LEGISLATION

INTERNATIONAL LEGISLATION

In 2016, The Vanderpump Dog Foundation helped initiate Resolution 752, that condemns the annual Dog Meat Festival in Yulin, China. The bill urged the government of China and the Yulin authorities to ban the torture, killing and eating of dogs as part of Yulin's Festival and to enforce China's food safety laws. The bill affirmed the United States’ commitment to protect animals. Resolution 752 was reintroduced to Congress by Congressmen Alcee Hastings as Resolution 30, which then became House Resolution 401.  Additionally, we are also championing for the Senate counterpart of already passed House Resolution 401, H. R. 6720, that calls for a $5000 penalty in the occurrence of transportation, delivery, possession, and slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption.

H. RES. 401

In September 2018, this Resolution was passed by the United States House of Representatives! We are so thankful to Congressman Hastings, and everyone else who helped get this Resolution passed!

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement on the passage of H.Res.401, a resolution urging all nations to outlaw the dog and cat meat trade and to enforce existing laws against such trade. Hastings introduced the resolution on June 22, 2017 with Congressman Vern Buchanan (R-FL). The resolution garnered broad bipartisan support with 152 cosponsors. “Passage of H.Res.401 puts the U.S. House of Representatives on record opposing the dog and cat meat trade across the globe. This illicit trade is often associated with disturbing acts of animal cruelty and the inhumane slaughter of tens of millions of dogs and cats every year. Passage of this resolution was a culmination of years of hard work and dedication.  From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank the thousands of activists across the country and around the globe for their tireless efforts.  So many invested their own time and resources into getting this measure to the floor for a vote. They have never wavered in their commitment in the fight against the global dog and cat meat trade.  I am proud to have championed this effort, which sends a strong signal to the world that the welfare of animals must be taken seriously. Today, we have moved one step closer to hopefully ending this horrific practice once and for all,” said Hastings.

OUR PUSH TO END WET MARKETS

Building on our work trying to end the Yulin Dog Meat Festival and other roadside meat markets around the world, we are trying to get all Wet Markets shut down. Infectious diseases pose a significant health threat to our global population. Recent diseases such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the on-going Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak are prime examples of the effects that diseases have upon global health, the financial markets, and day-to-day life for those in affected areas. Both SARS and COVID-19 can be linked to wet markets in China. These markets, a popular source of produce, meat and live animals, are not only prevalent in Chinese cities, but cities across Asia, and have been left unregulated. Many of these live animals are smuggled in illegally from all over the world that are never together in the wild. Read our full Blog HERE

DOMESTIC LEGISLATION

In 2019, we successfully assisted in passing House Resolution 724 (the PACT Act), sponsored by Congressman Ted Deutch, which will make animal torture a felony crime. Additionally, The Vanderpump Dog Foundation is actively supporting the PREPARED Act, sponsored by Congresswoman Dina Titus, which would require zoos, research facilities and commercial animal breeders to have formal contingency plans in place to evacuate animals and care for them in the event of a major disaster, alongside some other very important bills.

The PACT (Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture) Act: 

Signed into law in 2019, the PACT Act makes some of the most egregious forms of animal cruelty — specifically crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impaling or sexual exploitation — in or affecting interstate commerce or within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States a federal crime. The Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act banned the creation and distribution of so-called “crush videos” — where people torture, crush, and kill small animals, such as puppies and hamsters, for the titillation of viewers — in 2010. The PACT Act goes a step further and bans the underlying animal cruelty contained in them. The vast majority of animal cruelty laws are at the state level. The PACT Act creates a corresponding federal animal cruelty statute. While the PACT Act is a significant step forward for animals, it’s important to note its limitations. Among its numerous exemptions are “customary and normal” agricultural and veterinary practices as well as slaughtering animals for food. In 2019, we successfully assisted in passing House Resolution 724 (the PACT Act), sponsored by Congressman Ted Deutch.

The Puppy Protection Act:

Did you know that under current USDA regulations, dogs in federally licensed facilities may spend their entire lives in filthy, overcrowded cages without any access to adequate veterinary care, food, water or socialization? On May 1, 2019, Senator Brian Fitzpatrick introduced amendment H.R. 2442 to Congress, which would amend the Animal Welfare Act’s low standards of care for dogs in these facilities. Among these improvements are the outlawing of cruel wire flooring and stacked cages, and minimum requirements for veterinary care, exercise and socialization.

So, what can YOU do to help? Please email/mail your U.S. representative in Washington, D.C., urging him or her to cosponsor the Puppy Protection Act. If your rep is already a cosponsor, they will receive a message of thanks. Together, we can make a difference! FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE HERE.

The PetFax Act:

Did you know under current law, a pet store is under no legal obligation to provide any truthful information such as a congenital disease that are detrimental to your pets health? On January 30, 2020, Congressmen Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) and Congressman Charlie Crist (D-FL) introduced the Petfax Act (H.R. 5715), bipartisan legislation providing pet purchasers a “Petfax” report detailing the conditions in which the animal was bred and raised. This includes the most recent date on which the animal was examined by. a licensed vet and how many other animals the breeder has raised in the prior two years. Under the bill, sellers of dogs and cats would have to divulge Animal Welfare Act violations by the breeder and the health history of the animal. The Petfax Act would also institute new penalties for sellers and breeders who have been involved in animal abuse or deceptive sales practices.

What can YOU do to help? Please call/email/mail your U.S. Representative in Washington, D.C., urging him or her to cosponsor the PetFax Act. If your rep is already a cosponsor, they will receive a message of thanks. Together, we can make a difference! FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE HERE.

The WOOF Act:

Right now it is possible for suspended/revoked breeders across the United States to evade enforcement by having family members apply for a new license. This allows the same business to continue as before - terrible condition and all! The Welfare of Our Friends (WOOF) Act, has been introduced by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Charlie Crist (D-FL), Glenn Thompson (R-PA) and Jim McGovern (D-MA). The WOOF Act would prevent a dog breeder whose breeder whose USDA license has been suspended or revoked from continuing to operate through a new license acquired by someone else at the same address.

What can YOU do to help? Please call/email/mail your U.S. Representative in Washington, D.C., urging him or her to cosponsor the WOOF Act. If your rep is already a cosponsor, they will receive a message of thanks. Together, we can make a difference! FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE HERE.

The PREPARED ACT:

Animals across the United States are at risk of injury and death because the facilities in which they are not equipped or prepared to care for them in the event of any emergency. Whether it’s an earthquake, a sweeping wildfire or a powerful hurricane, commercially-owned animals are at risk when disaster strikes and NO law protects them. The PREPARED Act, introduced by Congresswoman Dina Titus, would require zoos, research facilities, and commercial animal breeders to have formal contingency plans in place to evacuate animals and care for them in the event of a major disaster. It would also require these entities to share their contingency plan with the USDA annually, so that the protection of animals during natural disasters remains a top priority. We can’t predict natural disasters. But we can be ready for them when they happen, and we can make sure that vulnerable animals are taken care of so that they aren’t left for dead.

What can YOU do to help? Please call/email/mail your U.S. Representative in Washington, D.C., urging him or her to cosponsor the PREPARED Act. If your rep is already a cosponsor, they will receive a message of thanks. Together, we can make a difference! FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE HERE.