Since
I took a minute to spell it out elsewhere, let me do a quick game of
connect-the-dots on Brian Klippenstein, the USDA records purge, and how
DJT's administration is now actively aiding and abetting massive dog
abuse.
On Friday, the USDA's animal welfare records suddenly got purged: http://www.sciencemag.org/…/trump-administration-blacks-out…
Let's take a second to appreciate the deep irony of "our commitment to being transparent" being used as a reason to block public access to animal welfare reports. Let's also reflect on just how bad the risks to those animals need to be when you have to have a specific act preventing the deliberate injury of horses' legs FOR SHOW. And, finally, let's take a second to recall how miserably minimal the USDA's protections fo mill dogs really are (they are bad!). But in many states, the Animal Welfare Act and the USDA are the only protection puppy mill dogs have at all: https://www.aspca.org/…/state_puppy_mills_guide_w_chart_jun…
As the Washington Post notes, the USDA further "said the removed documents, which also included records of enforcement actions against violators of the Animal Welfare Act and the Horse Protection Act, would now be accessible only via Freedom of Information Act Requests. Those can take years to be approved."
The WaPo continued:
So why did the USDA suddenly decide to stop caring whether factory farms and puppy mills were abusing their animals? Because Brian Klippenstein, pro-puppy-mill lobbyist, is head (or, possibly, is the entirety) of DJT's USDA team.
Prior to joining DJT's team, Brian Klippenstein worked for "Protect the Harvest," a hilariously/horribly named lobbying group that campaigns for factory farms and puppy mills against animal welfare efforts: http://www.motherjones.com/…/trump-usda-klippenstein-heitka…
"Back in 2010, the year before Protect the Harvest was founded, Lucas [PtH's founder] vigorously opposed a Missouri ballot measure to "require large-scale dog breeding operations to provide each dog under their care with sufficient food, clean water, housing and space; necessary veterinary care; regular exercise and adequate rest between breeding cycles," and to "prohibit any breeder from having more than 50 breeding dogs for the purpose of selling their puppies as pets." In 2014, Protect the Harvest opposed an Illinois bill banning the retail sale of puppy-mill dogs."
In other words, this lobbying group was founded in response to a Missouri ballot measure that would have required more humane treatment of puppy mill dogs, with the express aim of blocking that (extremely minimal!) humane treatment and allowing existing abuses to continue. This is what Klippenstein did for his job before joining up with DJT.
He's also pretty much a one-man army for the USDA transition, or was as of December: http://www.politico.com/…/trumps-usda-landing-team-looks-li…
This sudden silencing of the USDA in regards to animal welfare has Klippenstein's grubby little fingerprints all over it. That's who he is, that's what he does, and that's the department DJT put him in charge of transitioning.
And that, apparently, is what DJT's administration wants to transition the USDA into: absolute silence on animal abuses, and refusing to enforce even the extremely minimal safeguards of the AWA.
On Friday, the USDA's animal welfare records suddenly got purged: http://www.sciencemag.org/…/trump-administration-blacks-out…
"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.
The agency said in a statement that it revoked public access to the reports “based on our commitment to being transparent … and maintaining the privacy rights of individuals.”"
Let's take a second to appreciate the deep irony of "our commitment to being transparent" being used as a reason to block public access to animal welfare reports. Let's also reflect on just how bad the risks to those animals need to be when you have to have a specific act preventing the deliberate injury of horses' legs FOR SHOW. And, finally, let's take a second to recall how miserably minimal the USDA's protections fo mill dogs really are (they are bad!). But in many states, the Animal Welfare Act and the USDA are the only protection puppy mill dogs have at all: https://www.aspca.org/…/state_puppy_mills_guide_w_chart_jun…
As the Washington Post notes, the USDA further "said the removed documents, which also included records of enforcement actions against violators of the Animal Welfare Act and the Horse Protection Act, would now be accessible only via Freedom of Information Act Requests. Those can take years to be approved."
The WaPo continued:
The records that had been available were frequently used by animal welfare advocates to monitor government regulation of animal treatment at circuses, scientific labs and zoos. Journalists have used the documents to expose violations at universities.
Members of the public could also use the department’s online database to search for information about dog breeders, as could pet stores. Seven states currently require pet stores to source puppies from breeders with clean USDA inspection reports, according to the Humane Society of the United States — a requirement that could now be impossible to meet.
So why did the USDA suddenly decide to stop caring whether factory farms and puppy mills were abusing their animals? Because Brian Klippenstein, pro-puppy-mill lobbyist, is head (or, possibly, is the entirety) of DJT's USDA team.
Prior to joining DJT's team, Brian Klippenstein worked for "Protect the Harvest," a hilariously/horribly named lobbying group that campaigns for factory farms and puppy mills against animal welfare efforts: http://www.motherjones.com/…/trump-usda-klippenstein-heitka…
"Back in 2010, the year before Protect the Harvest was founded, Lucas [PtH's founder] vigorously opposed a Missouri ballot measure to "require large-scale dog breeding operations to provide each dog under their care with sufficient food, clean water, housing and space; necessary veterinary care; regular exercise and adequate rest between breeding cycles," and to "prohibit any breeder from having more than 50 breeding dogs for the purpose of selling their puppies as pets." In 2014, Protect the Harvest opposed an Illinois bill banning the retail sale of puppy-mill dogs."
In other words, this lobbying group was founded in response to a Missouri ballot measure that would have required more humane treatment of puppy mill dogs, with the express aim of blocking that (extremely minimal!) humane treatment and allowing existing abuses to continue. This is what Klippenstein did for his job before joining up with DJT.
He's also pretty much a one-man army for the USDA transition, or was as of December: http://www.politico.com/…/trumps-usda-landing-team-looks-li…
This sudden silencing of the USDA in regards to animal welfare has Klippenstein's grubby little fingerprints all over it. That's who he is, that's what he does, and that's the department DJT put him in charge of transitioning.
And that, apparently, is what DJT's administration wants to transition the USDA into: absolute silence on animal abuses, and refusing to enforce even the extremely minimal safeguards of the AWA.
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