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APHIS’ Animal Care Report

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

Winter 2002

As we begin a new year here in Animal Care

(AC), I am looking forward to working with both

animal industry and animal interest groups on Animal

Welfare Act (AWA) issues. While I have been with the

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

for quite some time, this will be my first experience

with AC. As the acting deputy administrator, I will be

looking both inside and outside of the agency to

determine the course AC will take in the future. My

office is always open and, as can be seen in this

report, I believe working cooperatively is essential to

our overall mission of enforcing the AWA.

As usual, AC is constantly on the front line,

involved in situations where animals are found to be

suffering. For example, we are currently investigating

a facility where more than twenty exotic cats were

confiscated after it was determined they were suffering in poor living conditions and inadequate care.

With the cooperation of the local humane society and

licensees in another state, APHIS was able to quickly

seize the animals and place them.

In an effort to provide desired information faster

to the public and our stakeholders, AC will begin

distributing the AC Industry Report exclusively via the

Internet.

I think the new year has the potential to be a

good one for AC and, if we work together, a great one

for all of us.

Sincerely,

Chester A. Gipson

Acting Deputy Administrator for Animal Care

Animal Care Program Gets New Acting

Deputy Administrator

As of November of last year, Chester A. Gipson

D.V.M. was assigned to be the acting deputy administrator of AC. The previous deputy administrator, Ron

DeHaven, is currently working as the acting associate

administrator for all of APHIS.

Gipson has more than 20 years services with the

U.S. Department of Agriculture and has held numerous positions both on staff and in the field. He

previously held the position of associate deputy

administrator for Veterinary Services (VS) and

director for the Animal Health Programs staff,

also in VS.

Gipson received a Masters degree from the

University of Florida in Gainesville and a Doctorate of

Veterinary Medicine Degree from the Tuskegee

University in Tuskegee, AL.

Animal Care Receives Budget and Staff

Increase

Following years of limited funding, AC reached an

all time low of just 64 inspectors in 1999. Things have

improved dramatically since then, and for the year

2002, APHIS AC will have a total of 96 inspectors, an

all time high. This is the highest number of inspectors

AC has had in recent years and it is due, in part, to an

increase in budget. APHIS received approximately $5

million more than last year’s budget. About 25

percent of the increase came in the form of a special

appropriation from Congress. This money will be

used to fund the new inspector positions and purchase equipment for use in the field.

Animal Care Training

Monkey Business

The Association of Primate Veterinarians Workshop was held in Baltimore this past October and was

attended by primate experts and veterinarians from

around the world. AC sent several veterinarians to the

conference. Topics of discussion included various

medical and social aspects of primates. During the

conference, AC staff members discussed a recent

survey of primate housing that shows that 65 percent

of primates in research are pair/group housed, with

only 13 percent having no contact with other primates.

Cooperative Efforts

Exotic Cats in Need of Good Home

In November 2001, the Black Hills Humane

Society in Rapid City, S.D. impounded 26 exotic cats

from a local exhibitor. State law there provides the

Humane Society broad powers to enter properties

and impound animals. The exhibitor, licensed by the

USDA, allowed the animals to languish without

adequate supervision. This led to exposure to the

elements, inadequate food, and inadequate care.

These cats were found to be suffering and, therefore,

the USDA issued a confiscation order in late November. Shortly thereafter, USDA confiscated the animals

which became the property of the USDA. That

ownership was then transferred to the Black Hills
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USDA–APHIS–Animal Care

Headquarters Office

Chester A. Gipson

4700 River Road, Unit 84

Riverdale, MD 20737–1234

Phone: (301) 734–7833

Fax: (301) 734–4978

Eastern Region

Elizabeth Goldentyer, D.V.M.

920 Main Campus Drive, Suite 200

Raleigh, NC 27606–5210

Phone: (919) 716–5532

Fax: (919) 716–5696

Central Region

Walter Christensen, D.V.M.

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

Robert Gibbens, D.V.M.

9580 Micron Avenue, Suite J

Sacramento, CA 95827

Phone: (916) 857–6205

Fax: (916) 857–6212

World Wide Web Home Page

www.aphis.usda.gov/ac

E-mail Address

ace@usda.gov

Humane Society which quickly found homes for the

animals that could provide them with the proper care

as required under the AWA. Thanks to the cooperative efforts of APHIS’ local AC inspectors and the

Black Hills Humane Society, the animals are out of

danger and their owner is under investigation.

A Dog That Didn’t Fit The Pattern

At this time, APHIS’ Investigative and Enforcement Services (IES) is conducting an investigation

into the origins of an animal delivered to a registered

research laboratory. This on-going case involves an

alert veterinarian and a lab animal that didn’t fit the

usual profile.

This past year, a U.S. research facility received a

shipment of laboratory animals for use in an upcoming project. As each dog was examined, a facility

veterinarian noticed a small sore on the inside thigh of

a black labrador. To learn more about the wound, the

veterinarian x rayed the dog and found that an old

bone fracture had received extensive repairs. The

work done on the fracture would have been quite

expensive. The x ray showed a pin as well as wires

were used on the animal’s tibia. These wires caused

the sore to appear.

In addition to the repairs to the fracture, the

veterinarian noticed that the dog was well mannered,

would obey basic commands, and seemed to really

like people. It was a people dog. It was obvious that

the dog had been trained and had received good care.

The veterinarian became concerned the animal was

someone’s pet, and it was excluded from the research

study.

At this point, the veterinarian notified USDA, and

IES agents began to trace the dog to its point of

origin. IES agents contacted veterinary offices with

copies of the x rays and hit the streets with descriptions of the animal. At first, the veterinarian from the

research facility allowed the dog to remain there while

the investigation continued. Time passed, however,

and the animal’s original owner had not turned up.

Knowing that the dog’s owner may still be found and

agreeing to return it if that ever happens, a co-worker

of the veterinarian has taken the animal into his home.

The wires causing the sore on the dog’s leg have

been removed, and it is currently enjoying its new

home and awaiting the outcome of the IES

investigation.

An Animal’s Welfare Crosses Jurisdictions in

Oregon

Tom LeCroy, an AC inspector in Oregon, was

contacted by the Oregon State Veterinarian concerning a local complaint alleging the mistreatment and

neglect of a tiger in an unlicensed facility in southern

Oregon. The Oregon State Veterinarian asked

LeCroy if he might have the time to help out at the

local level. LeCroy made arrangements to meet a

county sheriff at the owner’s residence and help

investigate the complaint. It was determined the

owner was not engaged in any federally regulated

activity so he did not need a Federal license. However, people who own exotic animals in Oregon who

don’t have a Federal license must have one issued by

the State. The owner did not have a State license.

Since the owner had been contacted and warned

several times previously by the State and still had not

obtained an Oregon license, the Oregon State Veterinarian decided to start legal prosecution. The unlicensed owner was given the option of signing over

ownership of the tiger to Oregon Tiger Sanctuary or

face legal action. LeCroy spent 1 day with the State

veterinarian on a fact-finding mission and made

several trips to the owner’s residence. Acting on the
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State’s behalf, LeCroy made numerous attempts to

contact the owner and secure the signature on

required legal documents. Finally, LeCroy got the

transfer papers signed, and the tiger was relocated to

the Oregon Tiger Sanctuary.

Due to State and Federal cooperation and a little

leg and phone work by an AC inspector, the shared

goal of placing the tiger in a licensed facility was

accomplished.

Animal Care Industry Report Goes

Electric

This is the last paper edition of the Animal Care

Industry Report. All reports that follow will be posted

on the Animal Care Web site at www.aphis.usda.gov/

ac. Also, people interested in receiving the report via

e-mail can send their name and e-mail address to

jim.d.rogers@aphis.usda.gov to be added to the

e-mailing list.

Regulatory Issues

Rats, Mice, and Birds

The FY 2002 USDA appropriations bill includes

language that will permit APHIS to begin the

rulemaking process with regards to regulating rats,

mice, and birds but the bill prohibits APHIS from

issuing a final rule. This prohibition lasts until

October 1, 2002.

Regulatory Update

The items listed below are either (1) under

consideration and not yet published in the Federal

Register, (2) were published in the Federal Register

and are open for comment, or (3) were previously

open for comment and are now under review by the

Department.

Advanced Notice of Proposed Rules

• Define Pain, Distress, and Distressful Procedure

(reviewing comments)

• Nonconsensus Language and Interactive Programs

for Marine Mammals (under review)

Notices

• Information Collection: Animal Welfare; Program

Evaluation Survey (under review)

• Final policy statement on training and handling of

potentially dangerous animals (under review)

• Final statement on environmental enhancement for

nonhuman primates (under review)

Proposed Rules

• Horse Protection Act; Scar Rule (under review)

• Submission of Itinerary by Traveling Exhibitor and

Prairie Dog Suppliers (drafting)

• Exotic Canids & Felids; Minimum Age (on hold)

• Veterinary Medical Records (under review)

• Identification of Unweaned Puppies and Kittens

(under review)

• Horse Protection (under review)

• Include Rats, Mice and Birds in the Definition of

Animal (not yet drafted)

• Removal of the acclimation Certificate Requirement

(drafting)

• Amend Definition of Exhibitor (on hold)

• Incorporate AVMA Standards for Euthanasia (on

hold)

Final Rule

• Revisions of Licensing Requirements (drafting)

• Regulate Only Wholesale Dealers of Hunting,

Breeding and Security Dogs (drafting)
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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.