This program, if implemented, could potentially give third-parties, including extremist animal rights groups such as ASPCA, HSUS, and PETA, authority over animal and livestock inspection and certification processes, with little or no accountability to the public.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking unaccountable government to a new and frightening level. The agency is currently holding a series of ‘listening sessions’ to hear ‘feedback on whether (they) should recognize inspections (and similar reviews) by third-party programs’ as it relates to federal inspections of agricultural operations and other facilities which involve animals. This program, if implemented, could potentially give third-parties, including extremist animal rights groups such as ASPCA, HSUS, and PETA, authority over animal and livestock inspection and certification processes, with little or no accountability to the public.
As numerous livestock producers and animal handlers who have fallen victim to the unethical, invasive and often brutal tactics of extreme animal rights groups can testify, giving ideologically-driven zealots power over what should be objective evaluations is a dangerous proposition.
On January 23, USDA published this notice:
Reminder: USDA Hosting Listening Sessions on Proposal to Recognize Third-Party Inspections and Certifications of Animal Welfare Act Facilities
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service sent this bulletin at 01/23/2018 11:53 AM EST
USDA Animal Care is seeking your feedback on whether we should recognize inspections (and similar reviews) by third-party programs when determining the frequency of federal inspections for facilities regulated under the Animal Welfare Act.
We hosted our first in-person listening session on January 18. We have three remaining in-person listening sessions and one virtual session. Any interested person may speak. A list of locations and dates for these sessions, along with instructions for registering, are located here. You will also find instructions for submitting written comments.
The Federal Register posted our notice seeking the public’s feedback today. That link is here.
Our inspectors conduct routine, unannounced inspections of all Animal Welfare Act licensees and registrants. Various factors determine the inspection frequency for each entity – including a facility’s history of adhering to the federal regulations and standards. Some licensees and registrants already use a third-party program to support animal welfare at their facilities. We are interested in learning more about these programs, and hearing our regulated community’s and stakeholders’ views on how we might consider the use of these programs in our administration of the Animal Welfare Act.
“We are always looking for ways to serve our regulated community and direct our resources more effectively,” said Animal Care Deputy Administrator Bernadette Juarez. “Recognizing third-party inspections may be a good way to support compliance at facilities, while allowing us to devote more of our time to helping those licensees and registrants who need it most.”
Although animal rights extremists hide behind the guise of ‘animal welfare,’ their goals and tactics betray their radical ends. Several recent cases have brought to light the abuses of such groups.
Feds, ASPCA raid lawful farm of rare Game Fowl breeder
Carrano’s farm was scoured and his birds seized, and despite no evidence of cockfighting or raising and trading roosters for cockfighting, he was charged with conspiracy to do so. With the federal charges, he lost the right to keep his legal handgun, and is prohibited from leaving the state. Carrano’s case is being adjudicated in New York City, which is several hours from his home. That, along with staggering legal fees, has resulted in significant hardships for he and his wife.
‘Animal rights’ groups call for actions to end to all livestock production
The National Animal Rights Conference held last week confirms supporters of the animal rights movement don’t want to work with livestock producers, they want to end livestock production.
Kay Johnson Smith, CEO of the Animal Ag Alliance, says animal rights activists made their goals clear – ending all forms of animal agriculture, regardless of how well animals are cared for.
Intimidation to Regulation: Animal rights radicals use law to attack pet stores
Radical animal rights groups have been leveraging specific states to push their global goal of eliminating pet ownership and your freedom of choice. California and Florida have become the home court advantage for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), PETA, ASPCA, ALF and other affiliated extremist groups and their agenda. In Southern California, these groups started attacking pet stores which resulted in a huge underground and unregulated dog trafficking problem in the state. Then they attacked Sea World, and launched a 10 year war against Ringling Brothers who even though they prevailed in their lawsuits, decided to close their doors. Animal rights extremists have been unrelenting in their attacks on the iconic horse drawn carriage rides in New York City. My home state of New Jersey is also a state where the Humane Society of the United States has a strong foothold.
Personal vendettas & animal rights extremists align in persecution of ND rancher
In 2012, backed by the HSUS and their Humane Society Legislative Fund, Measure 5, North Dakota Prevention of Animal Cruelty Initiative was on the ballot and was defeated. However, similar legislation was then introduced to the North Dakota legislature despite major concerns voiced by the North Dakota Farm Bureau and other livestock and crop producers, like Gary and his daughter. The bill passed and became law in 2013. It is now listed as “Title 36, Livestock. Chapter 36-21.1. Humane Treatment of Animals.” It was designed with gray areas that put all animal owners at risk.
Although many federal employees are highly professional and knowledgeable, the bureaucracy is also rife with thugs, do-nothings, and ideologues who use their positions to further political agendas. Inviting radical activists into the bureaucratic process will only compound America’s distrust of the government.
Public input is unquestionably a necessary part of the regulatory process, and scrutiny from independent parties is essential to holding federal agencies accountable, but this proposal by USDA could prove disastrous to the farmers and livestock producers it is supposed to protect and support.
Because extreme animal rights groups and individual activists are well-funded, well-organized, and are looking to strip away the rights of people to own, raise and sell animals, it’s important for farmers, ranchers, breeders, and others involved in animal agriculture to get involved and counter the radicals who would love to have control over USDA inspections and certifications.
Register for a ‘listening session’ through this portal.
The public meetings will be held at the following locations:
February 8: USDA Center at Riverside, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD 20737
February 22: USDA, Beacon Building, 6501 Beacon Road, Kansas City, MO 64133
March 8: Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza, 4200 Jim Walter Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33607
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USDA are you guys serious? Allowing animal rights extremists to become USDA inspectors is a bad move. You guys are pretty much feeding every animal owner especially those who own livestock in this country to the sharks. Rethink this plan. Animal rights extremists want nothing more than to bring an end to or animal ownership. This would be a step towards that. Why not let experienced livestock owners become inspectors? Animal rights extremists watch poorly edited videos and look at photoshopped images to become so-called animal experts. It’s been proven time and again.
This would be horrible to any farmer!
I thought you were on the farmers side? I guess I thought wrong if you let this happen.
Are you seriously considering this? No more meat in the freezer aisle, no more pets or service animals? Absolutely not!
Bad idea! Giving fringe fanatics any authority is crazy!