The U.S. Department of Agriculture is responsible for enforcing the Animal Welfare Act, which sets standards for the humane treatment and care of animals at certain federally licensed facilities. The USDA, however, has repeatedly failed in its duty to ensure that dogs and puppies in USDA-licensed facilities, like puppy mills, receive the basic care that they’re entitled to and need, instead leaving these animals to suffer at the hands of exploitative breeders.

In 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice took legal action against Daniel Gingerich, a licensed breeder in southern Iowa, for mistreating hundreds of animals in his care, including allowing them to eat moldy food, keeping them in cramped cages and failing to treat them for injuries, illnesses and painful hair matting. Gingerich later surrendered more than 500 dogs and puppies. Before the Justice Department stepped in, USDA inspectors had witnessed and documented more than 140 AWA violations at Gingerich’s facility, but did nothing to stop the animals there from suffering.

Instances like these are why we need Goldie’s Act (H.R. 1600), a law that would help protect animals by requiring USDA inspectors to intervene when an animal is suffering and enacting meaningful penalties for AWA violations. I thank Rep. Chellie Pingree for cosponsoring Goldie’s Act to protect vulnerable dogs and puppies, and I urge readers to ask their lawmakers to support this legislation.

Kim Schwickrath
Old Orchard Beach

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