Target: David Scott, Chairman of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee
Goal: Support more comprehensive, robust animal welfare inspections and enact tougher penalties for violations.
Hundreds of young dogs apparently suffered horrifically at an Iowa puppy mill. While several of the animals were eventually rescued, some reportedly died while waiting for their moment of salvation. The memory of one of these puppies, whom the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals named Goldie, lives on in legislation meant to safeguard other defenseless pups from meeting her tragic fate.
Goldie reportedly died at the puppy mill, with the eyes of her potential savior—the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)—on her. The USDA is required to inspect and license such businesses. The Iowa puppy mill where Goldie was kept had been licensed by the agency, and they took note of Goldie’s seemingly declining health during the course of inspections. They apparently did nothing to help the suffering animal, however. She eventually succumbed to weeks of alleged neglect and untenable living conditions.
A House of Representatives proposal known as Goldie’s Act would strengthen the inspection standards the USDA performs, would impose much heftier penalties for reported violations, and—most crucially—would require the agency to take into their custody animals they have suspicions are being mistreated. The USDA, under this law, would also have a duty to report with expedience suspected animal cruelty to appropriate law enforcement for criminal investigation.
Sign the petition below to demand Congress take up this vital piece of animal welfare legislation.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Representative Scott,
Few causes can unite Americans like the plight of abused and neglected animals. The U.S. government, recognizing the importance of protecting all living beings, has encoded the Animal Welfare Act, the PACT Act, and other essential measures into its rules of law. Tragically, the lack of a strong framework for some of these laws prevents them from realizing their full potential.
As part of implementing the Animal Welfare Act, the United States Department of Agriculture is supposed to conduct routine inspections on licensed animal caretakers. Too often, however, these inspections are sparse and shallow in their scope and depth. A young dog reportedly died at a licensed Iowa puppy mill (where hundreds of other dogs were later liberated), as the USDA evaluated this puppy’s deteriorating condition with no apparent action to save her. This horrible case inspired Goldie’s Act (named after the deceased pup), but currently this house resolution is languishing in limbo.
As the chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, please give this critical animal welfare reform the push it deserves and needs in Congress.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Catherin 888
These puppy mills need to be shut down permanently. They are only interested in profit. They are exploiting and inflicting cruelty on animals for profit. Shut down and jail these scumbags. Don’t allow them to continue to exploit animals.
Turn these puppy mills into abuser mills. Make them do the same thing they put these babies through. I am sick of these punk ass bastards. They r not fit to live.
Puppy Mills are horrible. All of them should be shut down. And, if the inspectors knew that Goldie was sick, why didn’t they take her with them and provide help for her. If someone sees abuse and neglect, DO THE RIGHT THING and take the dog and give her the help she needed. People are the worst “animals” on the planet!
All puppy mills globally require shutdown.
How many times does an inspector have to witness abuse and/or neglect to ACT, not write another violation that these abusers use as toilet paper? It’s disgusting and it is ENOUGH. Do the right thing and shut these hell holes down…ALL OF THEM. People DO NOT have the right to exploit, abuse, and neglect these animals for money…PERIOD. If you don’t have the backbone to shut them down, then force them to shut down by making the laws with violation fines so exorbitant that they would have to shut down. No more negotiations because it’s the animals that always lose. Truly sickening.
SHUT DOWN THESE PUPPY MILLS AND PROSECUTE THESE MONSTERS WHO RUN THEM TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW!!!! LOCK THEM UP AND NEVER LET THEM NEAR ANOTHER ANIMAL AGAIN!!! WE NEED STRICTER LAWS TO PROTECT INNOCENT HELPLESS ANIMALS!!