The Animal and Plant Inspection Health Service (APHIS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture sub-agency charged with administering and enforcing the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) , 7 U.S.C. § 2131, et seq. In connection with its “Strategic Plan” for 2023-27, APHIS issued a Strategic Foresight Report that “examines 10 societal, environmental, and technological trends
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UK Gene Editing Law on Plants and Animals Takes Effect
On March 23, 2023, royal assent was given to a statute passed by the British Parliament entitled the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023. The new law aims to facilitate the utilization of precision breeding, which includes gene editing, by removing precision-bred plants and animals from the regulatory requirements applicable to genetically modified organisms (GMO’s).…
Monterey Bay Aquarium in Hot Water Over Alleged Defamatory Statements About Maine Lobster Industry
by Michelle C. Pardo Maine is synonymous with lobster. So states the federal court defamation lawsuit filed this week by a coalition of lobster fishing companies and trade groups against the Monterey Bay Aquarium over its “Seafood Watch” program, which accused Maine fisheries of falsely putting North Atlantic right whales at significant risk of entanglement…
USDA Extends Comment Deadline on Standards for Handling Wild and Exotic Animals
by Michelle C. Pardo The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended the deadline for submitting comments to an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) on standards for handling captive wild and exotic and animals and changes to environmental enrichment requirements for all regulated species. Stakeholders will now have until April 10, 2023 to…
Finally! Animal Welfare Act Bird Regulations Part 2: What Do They Require?
After 20 years, the USDA has finally promulgated its Animal Welfare Act (“AWA”) regulations for birds. The AWA covers the handling, care, treatment, and transportation of covered animals by dealers, research facilities, exhibitors, operators of auction sales, and carriers and intermediate handlers. While birds not bred for use in research have been part of the…
Finally! Animal Welfare Act Bird Regulations Part 1: Who is Covered?
After 20 years, the USDA has finally promulgated its Animal Welfare Act (“AWA”) regulations for birds. The AWA covers the handling, care, treatment, and transportation of covered animals by those engaged in certain activities. While birds not bred for use in research have been part of the AWA definition of “animal” and thus covered by…
PETA Open Records Case Takes an Interesting Turn
On February 17, 2023, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed a preliminary injunction that had restrained the University of Washington from releasing records containing personal identifying information of current and former members of the University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The records request had been submitted…
PETA Hog-Catching Case Fails for Lack of Standing
On February 8, 2023, the Texas Fourth Court of Appeals affirmed a judgment dismissing a lawsuit that animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and a former PETA employee had brought seeking to enjoin the “Bandera Wrangler’s Hog Catch,” a feral hog-catching contest held annually in Bandera, Texas. PETA v. Bandera…
With the Death Rate in PETA’s Animal Shelter, It Really Is Groundhog Day
Annually, animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) condemns Groundhog Day. This year, PETA called the exhibition of Punxsutawney Phil “a cruel form of speciesism, a human supremacist worldview.” Ironically, Groundhog Day is around the same time that PETA reports the euthanasia rates in its Norfolk, Virginia shelter to the Virginia…
Animal Testing on Cosmetics Banned in New York
By Duane Morris
On January 1, 2023, New York became the tenth state to ban the sale of cosmetics tested on animals. The New York Cruelty Free Cosmetic Act (“NYCFCA”), which took effect on January 1, 2023, prohibits manufacturers from importing for profit, selling, or offering to sell any cosmetic or ingredient in the state for which the manufacturer knew…