APHIS’ Animal Care Report

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

Summer 1997

With summer upon us, staff members in the U.S.

Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Animal Care (AC)

program are moving forward to make ours a topnotch

Federal activity. Current initiatives include

restructuring the headquarters office to improve

efficiency and effectiveness, carrying out key

strategic-direction objectives, mounting field outreach

activities, and much more.

This edition of our AC Report gives you an

update on these projects, as well as information on

our just-revised policies under the Animal Welfare Act

(AWA), a new pet travel brochure, and other timely

information. 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

Meet the Staff

AC’s headquarters office has some new faces.

To bring you up to speed on the latest personnel

developments, the list below describes both new and

veteran AC staff officers in Riverdale.

• Dr. Bettye Walters joined us in March 1997 and is

currently a staff expert on research and farm-animal

welfare. She also is the staff contact for the Doris

Day Animal League petition (described later), AC’s

new policy on so-called pocket pets (see the spring

1997 Industry Report), and our efforts to develop

screening guidelines for the routine tuberculosis

testing of elephants. Before joining AC, Dr. Walters

worked with APHIS’ Center for Veterinary Biologics

for 7 years, reviewing license applications and

helping to develop policies on regulating the biologics

industry. She earned her Doctorate of Veterinary

Medicine (D.V.M.) from Tuskegee University.

• Dr. Barbara Kohn has been with AC since June

1993 and is currently the program’s staff expert on

exhibition animals (including zoo animals and marine

mammals). Before joining us, she was a veterinarian

in private practice, specializing in small-animal

medicine. She earned her D.V.M. from the University

of Minnesota in 1984, specializing in medicine for

marine mammals and zoo animals. She also

completed a postdoctoral fellowship in marinemammal pathology.

• Steve Smith has been with the program since it

began in 1989 and is now the staff expert on issues

involving animal transporters and breeders/dealers.

Before coming to APHIS headquarters in 1993, he

was AC’s field inspector for western and central New

York and northern Pennsylvania. He joined USDA in

1984 after operating a family dairy farm in New York.

• Dr. Jerry DePoyster has been with us since 1991

and is currently a staff expert on issues involving the

use of animals in research. He also manages AC’s

home page on the Internet’s World Wide Web.

Earlier, he worked as a veterinarian with both USDA’s

Food Safety and Inspection Service and the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and

Drug Administration. He also owned a private

practice specializing in small-animal medicine. He

earned his D.V.M. from Auburn University.

• Dr. Glenn Cherry joined APHIS in 1994 and

currently serves as a confidential assistant to the

APHIS Administrator, working on animal welfare

issues. Prior to joining APHIS, he was a veterinarian

at the National Institutes of Health and a biologist at

the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. He

received his D.V.M. from Tuskegee University.

• Dr. Richard Watkins has been with AC since 1990

and is the coordinator for our many strategic-direction

initiatives. Before coming to APHIS headquarters in

1996, he was regional director for AC’s former

Southeast Region. He also was a supervisory official

in the former North Central Region in Minneapolis,

MN, and a field veterinary medical officer in that

State. He earned his D.V.M. from the University of

Minnesota.
Strategic-Direction Update

AC’s strategic-direction efforts continue

to move forward on several fronts.

• The program’s risk-based inspection

system began a 3-month field test in early

June. This system will help us concentrate

our efforts on facilities not in compliance with

the AWA. AC will evaluate test results to

assess the system’s effectiveness, with full

implementation scheduled for early 1998.

• AC’s new computer system is targeted for

completion in December 1997. The system

will provide industry with easy-to-read,

comprehensive, computer-generated

inspection reports. Several facilities may

have a chance to experience this new format

when it is field-tested later this summer.

• As part of the new strategic direction for horse

protection, this summer inspectors will begin auditing

the records of selected horse industry organizations

to assess compliance with the Horse Protection Act.

These are the first extensive audits on the horse

industry.

Doris Day Animal League Petition

The Doris Day Animal League, an animal

protection organization based in Washington, DC,

petitioned the USDA to amend its definition of “retail

pet store” and require that dealers of dogs intended

for hunting, breeding, and security be regulated

under the AWA. APHIS published the petition in the

Federal Register for public comment in late March,

with the comment period ending on May 27. APHIS

officials estimate that, to date, they have received a

whopping 36,000 comments! After reviewing those

comments, AC will determine how to proceed on this

issue.

Tuberculosis (TB) and Elephants

To protect the health of elephants exhibited in

America, USDA plans to publish guidelines for routine

TB screening of these animals. These guidelines

would become part of the “adequate veterinary care”

standard under the AWA and would specify

acceptable testing methods, minimum treatment

regimens, and restrictions on travel for elephants that

test positive.

Perimeter Fencing Proposal

On May 6, APHIS published a proposed rule on

perimeter fencing requirements for animals covered

under the AWA, with emphasis on wild and exotic

animals. The proposal does not apply to nonhuman

primates, which are already covered under subpart D

of the AWA regulations. In general, the proposed rule

requires a perimeter fence of at least 6 feet in height

for most animals and 8 feet in height for dangerous

animals, such as elephants and large cats. For

marine mammals, the proposal’s fencing

requirements pertain only to the land, not water,

portions of any enclosures. All requirements are

designed both to better contain the animals and to

keep out unwanted animals. The comment period on

the proposal closed July 7.

Training and Handling Potentially

Dangerous Animals

AC is preparing a Federal Register notice on the

training and handling of potentially dangerous wild

and exotic animals. Among other provisions, the

notice will likely seek input on suggested experience

and training requirements for animal handlers and

trainers, as well as contingency plans for the

recapture of escaped or uncontrollable animals.

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
Courtesy and professionalism 4.17

Knowledge of animal husbandry 3.96

Inspectors’ efficiency 3.92

Overall Program Average 3.59

Availability and responsiveness 3.87

Direct personal contacts 3.77

Inspection process 3.70

Regulations 3.58

Telephone contacts 3.54

Inspection forms 3.53

Enforcement process 3.37

Informational materials 3.28

Electronic access 3.20

Industry and public meetings 3.07

Customer Satisfaction Scores, Animal Care Program

Summary of 2,113 Responses

1 = Poor 2 = Fair 3 = Good 4 = Very Good 5 = Excellent

AC will use comments on the notice to aid in developing

future guidelines or rules on this issue. A publication

date for the notice has not yet been set.

New AC Policies Published

Our program published its new AWA policies in

late May. The 20 new policies replaced all previous

AC memoranda and response letters. The policies

are intended to increase the quality and uniformity of

AWA reports, inspections, and enforcement. The

policies also are the first part of our effort to develop

a program manual with workable, comprehensive,

and user-friendly guidelines. AC’s policies explain,

clarify, and interpret existing AWA standards and

regulations. Although primarily for the use of AC

inspectors, the new policies are available to all

program stakeholders upon request and via AC’s

home page on the World Wide Web.

Survey Says...

More than 2,100 people responded to AC’s

customer service survey, which was mailed to about

3,700 randomly selected AWA licensees and

registrants in February. The survey asked

respondents to rate our program in terms of 13

different performance measures, using a 5–point

scale with 5 being excellent and 1 being poor. The

average response for each measure is listed in the

chart below, along with the average for all of the

measures combined.

Based on survey responses, AC officials have

established baseline performance levels for the

program and are now setting goals for improvement

in each of the areas measured. AC also plans to do

a followup survey of licensees and registrants in 1999

to assess its progress in meeting its goals. We thank

everyone who participated in the survey and will keep

all of you informed of future developments in this

area.

Pet-Travel Brochure Ready For Takeoff

A new brochure on safe pet travel is at the

printer. Slated to be distributed in August, the

brochure will give airline passengers an overview of

both AC and airline requirements for transporting

animals on commercial airplanes. It also will offer a

wealth of hints to ensure that companion animals

reach their destinations safely. The brochure will be

available from AC’s headquarters and regional offices

upon request. It also will be posted on AC’s home
page on the World Wide Web. We encourage you to

take a look at this valuable publication.

Research Preceptorship ’97 Begins

The American Society for Laboratory Animal

Practitioners now has a training program that

includes onsite training at volunteer university,

pharmaceutical, and toxicology facilities. Drs. Ellen

Magid and David Sabala, AC supervisory animal care

specialists, began the most recent session on April

28. They will spend a total of 6 weeks in different

facets of the training program, ending with

attendance at the American Laboratory Animal

Society meeting in Anaheim, CA, in November.

Regional News

• In April, AC conducted a 1-day inspection-training

session for Federal and State inspectors in Missouri.

At the same time, AC met with Missouri Department

of Agriculture officials to update the current

Memorandum of Understanding between Missouri

and APHIS.

• AC participated in the Missouri Pet Breeders

annual meeting. AC personnel staffing our exhibit

booth provided handouts and answered questions

from current and potential licenses. Staff members

from the Central Region office also were on the

meeting agenda and explained AC policies to more

than 200 attendees.

• In May, AC’s Betty Goldentyer, Kurt Hummel, and

David Smith attended a conference on disaster

planning and risk management sponsored by the

National Institutes of Health’s Office of Protection

from Research Risks, the Ohio Scientific Education

and Research Association, and Case Western

Reserve University. The conference, which took

place in Cleveland, OH, focused on reducing the

risks associated with both human-caused and natural

disasters. In attendance were several hundred

laboratory animal managers and caretakers and

emergency response personnel. AC personnel were

on hand to learn the latest in disaster planning and to

offer our perspective on caring for animals during

emergencies.

• AC participated in the California Laboratory Animal

Medicine meeting in March, a joint a training effort

with the Western International Walking Horse

Association in April, and in May, a University of

California at Davis meeting that dealt with

alternatives in animal research.

• Recent efforts in AC’s Western Region have

focused on elephants and the licensing of pocket-pet

dealers. Several inspectors throughout the region

have been involved with verifying the exposure of

elephants to tuberculosis. As expected, inspectors in

the northwest part of the region have been deluged

with potential licensees arising from the new policy

on pocket pets.

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 (under

consideration)

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)

Rules for the Importation of Dead 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: Tethering

(under consideration)

Humane Treatment of Dogs and Cats: Temperature

(under consideration)

Swim-With-the-Dolphins Human Interactive Programs

(under consideration)