United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Animal Welfare Stakeholder Messages
To keep interested parties informed of USDA Animal Care news and updates, we began sending out stakeholder messages via our agency’s stakeholder registry in March 2015. For your reference, all of these stakeholder messages are available on this webpage, and all subsequent messages will be added to this page.
It is easy (and free) to receive our future stakeholder messages directly. If you are interested, please register here. When registering, you can select the topics that most interest you. For example, you can choose to receive messages solely relating to elephants or enforcement or research facilities, or you can choose to receive all Animal Care messages.
2018
July 20, 2018 APHIS Contacts Individuals and Businesses That May Be Exempt From Licensing Requirements.
July 17, 2018 New Guides Offer Helpful Information on Caring for Animals.
July 13, 2018 Animal Care Shares Milestones for First Half of FY2018.
May 25, 2018 USDA Announces It Will Not Recognize Third-Party Inspections and Certifications
April 17, 2018 USDA Provides Guidance to Entities Purveying Dogs in Regulated Activities
Feb. 8, 2018 Importing Dogs Into the United States – What You Need to Know
Feb. 7, 2018 As 2018 Show Season Begins, USDA Shares Updates Aimed at Ending Horse Soring and Promoting Fair Competition
Jan. 23, 2018 USDA and S.H.O.W. to Host Shoeing Clinic to Help Improve Horse Protection Act Compliance
2017
Dec. 29, 2017 USDA Animal Care Looks Back at a Productive 2017
Dec. 19, 2017 USDA Seeks Public Input on Recognizing Third-Party Inspections and Certifications of Animal Welfare Act Facilities
Dec. 15, 2017 USDA Creates Two Publications to Help Facilities Ensure Humane Treatment of Their Animals
Oct. 20, 2017 USDA Extends Comment Period for Animal Welfare Act Licensing Proposal
Sept. 29, 2017 Understanding the Role of the Attending Veterinarian Under the Animal Welfare Act
Aug. 23, 2017 USDA Seeks Public Input on Updates to Animal Welfare Act Licensing Requirements
Aug. 18, 2017 USDA Rolls Out New APHIS Compliance Database and Search Tool
July 10, 2017 USDA Posts Primate Symposium Resources
June 29, 2017 USDA Animal Care Provides Progress Report on Its Horse Protection Program
June 23, 2017 USDA Animal Care Revises its Inspection Guide
June 16, 2017 USDA Posts Additional Animal Welfare Act Inspection Reports
June 14, 2017 USDA Animal Care Creates Archive of Its Federal Register Notices
June 9, 2017 USDA Posts the Newest Totals for Animal Usage by Research Facilities
May 19, 2017 USDA Posts Additional Animal Welfare Act Inspection Reports
April 27, 2017 USDA Posts Newly Designed Regulations Booklet
April 21, 2017 USDA Posts Additional Annual Reports of Research Facilities
March 10, 2017 USDA Posts Additional Annual Reports of Research Facilities
March 3, 2017 USDA Posts Additional Animal Welfare Act Compliance Information
Feb. 24, 2017 USDA Posts Additional Animal Welfare Act Compliance Information
Feb. 17, 2017 USDA Posts Additional Animal Welfare Act Compliance Information
2016
Nov. 29, 2016 USDA Animal Care Provides Update on Its Horse Protection Program
Oct. 21, 2016 USDA Animal Care Makes Progress on Horse Protection Goals
Oct. 3, 2016 USDA Animal Care unveils its 5-year Strategic Plan 2016-2020
Sept. 22, 2016 New Terms Will Appear on USDA Inspection Reports
Sept. 16, 2016 USDA Extends Comment Period on Proposal to Amend Horse Protection Regulations
Aug. 8, 2016 USDA Animal Care Search Tool Will Be Shut Down for 11 Days, From August 12-23
Aug. 3, 2016 USDA Proposes Updates to Animal Welfare Act Regulations for De Minimis Thresholds and Licensing Exemptions
Aug. 1, 2016 Final Listening Session Regarding the Handling of Dangerous Animals is August 4
July 26, 2016 USDA Provides Additional Information Regarding Horse Protection Act Public Meetings
July 26, 2016 USDA Proposes Changes to End the Inhumane Practice of Soring
June 23, 2016 USDA Seeks Additional Comments Regarding the Handling of Dangerous Animals
June 3, 2016 USDA Posts the Newest Totals for Animal Usage by Research Facilities
May 23, 2016 USDA Updates Its Policy on Using Microchips to Officially Identify Regulated Animals
April 21, 2016 USDA Creates Online Course for Dealers of Guinea Pigs, Hamsters and Rabbits
April 21, 2016 USDA Updates Online Course for Dog Breeders
April 18, 2016 USDA Will Now Classify Dingoes and New Guinea Singing Dogs as Exotic Animals
April 4, 2016 USDA Provides Guidance on Handling and Husbandry of Neonatal, Nondomestic Cats
March 29, 2016 License Renewals for Random Source B Dealers Put on Hold Until Oct. 1, 2016
March 11, 2016 USDA Extends Comment Period for Proposed Rule Involving Marine Mammals
Feb. 16, 2016 Animal Care Search Tool Advanced Export Function Temporarily Unavailable
Jan. 14, 2016 USDA Animal Care Revises Its Animal Welfare Inspection Guide
2015
Sept. 29, 2015 USDA Posts Guidance Document on Retail Pet Store Rule and Importation of Live Dogs Rule
June 25, 2015 USDA Considering Petition to Require Additional Animal Usage Information on Annual Reports
April 15, 2015 National Research Council Hosting Lab Animal Workshop April 20-21
March 10, 2015 USDA Provides Guidance to Breeders and Dealers Who Use Cage Cards
March 2, 2015 USDA Revises its Inspection Guide to Improve Oversight of Research Facilities