Animal Welfare Act

• Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) for introducing Goldie's Act to address the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) abject failure at enforcing the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), which has led to ongoing animal suffering in federally licensed facilities, including puppy mills.
• "This essential measure gives the USDA the tools and resources needed to hold abusers accountable and to protect innocent animals," said Sen. Blumenthal.
• Senator Rick Scott said, "Puppy mills are cruel and inhumane and I am proud to team up with Senator Blumenthal to introduce the Goldie's Act to crack down on these despicable operations.
• To assist a broad range of animals, including those in puppy mills, the National Sheriffs' Association supports Goldie's Act."

• We have life expectancy tables and research for humans that show how long we might be expected to live according to a range of factors.
• But there has been very little research into dog life expectancy that considered how different factors affect lifespan.
• The researchers then calculated median life expectancy for all breeds individually and then for the crossbreed group.
• Finally, they calculated life expectancy for each combination of sex, size and head shape.

How long do dogs live?

• This study from researchers at the Dogs Trust provides us with new information about the life expectancy of our canine companions.
• The researchers found that small, long-nosed female dogs tended to have the longest lifespans among pure breeds overall, with a median lifespan of 13.3 years.
• But breeds with flat-faces had a median lifespan of 11.2 years, and a 40% increased risk of shorter lives than dogs with medium-length snouts, such as spaniels.
• Pure breeds had a higher median life expectancy than crossbreeds (12.7 years compared to 12.0 years), while female dogs had a slightly higher median life expectancy than males (12.7 years compared to 12.4 years).

The ethics of ageing

• These dogs have become fashionable and highly prized as pets, but are prone to various health problems, including brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (Boas).
• This potentially life-threatening condition includes symptoms such as panting, overheating, exercise intolerance, retching, gastrointestinal signs and disturbed sleep patterns.
• So for some of these dogs, their life is potentially marked by suffering.
• This raises some questions about dog ownership and the ethics of breeding dogs likely to suffer from Boas.

Angus Nurse has previously received funding from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs to investigate the issue of dangerous dogs and responsible dog ownership.

• 1788), which would ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does its job to protect dogs in federally licensed puppy mills.
• One of those dogs – Holly, a 2-year-old Pomeranian-Husky mix – was also in attendance at "Howl to the Hill," serving as the event's official ambassador dog.
• "As a pet owner, I can't imagine my dogs being subjected to the inhumane conditions found at many licensed puppy mills.
• For more information about the ASPCA's efforts to protect dogs in commercial breeding facilities, or to urge your U.S. senators and representative to support Goldie's Act, please visit www.aspca.org/GoldiesAct .

• On May 11, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld California’s position by a 5-4 vote in National Pork Producers Council v. Ross.
• While the ruling was fractured and reflected complex legal questions, it is a major victory for those working to improve farm animal welfare.
• A number of states will undoubtedly take advantage of the power that the Supreme Court has recognized.

More indoor space for sows

• It set new conditions for raising hogs, veal calves and egg-laying chickens whose meat or eggs are sold in California.
• The state produces virtually no pork, but represents about 15% of the U.S. pork market.
• California’s law requires that each sow must have at least 24 square feet of floor space – nearly double the amount that most now get.
• The National Pork Producers Council argued that this requirement imposed heavy compliance costs on farmers across the U.S., since large hog farms may house thousands of sows, and that it restricted interstate commerce.

States control farm animal welfare

• Congress has remained mute on standards for handling farm animals, which are not covered under the 1966 Animal Welfare Act.
• And nine states in addition to California have adopted laws requiring pork producers to phase out gestation crates.

California’s market power

• The California law says that if producers want to sell pork in California, they must raise pigs under conditions that comply with the state’s regulations.
• Farmers do not have to meet these standards unless they want to sell in California.
• But instead of working out how to comply, the pork industry sought to have the courts set the California law aside.

A fractured verdict

• In rejecting the pork industry’s position, justices in the majority disagreed as to why the California law should be upheld.
• Some held that pork producers had not proved that the law would substantially interfere with interstate commerce.
• Similarly, dissenting justices differed as to why the California law posed a constitutional problem.

Beyond pork

• Conceivably, California might also be able to require basic conditions for human labor, such as minimum wage standards, associated with products sold in California.
• I expect that within five years, Congress will enact national legislation on farm animal welfare issues that will preempt differing state laws.