USDA lax enforcement?

[Michael Oberdorfer]

The Washington Post reports that the USDA’s enforcement of animal welfare regulations has dropped recently, particularly this year. The USDA enforces the Animal Welfare Act through its division of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS.)
This drop in warnings, complaints and relative lack of penalties by the USDA may be due in part to the new anti-regulatory environment sweeping Washington.
Animal-based research has always benefited from the public’s perception that it’s carried out in a well regulated environment. Will this perception change, particularly when it is inevitably subjected to attacks by animal activists?

Your thoughts?

[Gabriella Panuccio]

I think that Animal Welfare Committees and the related organisms regulating fair practice are a fundamental part of advocating the ethical standards of the scientists doing animal research. If these people who can make a difference in how we handle animal research will stop keeping things under control, then I’m afraid that many people will believe that there is no regulation regarding the use of animals for scientific research.
This is a very delicate subject, and I want to thank you for having raised this concern. I think that animal activists would be more satisfied in seeing misconduct being punished than good practice being rewarded. But if those who do not abide the rules respecting animal welfare are exposed, do you think this would be somehow a double-edge blade?

[Michael Oberdorfer]

I agree.