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USDA Blacks out Animal Welfare Information


Claire.

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USDA Blacks out Animal Welfare Information

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today removed public access to tens of thousands of reports that document the numbers of animals kept by research labs, companies, zoos, circuses, and animal transporters—and whether those animals are being treated humanely under the Animal Welfare Act. Henceforth, those wanting access to the information will need to file a Freedom of Information Act request. The same goes for inspection reports under the Horse Protection Act, which prohibits injuring horses’ hooves or legs for show.

Read more: Science

USDA's Statement: USDA

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2 hours ago, Claire. said:

Tell me about it. It's so depressing. The Humane Society was spot on with its statement: This action benefits no one, except facilities who have harmed animals and don’t want anyone to know.”

It seems inappropriate to "like" that statement, but I agree. It's indefensible, really. Like so many things that are currently going on.

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3 hours ago, .ZZ. said:

I should not have opened that link, those poor animals!

Did you read the USDA link?  These reports will still be available through FOIA.  This is about the legal requirements of privacy for litigants and others associated with these institutions' public documentation.  IOWs, these folks didn't want to risk lawsuits.  No laws protecting these animals have been repealed.

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6 minutes ago, and then said:

Did you read the USDA link?  These reports will still be available through FOIA.  This is about the legal requirements of privacy for litigants and others associated with these institutions' public documentation.  IOWs, these folks didn't want to risk lawsuits.  No laws protecting these animals have been repealed.

No, I didn't read that.

After seeing this I exited.

Dogs at a Class B dealer facility await transport to research labs.

si-dogresearchH.jpg?itok=imB9jlr8

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25 minutes ago, and then said:

Did you read the USDA link?  These reports will still be available through FOIA.  This is about the legal requirements of privacy for litigants and others associated with these institutions' public documentation.  IOWs, these folks didn't want to risk lawsuits.  No laws protecting these animals have been repealed.

And I'm sure you can still find science in scientific journals. The reports were available before without FOIA requests. This is just another hurdle this administration is putting between the public and information. 

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On 2/4/2017 at 6:17 PM, .ZZ. said:

No, I didn't read that.

After seeing this I exited.

Dogs at a Class B dealer facility await transport to research labs.

si-dogresearchH.jpg?itok=imB9jlr8

 

I think research using animals, especially when pain is involved, is horrible.  It has gone on for decades and isn't going to end anytime soon, unfortunately.  While I do not approve of it, using it to beat Trump over the head is just dishonest.  The laws in place for their protection, however small it may be, have not changed at all.  I donate to animal protection causes, regularly.

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3 hours ago, aztek said:

i have little doubt anyone who is so upset about this change, ever actually looked up reports before.  

I have and have been doing so for nearly seven years.

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A well written article from Scientific American providing additional information and perspectives. One point of view suggests the move has some merit because animal rights activists sometimes target scientists who use animals.

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I plead guilty to neglecting the political aspects of this, all I care about is the animals. ;)

Ok, I'm shallow. :mellow:

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12 minutes ago, .ZZ. said:

I plead guilty to neglecting the political aspects of this, all I care about is the animals. ;)

Ok, I'm shallow. :mellow:

No. Shallow would be caring about the political aspects and not the animals.

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Humane Society threatens legal action against USDA for scrubbing animal inspection records.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) today put the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on notice that it intends to use legal tools to force the agency to restore tens of thousands of documents on animal welfare that it removed from its website on Friday.

In this letter to the U.S. Department of Justice, the animal welfare organization reminded the government that under the terms of a 2009 legal settlement with the HSUS, the USDA had agreed to make public some of the records it has now scrubbed from its public database. The HSUS, its lawyers write, “is exercising its rights under [the 2009 settlement] and intends to take further action unless USDA agrees to reconsider this bizarre reversal of the agency’s longstanding policy” of making inspection records and others publicly available.

The animal organization’s letter notes that under the terms of the 2009 settlement, the two parties, HSUS and USDA, now have 30 days to settle their differences. After that, HSUS can ask the court to reopen the lawsuit.

Read more: ScienceMag.org

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7 hours ago, .ZZ. said:

I plead guilty to neglecting the political aspects of this, all I care about is the animals. ;)

Ok, I'm shallow. :mellow:

Nope, but behind all those politics there's a tea smoking hippie just like me.

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USDA scrubbing of animal records may have been sparked by horse lawsuit.

A lawsuit over alleged cruelty to a special breed of horse appears to have prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) move last week to remove thousands of reports and documents relating to animal welfare from its website. The scrubbing has outraged animal welfare advocates -- and made strange bedfellows of groups that oppose and support scientific research involving animals, with both sides condemning USDA’s actions. It appears, however, that the agency’s decision had little—if anything—to do with animal research.

The lawsuit, filed in February 2016, was brought in part by Lee and Mike McGartland, Texas attorneys who enter Tennessee Walking Horses in various competitions. The breed is famous for its high-stepping gait, which some animal welfare advocates have charged comes from injuring the animals, typically by adding caustic chemicals to their legs and feet—a process known as soring. The Horse Protection Act of 1970 outlawed the practice, and the law is enforced by inspectors employed by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Read more: ScienceMag.org]/quote]

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A lawsuit was filed today against the USDA by an animal law expert at Harvard University, together with several animal welfare groups, including PETA. They allege that the USDA violated the Freedom of Information Act by removing public access to animal welfare reports.

Source: Science

Edited by Claire.
Fixed source url.
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UPDATE - In reversal, USDA reposts some animal welfare records it had removed from website

Quote

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today restored some of the tens of thousands of animal welfare documents that it removed from its website early this month.

In this announcement, the agency says that it is “posting the first batch of annual reports of research institutions and inspection reports” resulting from a “comprehensive review” that began with the complete removal of previously public documents that are generated by the agency as it enforces the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the Horse Protection Act. The new announcement points readers to the reposted information on the USDA website, here.

Those familiar with the records say USDA has so far restored only a small number of the previously posted documents. Among the data still unavailable are the vast majority of  reports from regular inspections of animal-holding facilities that are monitored under AWA, including puppy mills and zoos.

Read more: Science

Edited by Claire.
Fixed source url.
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58 minutes ago, Claire. said:

UPDATE - In reversal, USDA reposts some animal welfare records it had removed from website

I am glad they decided against removing that information, it is very important.

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Latest update: More groups are suing the USDA because they are unhappy with just the small fraction of previously posted documents have been made available

Those familiar with the records say USDA has so far restored only a small number of the previously posted documents. Among the data still unavailable are the vast majority of  reports from regular inspections of animal-holding facilities that are monitored under AWA, including puppy mills and zoos. A number of groups have sued USDA to force it to repost all of the records.

-----------------------------------------------

On 22 February, another coalition of animal welfare groups sued USDA to force reposting of the documents. Like organizations that sued the agency last week , the groups—the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), the Companion Animal Protection Society, Stop Animal Exploitation Now, and Animal Folks—invoke the Freedom of Information Act in arguing that USDA is legally obliged to restore the records.

But in their lawsuit, filed in federal court in the Northern District of California, the groups add a new legal twist. They argue that USDA also violated the Administrative Procedures Act. That law prohibits government agencies from taking actions that are “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law[.]” And the four groups say that USDA’s action in removing the records fits this description.

“The information blackout is a tremendous blow to transparency and undermines advocates who are working to protect hundreds of thousands of animals across the country,” Stephen Wells, executive director of ALDF, said in a statement.

Source: Science Magazine

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19 hours ago, Claire. said:

Latest update: More groups are suing the USDA because they are unhappy with just the small fraction of previously posted documents have been made available

 

They better restore every single one... animals unlike humans, can't defend themselves and they shouldn't be used for our own pleasure of creating new harmful products. Domesticated animals shouldn't even be allowed to be part of these experiments. All this is to me, is torturing the poor animals and I can't even stomach them torturing domesticated pets. :(

Edited by Uncle Sam
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4 minutes ago, Uncle Sam said:

They better restore every single one... animals unlike humans, can't defend themselves and they shouldn't be used for our own pleasure of creating new harmful products. Domesticated animals shouldn't even be allowed to be part of these experiments. All this is to me, is torturing the poor animals and I can't even stomach them torturing domesticated pets. :(

I couldn't agree with you more.

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whether the gvmnt  posts the data, or not, actual treatment of animals is not affected, big pharma used beagles for  experiments for decades, and they will continue to do so regardless of data.  not to mention companies that use dogs for tests\experiment are private companies. they do not post any data, they actually consider it a commercial secret.

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