Letter | USDA complicit for renewing license

The alleged animal abuse and neglect by pseudo-sanctuary Wildlife in Need (USDA filesformal complaint against Wildlife in Need, July 14) is outrageous, but equally outrageous is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s complicity. Despite documenting chronic animal welfare violations at the facility — including the fatal beating of an endangered leopard — year after year, the federal agency has given Wildlife in Need the stamp of approval that it needs to stay in business.

The Department of Agriculture’s practice of automatically renewing the licenses of chronic animal welfare violators is a serious problem. An internal audit found that nearly one in five animal welfare licenses were renewed by the agency “when the facilities were known to be in violation,” resulting in “reduced assurance that animal care facilities will make required corrections...to ensure the humane care and treatment of animals.”

By routinely licensing chronic violators, the Department of Agriculture reduces compliance with the law and increases animal suffering. Conditioning license renewal on compliance with the law could spare countless animals. The Animal Welfare Act turns 50 this summer, and it’s past time for the agency to stop automatically renewing licenses and make good on Congress’s intent that it protect animals.

Delcianna Winders
Harvard Law School Animal Law & Policy Program
Cambridge, MA 02138