The AWA has two main approaches to dealing with the problem of pet theft. First of all, an identification and information registration track is necessary to follow the animal throughout the chain (see Regulation § 2.50). Second, there is a required detention period when a dog or cat enters the transfer chain. Both start with the Class B dealer. Now that the system has been in place for thirty years, it is unlikely that an authorized dealer will steal animals to sell them later – the risk-reward ratio makes no sense to commit criminal behavior. Rather, the real risk is that someone who steals animals sells them to an authorized dealer. Therefore, the requirements of the Source Identification Regulations imposed on Class B distributors are intended to prevent this activity. (Emphasis has been added.) When you combine the AWA and HREA with the other policies, regulations and guidelines of various scientific bodies and organizations, you will find that ALL vertebrates used by or by the UAF are covered by a policy or regulation on the care and use of animals. Some of the other laws dealing with the use and welfare of live vertebrates are listed below: This original law created a licensing system for pet dealers and laboratories that use dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits or non-human primates. Subsequent changes expanded the list of animals and the level of federal regulation in the laboratory environment. The AWA has also been expanded to include pet protection and regulations against the use of animals between states used in illegal animal fighting projects.
The scope will be further expanded, but it remains limited. (For the full story of the story, see Christine Stevens, The Story of the AWA.) The AWA is essentially a regulatory law designed to control who is allowed to own or sell certain animals and the living conditions in which animals must be kept. The law provides for criminal penalties, civil penalties and the withdrawal of permits for violations of the AWA. The vast majority of anti-animal cruelty laws take place at the state level. The PACT Act creates a corresponding federal law on veterinary breeding. While the PACT Act for Animals is an important step forward, it is important to respect its limits. The many exceptions include “normal and normal” agricultural and veterinary practices, as well as the slaughter of animals for food. (D) that no animal is used in more than one major surgical experiment from which it is permissible to recover, except in the following cases: Each state also has laws that regulate certain aspects of the “practical” care of animals. For example, there are laws that govern how long shelters must “keep” stray animals before they can be adopted or euthanized. There are also laws on how often pets should be vaccinated against rabies.
States also often have regulations for commercial pet breeding. AWA-covered facilities that use animals for research, testing, or training must form an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) to oversee their animal programs. IACAC is composed of scientists, veterinarians and at least one member of the public who is in no way affiliated with the institution. Not only do IACFC inspect the institution`s laboratories and teaching facilities, but they must also review and approve all research and education protocols before the animals can be used. They are also looking for evidence that the researcher has made concerted efforts to find alternatives to animal research that could cause pain and suffering, and if animals are to be used, that there is a plan in place to relieve that pain and suffering. There are approximately 1,400 IACCC associated with research, testing, and teaching laboratories in the United States. Laws regulating the treatment of animals in the United States began to emerge between the mid- and late 1800s, primarily at the state level. The New York Act, passed in 1867 and led by the state organization of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, became a bill that other states followed in the following century.