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Please Protect Dogs and Other Animals from Abuse and Suffering

Dear Representative,
As your constituent, I want to thank you for being a lead sponsor of Goldie’s Act (H.R. 1788). I applaud your efforts to strengthen Animal Welfare Act (AWA) enforcement and better protect animals in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-licensed facilities from cruelty. I hope that you will also oppose section 12410(c) of the proposed House Farm Bill text that threatens these critical efforts by making it harder for animals—like Goldie, who are in urgent need of veterinary care—to receive aid. Although the AWA authorizes the USDA to remove animals found “suffering,” the proposed language would inordinately raise the standard to “unrelieved suffering” and would allow the USDA to either merely “consider”—but ultimately decline—to remove animals in severe pain, distress, or discomfort or to shift the responsibility of removal to resource-limited law enforcement agencies. This language, if passed, would significantly reduce the likelihood that thousands of sick and injured animals in USDA-licensed facilities will receive the care they need, contradicting the purpose of the AWA to ensure humane care and treatment for animals. Because of your efforts to support AWA enforcement reform, I know that you want to safeguard animals from unnecessary suffering, but that will not happen if section 12410(c) is passed and the USDA is granted permission to leave suffering animals without necessary care. Animal protection is a priority for me, and I appreciate you leading the charge to improve welfare for our nation’s vulnerable animals. Please oppose the House Farm bill language and keep fighting for Goldie’s Act.

Please Protect Dogs and Other Animals from Abuse and Suffering

Dear Representative,
As your constituent, I want to thank you for co-sponsoring Goldie’s Act (H.R. 1788). I applaud your efforts to strengthen Animal Welfare Act (AWA) enforcement and better protect animals in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-licensed facilities from cruelty. I hope that you will also oppose section 12410(c) of the proposed House Farm Bill text that threatens these critical efforts by making it harder for animals—like Goldie, who are in urgent need of veterinary care—to receive aid. Although the AWA authorizes the USDA to remove animals found “suffering,” the proposed language would inordinately raise the standard to “unrelieved suffering” and would allow the USDA to either merely “consider”—but ultimately decline—to remove animals in severe pain, distress, or discomfort or to shift the responsibility of removal to resource-limited law enforcement agencies. This language, if passed, would significantly reduce the likelihood that thousands of sick and injured animals in USDA-licensed facilities will receive the care they need, contradicting the purpose of the AWA to ensure humane care and treatment for animals. Because of your efforts to support AWA enforcement reform, I know that you want to safeguard animals from unnecessary suffering, but that will not happen if section 12410(c) is passed and the USDA is granted permission to leave suffering animals without necessary care. Animal protection is a priority for me, and I appreciate your efforts to improve welfare for our nation’s vulnerable animals. Please oppose the House Farm bill language and keep fighting for Goldie’s Act.

Add Goldie’s Act (H.R. 1788) to the Farm Bill to Protect Animals

Dear Representative,
As your constituent, I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor Goldie’s Act (H.R. 1788)—legislation to strengthen Animal Welfare Act (AWA) enforcement—and support its inclusion in the Farm Bill. This bill is named after “Golden Retriever #142,” now known as Goldie. She suffered and died at a USDA-licensed puppy mill because the USDA failed in its responsibility to protect her and hundreds more dogs at the same facility from neglect. USDA inspectors found Goldie “extremely emaciated” and observed her deteriorating condition over several months but did not record her condition on an official inspection report and did not seek help for her. The USDA is charged with enforcing the AWA, a law established to protect animals kept for commercial, exhibition, and research purposes, but over the years, the USDA has watered down its own enforcement programs and procedures, eroding protections for these vulnerable animals. Right now, USDA facilities are not inspected with regularity, some going years without an inspection. Even when facilities are inspected, current USDA policies prevent certain violations from being documented. And when violations are documented, the agency rarely takes action, allowing non-compliant facilities to operate with impunity as these animals suffer. For the sake of the hundreds of thousands of animals housed in USDA facilities, we must pass Goldie’s Act to ensure that the USDA is upholding its existing responsibility to safeguard animals against unnecessary suffering; but that can only happen if the provisions in Goldie's Act—frequent and meaningful inspections, immediate assistance for visibly suffering animals, deterring penalties for violators of the law, and cross reporting with law enforcement—are collectively adopted. Animal protection is a priority for me, and I urge you to help these vulnerable animals. Please support this critical bill by co-sponsoring it and working to include the full text of Goldie’s Act in the Farm Bill.

Thank You for Leading Goldie’s Act (S. 4033) to Protect Animals

Dear Senator,
As your constituent, I want to thank you for taking a stand to protect commercially bred animals—like dogs in puppy mills—from cruelty by leading Goldie’s Act (S. 4033), legislation to strengthen Animal Welfare Act (AWA) enforcement. I now urge you to fight to include this critical legislation in the Farm Bill. As you know, Goldie, a Golden Retriever after whom this legislation is named, suffered and died at a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-licensed facility because the USDA failed in its responsibility to protect her and hundreds more dogs at the same facility from neglect. Hundreds of thousands of other animals in USDA-licensed facilities are still at risk. Right now, USDA-licensed facilities are not inspected with regularity, and even when facilities are inspected, current USDA policies prevent certain welfare violations from being documented. When violations are documented, the agency rarely takes action, allowing non-compliant facilities to operate with impunity as animals suffer. Enforcement reform is needed so that animals are safeguarded against unnecessary suffering, but that can only happen if all the provisions in Goldie’s Act—frequent and meaningful inspections, immediate assistance for visibly suffering animals, deterring penalties for violators of the law, and cross reporting with law enforcement—are collectively adopted. Animal protection is a priority for me, and I appreciate you leading the charge on this important legislation. Please fight to include the full text of Goldie’s Act in the Farm Bill to protect these vulnerable animals.

Co-sponsor Goldie’s Act (S. 4003) to Protect Dogs in Puppy Mills

Dear Senator,
As your constituent, I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor Goldie’s Act (S. 4003)—legislation to strengthen Animal Welfare Act (AWA) enforcement. This bill is named after “Golden Retriever #142,” now known as “Goldie.” She suffered and died at a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-licensed puppy mill because the USDA failed in its responsibility to protect her and hundreds more dogs at the same facility from neglect. USDA inspectors found Goldie “extremely emaciated” and observed her deteriorating condition over several months but did not record her condition on an official inspection report and did not seek help for her. The USDA is charged with enforcing the AWA, a law established to protect animals kept for commercial, exhibition, and research purposes, but over the years, the USDA has watered down its own enforcement programs and procedures, eroding protections for these vulnerable animals. Right now, USDA facilities are not inspected with regularity. Even when facilities are inspected, current USDA policies prevent certain violations from being documented. And when violations are documented, the agency rarely takes action, allowing non-compliant facilities to operate with impunity as animals suffer. For the sake of the hundreds of thousands of animals housed in USDA facilities, we must pass Goldie’s Act to ensure that the USDA is upholding its existing responsibility to safeguard animals against unnecessary suffering; but that can only happen if the provisions in Goldie's Act—frequent and meaningful inspections, immediate assistance for visibly suffering animals, deterring penalties for violators of the law, and cross reporting with law enforcement—are adopted. Animal protection is a priority for me, and I urge you to help these vulnerable animals by co-sponsoring this critical bill.