USA: Support Animal Protections in the 2023 Budget

FY 2023 Federal Budget—Agriculture Appropriations

ASPCA Position: Support

Congress is advancing the bill to fund the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the 2023 fiscal year.

You can help create a more compassionate world by contacting your legislators today to ask for their support on important spending measures to protect animals, including dogs in puppy mills; horses who may become at risk of slaughter; farmed animals deserving of better lives; and pets caught up in domestic violence cases.

What You Can Do

Please use the form below to email your members of Congress and urge them to:

Better protect dogs in puppy mills.
Keep the horse slaughter industry OUT of the United States for good.
End government funding of cruel “depopulation” of farmed animals.
Expand a grant program for domestic violence survivors and their companion animals.

Congress needs to hear from advocates like you right now! If you’d like to take further action, learn more about our exciting advocacy volunteer opportunities.

Thank you for speaking up for animals!

Advocacy Alert

Your Message

Subject Support Animal Protections in the FY 2023 USDA Budget

Dear Legislator,

Message

I am writing to urge you to support pro-animal welfare provisions in the FY 2023 Agriculture Appropriations bill.

First, I urge you to support new bill language that would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use only effective means of enforcing the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Over the past several years, AWA enforcement has steadily declined. Please defund the agency’s ineffective policies and direct the USDA to properly enforce the law in a way that deters puppy mill operators from violating animal welfare standards.

I also urge you to support and extend the longstanding funding restriction that prohibits the cruel horse slaughter industry from operating in the U.S. for good. This popular bipartisan provision has been included in annual appropriations bills nearly every year since 2005 – it is time for Congress to take final action to end the threat of horse slaughter facilities reopening on American soil.

Additionally, I urge you to support language that would prevent government funds from being used towards especially inhumane methods of “intentional depopulation” or culling of farm animals—such as ventilation shutdown, which involves shutting off barns’ ventilation systems with the animals sealed inside—commonly adding heat and/or steam—so the animals slowly die from overheating or suffocation. Taxpayer money should not be funding farmers’ use of such cruel methods of killing animals on industrial farms. And, at the very least, the USDA must require producers to report on the methods used to depopulate entire herds and flocks, so the public has access to this information.

Finally, I urge you to support the inclusion of at least $3,000,000 in grant funding for the lifesaving emergency and transitional shelter program established by the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act. The program ensures that more domestic violence service providers can accommodate pets or arrange for pet shelter.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name]
[Your Address]

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