File an Animal Welfare Complaint USDA APHIS Form

Instructions and help about File An Animal Welfare Complaint USDA APHIS

[Opening music] One of the lesser-known functions of U.S. Department of Agriculture is administration of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Act, and USDA is pausing to reflect on many years of progress and the millions of animal lives that have been protected through its enforcement. As the Deputy Administrator for the Animal Care program, I know firsthand how passionate the American public is about animal welfare. I receive hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of email messages and letters each month, expressing concern about the welfare of elephants in circuses, primates in research laboratories, and dogs sold by breeders and dealers, just to name a few examples. The American public's interest in the humane treatment of animals dates back to the Puritan days, but it was not until 1966, that the Animal Welfare Act -initially named the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act - was signed into law, in response to public outcry over laboratory animals and deale