The Senate is now considering whether to follow the lead of the House by including the PSPA in the Farm Bill. Please write/call/fax/e-mail your own two Senators, and the members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and urge them to keep The Pet Safety and Protection Act, as passed by the House, in the Farm Bill.

Urge your Senators to keep our companion animals from being kidnapped for laboratory experiments! Educate them (and yourself!) by visiting the website dedicated to HBO’s great documentary, www.DealingDogs.com.

Background of The Pet Safety and Protection Act - AKA "Buck's Bill"

 

Buck, after rescue from Baird's facility. The PSPA is also known as “Buck’s Bill.” Buck was one of the many animals rescued by LCA during a 2003 raid of the nation’s most notorious Class “B” dealer, C.C. Baird. Extremely ill on the day of his rescue, Buck struggled with Stage 3 heartworm disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and parasitic pneumonia. His heart was paper-thin due to the heartworm. After his rescue, he was in such bad shape that he stayed at the vet clinic for seven months. When he was well enough, he went to a foster home where he lived until he died a few months later from internal hemorrhaging. All who knew Buck fell in love with him. “Buck’s Bill” serves to honor Buck and all the dogs and cats who die due to inadequate care and abuse at the hands of Class “B” dealers.

 

Buck at Baird's facility - before being rescued. The PSPA clamps down on the unscrupulous animal dealers who steal companion animals for research. The PSPA prohibits the use in research of so-called “random source” dogs and cats obtained from Class B Dealers, who sell animals acquired from a variety of sources. Such random source animals are often stolen companion animals or those acquired fraudulently through "free to good home" ads or deceptive shelter adoptions, and include 18,000 to 19,000 dogs and cats per year.

What is a Class B Dealer?

The PSPA will amend the Animal Welfare Act to ensure that all animals used in research are obtained legally by prohibiting USDA licensed Class “B” Dealers (like C.C. Baird) from supplying cats and dogs to research facilities.

Class “B” dealers are licensed to purchase and sell animals to research. The law has unfortunately allowed B Dealers to obtain animals for re-sale from other “B” dealers, shelters and from persons who have bred and raised the animals themselves.

However, as LCA proved in our historic undercover investigation, “B” dealers routinely violate the law by acquiring animals from fraudulent sources and abusing and neglecting them, as documented in HBO’s “Dealing Dogs”. These animals are often stolen pets, strays or animals obtained under false pretenses and deception through “free to good home” ads. It is virtually impossible to know the true history of an animal acquired by a Class “B” dealer, this is why the PSPA is vital! Each time a Class “B” dealer sells an animal to a research lab, a strong possibility exists that he or she is a lost or stolen family pet.

There are 15 random source Class “B” dog and cat dealers left that sell animals to research facilities. This is a fraction of what existed decades ago but still 15 too many. Please help to get rid of these remaining Class “B” Dealers.

Your Help is Needed to Pass Buck’s Bill!
To help ensure that Buck’s Bill, The Pet Safety & Protection Act, passes the U.S. Senate, please:

• Contact your two U.S. Senators by phone, e-mail, fax and mail – URGE them to keep The Pet Safety and Protection Act in the Farm Bill, as passed by the House. Call 1-888-VOTESMART or click here for senator contact information.

• Contact the members of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Links to all 21 members of this Senate committee can be found here: http://agriculture.senate.gov/sen.htm. Urge them to vote for The Pet Safety and Protection Act as part of the Farm Bill.

Sample letter/phone call

Please make your calls and letters short and polite. Here is a sample:

“My name is (your name) and I’m (calling/writing) from (your city and state). As a constituent of (Senator’s name), I urge (Senator’s name) to vote for The Pet Safety and Protection Act (S. 714/H.R. 1280), which has been passed by the House as part of the Farm Bill. The bill calls for animal research facilities to obtain their animals legally, and not from Class “B” dealers. Class “B” dealers routinely violate the Animal Welfare Act by fraudulently obtaining animals and abusing and neglecting them. The Senate should follow the lead of the House by incorporating this bill into the Farm Bill. Thank you.” Suggest they visit www.dealingdogs.com for further information.

Make yourself a better activist for animals!

Educate yourself about the PSPA and pet theft by visiting www.dealingdogs.com. Finally, donate to LCA here and help us continue our battle against animal cruelty!.

 

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