Animal Welfare Act Timeline

Rep. Resnick's efforts lead to the passage of the (Laboratory) Animal Welfare Act, of which the stated intention is "…to protect the owners of dogs and cats from theft of such pets, to prevent the sale or use of dogs and cats which have been stolen, and to insure that certain animals intended for use in research facilities are provided humane care and treatment…". The new law establishes licensing for dog and cat dealers and authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to regulate the transport, sale, and handling of animals pre-research or “for other purposes”. The Act covers six species: dogs, cats, nonhuman primates, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits. 

This new amendment to the Animal Welfare Act adds a requirement that all dogs and cats held at animal shelters must be kept there for at least 5 days before being sold to a research facility.

The 2002 amendment limits the definition of "animal" in the Animal Welfare Act to exclude “birds, rats of the genus Rattus, and mice of the genus Mus, bred for use in research.”

The 2007 amendments prohibit the attachment of knives, gaffes, or any other sharp instruments to bird’s legs during animal fighting. Criminal penalties for fighting ventures are also increased.

The 2019 amendments to the Animal Welfare Act prohibit animal fighting in U.S. territories such as Guam, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, where animal fighting was previously permitted by local laws.