Animal Care:

Safeguarding the

Welfare of Animals

Animals are a vital part of our world. As USDA’s

guardian of animal welfare, Animal Care (AC) within

the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

(APHIS) administers two laws that seek to ensure the

humane handling of animals: the Animal Welfare Act

(AWA) and the Horse Protection Act (HPA). The

AWA requires that minimum levels of care be provided to certain animals used in research or exhibition,

sold as pets at the wholesale level, or transported in

commerce. The HPA prohibits the practice of soring,

which is the application of chemical or mechanical

irritants to a horse’s pastern to enhance its gait.

The Animal Care Program

AC’s mission is to provide leadership in establishing acceptable standards of humane animal care and

treatment and to monitor and achieve compliance

through inspections, education, and cooperative

efforts.

AC is headquartered in Riverdale, MD, and has

regional offices in Raleigh, NC, Fort Worth, TX, and

Fort Collins, CO. Most AC employees are either veterinary medical officers (VMO’s) or AC inspectors. A

limited number are administrative personnel. All the

VMO’s are graduates of veterinary medical colleges,

and many were veterinarians in private practice earlier in their careers. While not veterinarians, the AC

inspectors have extensive knowledge about the care

and handling of animals. This knowledge comes

from both coursework and practical hands-on experience.

The Animal Welfare Act

The AWA requires that minimum standards of

care and treatment be provided for most warmblooded animals bred for commercial sale, used in

research, transported commercially, or exhibited to

the public. Covered animals include those exhibited

in zoos, circuses, and marine mammal facilities, as

well as pets transported on commercial airlines. The

AWA also prohibits staged dogfights, bear and raccoon baiting, and similar animal-fighting ventures.

The law was passed in 1966 and amended in 1970,

1976, 1985, and 1990.

AC conducts randomly scheduled, unannounced

inspections to ensure that all regulated facilities are

complying with the AWA. If an inspection reveals

deficiencies in meeting the AWA standards and regulations, the inspector instructs the facility to correct

the problems within a given timeframe or, in serious

cases of neglect or suffering, recommends formal

legal actions. If follow-up inspections reveal that

minor deficiencies have remained uncorrected, the

inspector documents the facility’s deficiencies and

considers possible legal action. Such action could

result in fines up to $2,750 per violation and/or

license suspensions or revocations.

The Horse Protection Act

The HPA prohibits sored horses from participating in exhibitions, sales, shows, or auctions. The

HPA also prohibits drivers from transporting sored

horses to compete in shows. The law was first

passed in 1970 and amended in 1976.

To enforce the HPA, AC oversees the Designated

Qualified Person (DQP) program. DQP’s, who are

trained and licensed by USDA-certified horse industry

organizations to detect sored horses, typically have

extensive experience in equine health and husbandry. DQP’s are responsible for barring from

shows any horses that do not meet the HPA standards. To ensure that the DQP’s continue to adhere

to HPA standards, AC personnel conduct randomly

scheduled, unannounced inspections at horse shows

and sales.

For those who violate the HPA, APHIS can

impose criminal or civil charges. If convicted, violators can spend up to 2 years in prison, receive penalties of up to $5,000, and be disqualified for 1 or more

years from the right to show, exhibit, or sell horses

through auction sales. Trainers can be disqualified

for life.

Additional Information

For additional information about AC’s programs

and services, contact us at:

USDA–APHIS–AC

Headquarters Office

USDA–APHIS–AC

4700 River Road, Unit 84

Riverdale, MD 20737–1234

Phone: (301) 734–7833

Fax: (301) 734–4978

Factsheet

Animal Care January 2002

APHIS
Eastern Region

USDA–APHIS–AC

920 Main Campus Drive, Suite 200

Raleigh, NC 27606–5210

Phone: (919) 716–5532

Fax: (919) 716–5696

Central Region

USDA–APHIS–AC

P.O. Box 915004 (letters)

501 Felix Street, Bldg. 11 (packages)

Fort Worth, TX 76115–9104

Phone: (817) 885–6923

Fax: (817) 885–6917 

Western Region

USDA–APHIS–AC

9580 Micron Avenue, Suite J

Sacramento, CA 95827

Phone: (916) 857–6205

Fax: (916) 857–6212

Internet

www.aphis.usda.gov/ac

E-mail address

ace@usda.gov

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination

in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national

origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to

all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative

means for communication of program information (Braille, large

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at

(202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of

Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964

(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and

employer.

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture