Beloved pet dogs and cats are being stolen. Rex, Sheba, Smokey and Isaac are a few examples. Other companion animals, such as Sosha, a dog who lived in Washington State, are acquired through "free to good home" advertisements. These animals end up in the hands of random source dealers. The dealers are anxious to get as many dogs and cats as they can because they are able to sell them to laboratories for hundreds of dollars apiece. Then the animals are used for experimentation. Rex, Sheba, Smokey and Isaac are among the few lucky ones; they were rescued in time.

Sheba (right) and countless others are dead after being used for research purposes. More than 100,000 dogs and cats are used for experimentation each year in the United States. Sheba, after her rescue from a laboratory, was the third family dog taken in two years.

THE FEDERAL ANIMAL WELFARE ACT

The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) was enacted in 1966 to protect animals from inhumane treatment and address the serious problems associated with animal dealers, including pet theft. Individuals who collect animals from random sources and sell them to research facilities are licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as Class B dealers. The USDA is charged with enforcing the AWA. The law includes the requirement that dogs and cats sold by dealers to registered research facilities must be provided with adequate care including: appropriate housing, handling, nutrition, water, veterinary care and shelter from adverse weather conditions. It also requires the dealer to keep complete records on the origin and destination of the animals, in addition to other vital information .

• have acquired stolen or fraudulently obtained dogs and cats and sold them to research facilities;
• often launder animals by moving them repeatedly across state lines, and by transferring them from dealer to dealer, making it virtually impossible for pet owners to find their missing animals;
• routinely violate the law by failing to maintain accurate records of the source of dogs and cats they supply to research facilities; and
• typically fail to meet even the minimum requirements of the Animal Welfare Act.

Smokey, a St. Bernard mix, was 
listed by both dealer and research 
facility as a brown mongrel.

USDA licensed Class B dealers profit from the sale of dogs and cats despite appalling alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

Following are a few examples:

• One former dealer was convicted of selling more than 1,600 dogs and cats to research facilities without proper records identifying the sources of the animals.
• Another dealer has had dogs confiscated by USDA, refused to permit USDA to inspect his premises on 20 separate occasions, and has an outstanding warrant for his arrest on state cruelty to animals charges. He is still in business and supplies animals to other Class B dealers and to research facilities.
• Dogs and cats on another dealers premises have been found suffering from lame ness, severe dehydration, bloody injuries, severe nasal and ocular discharges, and respiratory problems. Other animals were found dead. He is still in business despite being charged with more than 32 separate willful violations of the AWA including failure to maintain proper records identifying the sources of animals and failure to provide adequate veterinary care.

Isaac (left), stolen from his kennel in Minnesota, was sold to a Class B dealer. Due to deplorable conditions, USDA had to confiscate 29 dogs including this hound (right) from a licensed Class B dealer in Indiana. There are only about 60 licensed Class B. dealers supplying dogs and cats for research purposes. Many of these dealers are under investigation or have cases pending against them by USDA for alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Prohibiting random source (Class B) dealers from selling dogs and cats to research facilities is the only responsible thing to do. One of the worst nightmares for anyone who has companion animals is the fear that the animal could be taken by a dealer and sold to a laboratory. This is a real threat and it must be stopped. Our family dogs and cats deserve protection. For more information please contact AWI.