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Tell the USDA You Support Strong Protections for Birds

Dear John,

After 20 years, two lawsuits, and prodding from Congress, the USDA has proposed regulations to extend Animal Welfare Act protection to birds in exhibits and the pet trade, where many have been denied basic needs and subjected to mistreatment.

The proposed regulations would impose minimum care standards and oversight with respect to bird exhibitors and pet bird breeders. They also include several of AWI's key recommendations, including providing environmental enrichment needed to meet the welfare standards required under the law, prohibiting the sale of unweaned birds, requiring anyone with four or more breeding females to be licensed--the same threshold applied to dog and cat breeders--and not exempting birds used in falconry.

However, the proposed rule contains critical shortcomings that need to be rectified to ensure the much-needed care under the law. There should be accommodations for flight, restrictions on public contact, a prohibition on medically unnecessary physical alterations, and regulation of pet shops that sell birds.

TAKE ACTION ([link removed])

What You Can Do

Submit comments to the USDA on or before April 25 ([link removed]) supporting the positive elements of the proposed rule on birds and asking that other elements be strengthened to ensure the same level of protection under the law as other covered species.

Please be sure to share this action with family, friends, and co-workers, and encourage them to take action, too. As always, thank you very much for your help!

Sincerely,

Cathy Liss
President

P.S. Follow us on Facebook ([link removed]), Twitter ([link removed]), and Instagram ([link removed]) for other important animal protection actions and news. Check out the latest edition of the AWI Quarterly ([link removed])!

Photo by David Clode

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Animal Welfare Institute
900 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20003
(202) 337-2332 | www.awionline.org ([link removed])

The Animal Welfare Institute is a not-for-profit organization, founded in 1951 and dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people. We seek better treatment of animals everywhere: in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild.

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900 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20003