The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) has been delegated the
responsibility of regulating the care and treatment of captive
performing animals. While we would expect the AWA to protect performing
animals, they merely set minimum housing and maintenance regulations and
nothing more. In addition, while the AWA requires that animal exhibits
be licensed by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS), there are approximately 8,000 facilities in the US which use
live animal entertainment and only 85 APHIS inspectors and 64 AWA
inspectors. The USDA determined in 1992 that "APHIS cannot ensure the
humane care and treatment of animals as required by the Act. APHIS did
not inspect facilities with reliable frequency, and it did not enforce
timely corrections of violations during inspections."
In addition to insufficient regulations, the major
reason that the pitiable living conditions for, and inhumane treatment
of, circus animals has been allowed to continue is due to a serious lack
in federal funding for the AWA. With only 64 inspectors representing the
AWA, annual inspections have dropped 40 percent since 1991. In fact,
there are many organizations that have gone without inspection for years
at a time. When these companies are inspected, they are found to be in
violation of the AWA's very minimal standards 45 percent of the time!
For the first time in almost a decade, the Animal Care
Program budget has received an increase of $1 million! While this is
definitely a positive step in the right direction, in light of other
budget spending, this is a fairly small increase.
The HSUS is calling on all citizens concerned with the
welfare of circus animals to contact the Clinton Administration and
request a $5 million increase for the USDA's Animal Care Program with
the next budget proposal, so to be submitted to Congress. Since this is
a time sensitive subject, it is important that you send your letters
today!
Contact:
Honorable Jack Lew, Director
Office of Management and Budget
Old Executive Office Building
Washington, D.D. 20503
Fax: (202) 395-1005
Honorable Dan Glickman, Secretary of Agriculture
14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250
Fax: (202) 720-2166
Email: [email protected]
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