APHIS’ Animal Care Report

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

Fall 1997

This edition of the report highlights acts of

excellence by our field personnel and provides an

important reminder to research facilities about the

reporting requirements under the Animal Welfare Act

(AWA). It also details several important initiatives

that are underway to improve the effectiveness of the

U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Animal Care

(AC) program.

As always, the report aims to promote two-way

communication between our program and

representatives of key industry and interest groups

like you. We want to know if you find the report

helpful, and we welcome your comments. Call (301)

734–5175 to share your ideas.

W. Ron DeHaven

Acting Deputy Administrator

AC Inspectors Go Above and Beyond the

Call of Duty

AC inspectors routinely do exceptional work that

goes unnoticed by program stakeholders. The

vignettes below describe three of these exceptional

efforts. Future editions of this report will continue to

highlight acts of excellence by field personnel.

• Earlier this year, a small aquarium in Maine went

bankrupt and was taken over by the Small

Business Administration (SBA), placing in

jeopardy two elderly harbor seals that were longtime residents at the facility. In response, AC

inspector Dr. Ron Zaidlicz visited the facility

several times to check on the seals and assure

that they were receiving the special treatment

they needed.

Dr. Zaidlicz also worked with the owners,

caretakers, and auctioneer hired to sell the

animals to assure that the seals would not be

auctioned off as property, and he cooperated with

the Department of Commerce's National Marine

Mammal Fisheries Service, which oversees the

transfer of such animals. If SBA decides to place

the seals in another facility, Dr. Zaidlicz has done

the groundwork to assure that they will be placed

together in a safe location.

• In August, the heatwave that plagued the

Midwestern United States worried southern Illinois

inspector Ben Flerlage. He was aware that one of

his licensees, who owned a cougar and several

bobcats, was hiding from the law and was not

providing his animals with proper care. He

became even more concerned when he spoke to

family members and found that the man was not

around during the day to provide water to his cats.

Working with State wildlife officials, Flerlage

provided water to the cougar and bobcats in the

middle of a 100-degree day. In a followup visit the

next day, Flerlage and the State officials

persuaded the owner to relocate the animals to

another licensee's facility. Flerlage has since

assisted in the relocation of the animals.

• This summer, a licensee in Colorado abandoned

his facility, placing the health of his exotic cats in

jeopardy. In response, several AC field personnel

worked with officials from Alamosa County, the

Pueblo Zoo, and The Humane Society of the

United States to remove about 30 large felines

from the facility.

To expedite the removal of the felines under

Alamosa County's authority, veterinary medical

officer Denise Sofranko made several inspections

of the facility—some coordinated with the

Colorado Division of Wildlife, a local veterinarian,

and the Alamosa County Sheriff. All of the felines

are now housed at USDA-licensed facilities in

good standing.

Important Reminder for Research

Facilities

Under AWA reporting requirements, research

facilities have to submit annual reports on the number

of AWA-regulated animals used in research. These

animals must be listed by species and established

pain categories. The deadline for submitting this

year's report to APHIS–AC is December 1, 1997.

To assist you in preparing these reports, we

discuss below five common reporting errors and

ways to prevent them. Knowing these pitfalls will

help you fill out your report accurately and help us

process them efficiently.
• When adding the rows across for the total number

of animals in column F, add only columns C, D,

and E. Do not add the animals listed in column B.

These animals were not used in research and

should not be included in the total.

• A specific explanation of the procedures that

produced pain or distress must be attached for all

animals reported in column E. However, do not

include any proprietary business information in

the explanation.

• The continuation sheet is not necessary unless

you are reporting more species than will fit on the

7023 form. If you do not use the sheet, you may

discard it.

• If you prepare separate report forms for different

sites, keep all the forms together and submit a

cover form with the totals for all animals used

under your registration number.

• Type or print the name and title of the institutional

official in the correct block. We need this

information to accurately identify the person in our

records.

AC Launches Safe Pet Travel Campaign

In September, AC launched a public affairs

campaign to educate members of the general public

about traveling safely with their pets. To support the

campaign, AC is disseminating three different

informational pieces: a new, full-color brochure that

gives an overview of both the AC and airline

requirements for transporting animals on commercial

airplanes, a factsheet that contains similar information,

and a sticker labeled "Live Animals" to place on

kennels to meet the AWA requirements. If you would

like copies of these materials, contact Jamie Ambrosi

at jambrosi@aphis.usda.gov or (301) 734–5175.

AC is also promoting its 24-hour, automated

telephone voice response service (VRS), which

provides information on the humane handling of cats

and dogs during transport. By dialing (800) 545–

USDA on a Touch-ToneTM telephone, you can learn

about the AWA requirements for temperature,

shipping documents, food and water, and cage sizes

and make your animal's travel experience safer and

more comfortable. Designed to be user-friendly, VRS

is recommended for inclusion in training courses for

airline cargo handlers, ticket agents, and supervisors.

For brochures about the service, contact the Centers

for Epidemiology and Animal Health, Veterinary

Services, APHIS, USDA, 55 South Howes, Suite 300,

Fort Collins, CO 80521.

Strategic-Direction Update

AC's strategic-direction efforts are advancing on

several fronts.

• AC's horse protection team finalized the strategic

direction for the horse protection program in

August, and we are currently preparing a

document detailing the team's recommendations.

In general, the strategic direction gives the horse

industry greater responsibility for preventing sore

horses from competing. No publication date has

yet been set for the document. However, we

anticipate that it will be released early enough to

use for the 1998 horse show season, and we will

issue a Federal Register notice announcing its

availability. It will also be posted on our website.

USDA–APHIS–Animal Care

Headquarters Office

W. Ron DeHaven, D.V.M.

4700 River Road, Unit 84

Riverdale, MD 20737–1234

Phone: (301) 734–4981

Fax: (301) 734–4328

Eastern Region

Elizabeth Goldentyer, D.V.M.

2568–A Riva Road, #302

Annapolis, MD 21401

Phone: (410) 571–8692

Fax: (410) 224–2854

Central Region

Walter Christensen, D.V.M.

P.O. Box 6258

Fort Worth Federal Center, Building 11

Fort Worth, TX 76115

Phone: (817) 885–6910

Fax: (817) 885–6917

Western Region

Robert Gibbens, D.V.M.

9580 Micron Ave., Suite J

Sacramento, CA 95827

Phone: (916) 857–6205

Fax: (916) 857–6212

World Wide Web Home Page

www.aphis.usda.gov/ac
• The risk-based inspection system recently

completed its 3-month pilot project, which began

in June 1997. Results from the pilot study will

help determine the final design of the system.

The risk-based system will enable AC to

concentrate its inspection efforts where they are

needed most.

• AC's internal training team is planning a national

work conference for all AC inspectors for March

2–6, 1998. This will be the second national

conference (the first took place in May 1996).

The agenda for the conference is being drafted at

this time and will be available later this year.

• AC's eastern region is the first to try the program's

upgraded narrative inspection report. The

remaining regions are scheduled to convert to the

new form by the end of calendar 1997. The new,

narrative inspection report is designed to be

easier for licensees and registrants to read and

understand. It is the first component in AC’s new

management information system.

Customer Service Goals Established

As part of its ongoing effort to improve service,

AC used the results from its customer satisfaction

survey administered earlier this year to establish

baseline levels of performance and goals for the

program. The survey used a 5-point scale (1 = poor,

5 = excellent). AC is seeking to improve its rating on

informational materials and electronic access from

3.24 to 4.0, its rating on the effectiveness of its

regulations from 3.58 to 4.0, and its overall customer

satisfaction rating from 3.59 to 4.0. The program is

aiming to reach these levels of performance by fiscal

year 1999. It will survey the same licensees and

registrants at that time to measure its progress.

Final Rule on Tethering Published

On August 13, AC published a final rule that

removed the provisions allowing the permanent

tethering of dogs as a means of providing a primary

enclosure. Despite some initial confusion regarding

its scope, the rule pertains only to AWA licensees.

Moreover, the temporary tethering of dogs for health

or other reasons is permitted if licensees obtain

approval from their AC regional inspector. The rule

went into effect September 12. Copies are available

from the AC headquarters office.

Review of Doris Day Animal League

Petition Continues

AC officials are still reviewing the estimated

36,000 comments received on the petition prior to the

close of the public comment period on May 27. They

are also surveying their field inspectors to assess the

petition's potential impact on the program's workload

and alternative scenarios under which animal breeders

and dealers could be regulated. Based on these

efforts, AC will determine how to proceed.

Animal Care

WA

OR ID

CA

NV UT

AZ NM

CO

WY

MT ND

MO

AR

TX LA

OK

KS

NE

SD

IA

MN

WS

IN

TN

MS AL GA

SC

NC

MI

RI

MD

NJ

ME

MA

CT

NH

VT

NY

PA

VA

OH

WV

FL

P.R.

DE

AK

HI

V.I.

Western Region

Central Region

Eastern Region

IL

KY
Input Sought on Training and Handling

Dangerous Animals

On July 24, AC published a Federal Register

notice requesting information on current industry

practices for the training and handling of wild and

exotic animals that are potentially dangerous. Among

other things, the notice seeks input on suggested

experience requirements for animal handlers and

trainers, as well as on contingency plans for the

recapture of escaped or uncontrollable animals. The

extended comment period on the notice closes

November 6, 1997. AC will use the information

received during the comment period to aid in

developing future guidelines or rules on this issue.

Regulatory News

The items listed below are either under

consideration and not yet published in the Federal

Register, published in the Federal Register and open

for comment, or previously open for comment and

now under review by the Department.

Notices

• Doris Day Animal League Petition (under review)

• Notice of Intent to Regulate Pocket Pets (under

consideration)

• Handling and Training of Potentially Dangerous

Wild and Exotic Animals Used for Exhibition (open

for comment)

Proposed Rules

• Perimeter Fencing (under review)

• Standards for Animal Auctions (under

consideration)

• Exotic Canids and Felids: Minimum Age for

Transport (under consideration)

• Standards for Farm Animals (under consideration)

• Standards for Marine Mammals (under

consideration)

• Importation of Euthanized Animals (under

consideration)

• Humane Treatment of Dogs and Cats: Licensing

and Consignment (under consideration)

• Require Responsible Adult During Inspections

(under consideration)

• Veterinary Medical Records (under consideration)

Final Rules

• Humane Treatment of Dogs and Cats: Wire

Flooring (under consideration)

• Humane Treatment of Dogs and Cats:

Temperature (under consideration)

• Swim-With-the-Dolphins Human Interactive

Programs (under consideration)