USDA Animal Care Search Tool

The USDA Animal Care Public Search Tool may be used by the public to query information pertaining to facilities, inspections, and annual reports. The refined Public Search Tool provides access to Animal Welfare Act compliance records, allowing APHIS to make animal welfare information publicly available and ensure compliance with all applicable laws**.

APHIS’ Animal Care program is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the AWA, including establishing acceptable standards of humane care and treatment for regulated animals and monitoring and achieving compliance through inspections, enforcement, education, and cooperative efforts. The AWA and its associated regulations seek to ensure the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of certain warm-blooded animals used or intended for use in research, exhibition, or as pets. Animal dealers and exhibitors must obtain a license, and research facilities, carriers, and intermediate handlers must obtain a registration. Animal Care inspectors conduct inspections of licensee and registrant animals, records, and facilities to assess compliance with the AWA and its regulations and document their observations and professional assessments in inspection reports. Licensees and registrants must notify Animal Care of changes in their operations and file periodic updates with Animal Care, including annual reports of animal use by research facilities.

This Public Search Toollists persons licensed and registered under the AWA, inspection reports, and annual research facility animal use reports. Individuals or businesses seeking information or records that are not available through this Public Search Tool may be able to find what they are looking for elsewhere on the Animal Care website or by submitting a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). 

APHIS' Animal Care Public Search Tool provides public information on APHIS’ performance of its statutory duties under the Animal Welfare Act in accordance with all applicable laws** .  View the comprehensive User Guide for the USDA Animal Care Public Search Tool  or the demo video to learn how to use the tool to query information pertaining to facilities, inspections, and annual reports. 

** See, e.g. ,Animal Legal Def. Fund v. United States Dep’t of Agric., 17-CV-00949-WHO, 2017 WL2352009 (N.D. Cal., May 31, 2017) (360.1 KB) and Animal Legal Def. Fund, v. United States Dep’t of Agric., 17-CV-00949-WHO (N.D. Cal., August 14, 2017) (199.09 KB)