The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) requires that minimum standards of care and treatment be provided for certain animals bred for commercial sale, used in research, transported commercially, or exhibited to the public. It regulates the treatment of animals in research, exhibition, transport, and by dealers. Other laws, policies, and guidelines all refer to the Animal Welfare Act as the minimum acceptable standard. The Act provides for licensing of dealers and exhibitors of pets and registration of research facility, every intermediate handler, every carrier, and every exhibitor who is not licensed. The Secretary of Agriculture shall regulate and insure the humane care and treatment of dogs, cats and certain other animals used for research, experimentation, exhibition and sale purposes, as well as to assure humane treatment of animals during transportation in commerce and to protect owners of animals from theft by preventing the sale or use of animals which have been stolen. The Act also directs consultation and cooperation with other Federal agencies concerned with the welfare of animals in the establishment of standards and in carrying out other purposes of the Act.
United States of America · 1966-08-24