Dear John,

Until Congress passes Goldie’s Act, we will continue to encounter horrific examples of the USDA’s failure to protect animals in the commercial breeding facilities it licenses. This includes animals bred for the pet trade and those bred and used for research by companies like Envigo.

For more than a year, USDA inspectors documented food-deprived dogs with untreated injuries living in filthy, crowded cages at Envigo’s breeding facility in Virginia. Records indicate that hundreds of Beagles died there. With only 17 people providing animal care, the facility housed 5,000 dogs—almost 300 dogs per caretaker—and violations piled up. As we’ve seen before, the USDA took a lenient approach, problems were not fixed, and dogs suffered on and on.

The Envigo case was preventable, which is why passing Goldie’s Act is our priority. Goldie’s Act would require the USDA to improve its inspections of licensed animal breeders, intervene when animals are at risk, and apply meaningful penalties when breeders violate the law. You can help—urge your lawmakers to cosponsor and pass Goldie’s Act.