Secretary Brooke L. Rollins of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) outlined new actions aimed at enhancing companion animal welfare during a Strikeforce roundtable held today. The initiative, supported by various federal partners, marks a commitment from the Trump Administration to improve oversight in this area.
Read More
Partners in the meeting included representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the USDA Office of Inspector General (US OIG).
Rollins stated, "In the Trump Administration, animals deserve to be treated with respect and cared for properly. Today’s announcement will lay out new standards to improve animal welfare, deploy new training and staff to continuously monitor facilities under our care, and build further public awareness to protect our companion animals." HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. emphasized the importance of animal treatment as a reflection of societal values and the responsibility to protect both animal and human health.
The USDA is taking specific steps to strengthen dog, horse, and companion animal welfare as part of its ongoing efforts:
1. **Standards Update**: In 2027, the USDA plans to propose regulatory updates based on over 7,500 public comments aimed at strengthening the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) standards for dogs.
2. **Breeder Communication**: The USDA will issue over 2,000 refresher notices to dog breeding facilities to clarify legal requirements for humane treatment.
3. **Enhanced Oversight**: The Animal Protection Bureau (APB) has been established to improve nationwide enforcement and oversight of animal welfare laws, aimed at identifying unauthorized operations and enhancing inspections.
4. **Inspector General Staffing**: The USDA OIG will increase its workforce focused on animal fighting by 20% to enhance enforcement against violators of animal welfare laws.
5. **Compliance Priorities**: Starting in 2026, the USDA aims to crack down on repeat offenders in animal breeding, evidenced by the termination of several dog breeder licenses and ongoing investigations against non-compliant facilities.
The Administration has reported progress on a range of commitments to enhance companion animal welfare, including improved inspection training and enforcement actions against facilities violating animal care standards. As part of these efforts, 15 official warnings were issued, and 8 licenses were denied or terminated for unfit applicants. The USDA has also expanded recruitment efforts for veterinarians and conducted campaigns to raise public awareness about animal welfare standards.