Target: Thomas J. Vilsack, United States Secretary of Agriculture
An ongoing debacle with a reportedly abusive chinchilla breeder has demonstrated openly, yet plainly, the failure of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to successfully enforce the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). For many years, the USDA had apparently reported extensive bouts of animal suffering during routine inspections of a Minnesota chinchilla breeding facility. Chinchillas at the location, most of which were to be shipped off to labs to be experimented on, were reportedly documented with swollen, weeping eyes. Many were apparently dead.
One chinchilla, was apparently documented as thin, unresponsive, and missing part of her leg, and was allegedly killed by having her neck broken.
Still, despite multiple AWA violations, no chinchillas were confiscated from the venue. Though a case was filed in 2018, a whopping five years after initial violations had been documented, against the breeder’s operator, Daniel Moulton, the case didn’t even appear in court until 2021. Although Moulton’s license was revoked, he was fined a measly $18,000 and was able to keep nearly 700 chinchillas until 2022, at which point they were then confiscated for further alleged animal welfare violations.
Cases like this are not uncommon. Sign this petition to demand the USDA do more to enforce animal welfare legislation and protect animals at breeders, and other regulated institutions.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
There are various cases demonstrating the USDA’s slow and, many times, ineffective responses to animal cruelty. One such example is that of a Minnesota chinchilla farm, which had been flagged by the USDA for years before action was ever taken. During routine inspections, USDA officials reported extreme suffering of chinchillas at the facility, animals were described as having swollen eyes and crying out. Many chinchillas were dead, per reports, and one thin, unresponsive chinchilla who was apparently missing part of her leg was seemingly “euthanized” by having her neck snapped.
Despite apparent violations to the Animal Welfare Act starting in 2014, the USDA failed to file a case against the breeding facility operator until 2018, allowing the chinchillas to apparently suffer for another five years. The case didn’t appear in court until 2021 and, while the owner’s license was revoked, he was only fined $18,000 and was allowed to keep over 700 chinchillas in his care until they were eventually confiscated one year later due to further alleged violations.
It took an entire 8 years to save these animals. We are asking you, Mr. Vilsack, to confiscate suffering animals and report violations of the Animal Welfare Act immediately to ensure animal safety. It’s time animal abusers are held accountable.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Cat19y
Stop these ANIMAL ABUSERS!!!!! IT SEEMS THESE CHINCHILLA BREEDERS ARE THE WORST!!!! OUTRAGEOUS!! SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE TO PUT A STOP TO THIS HORRIFIC CRUELTY!!!!!
Breeders of ALL animals are ABUSERS!!! MUST BE STOPPED,,,,, THROWN IN JAIL!!! SUCH CRUELTY MUST END…….
This is mind blowing disgusting beyond all belief.
DO YOUR JOB! STOP ALL THESE ABUSERS WITH THEIR TORTUROUS NEEDLESS EXPERIMENTS NOW! IT IS 2022!!!
FOR GOD SAKE THE animals were described as having swollen eyes and crying out!!!! THIS WORLD IS SO SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I HOPE ALL INVOLVED IN THESE ACTIVITIES DIE A SLOW PAINFUL DEATH. YOU WILL GET YOURS..
STOP ALL THESE EXPERIMENTS AND TAKE ALL ANIMALS TO SAFETY!!!!! ACTUALLY ENFORCE THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT!!!!!
Animal abuse needs to be a felony already! Anyone that makes an animal suffer needs to be put behind bars!
THEY ALREADY DO!! Man in Tennessee got his dog back after was arrested for hitting his dog.
I can’t speak to other countries as any country allowing this to continue is ignorant beyond words. This spreads filth and grave disease. Fur need not be sold or worn these days.
America is far too tolerant of animal abuse of all forms and sorts and yes, even to this issue. Fur is not ever again going to be in fashion. thankfully. We are slow learners but even we are learning animals are meant to live. They contribute more to the world living rather than dead. This should be the case around the world.
In America this is the time to confiscate suffering animals and report violations of the Animal Welfare Act immediately to ensure animal safety. It’s time animal abusers are held accountable. Any abuse needs to be a felony! An extremely serious felony! All abusers must be punished but the degree must be increased so other abusers will give second thought to committing such an act. The time is now!
Being opposed to animal abuse, means being vegan: no animal willingly suffers and voluntarily violently dies for ANY reason, stop pretending that good things happen in slaughterhouses.
WHY is there any question that animal abusers should be prosecuted and NEVER ALLOWED TO HAVE ANIMALS AGAIN????
ANIMAL ABUSERS CAN ALWAYS BE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO ABUSE ANIMALS, KIDS, DOMESTIC PARTNERS. . . SO IT’S A NO-BRAINER TO DENY THEM EVER, EVER, EVER HAVE ANOTHER ANIMAL!!!!
What a wonderful world we live in when you have to experiment on defencless animals in the year2022. What kind of people do this for a job? must have hearts of stone, you should all be ashamed. Just hearing them crying would break my heart
The USDA usually is VERY SLOW in enforcing the Animal Welfare Act. Secretary Vilsack, you need to do better!
BREEDERS ARE “EVIL CRIMINALS” THEY ARE HEARTLESS TO PAIN AN SUFFERING!!! JUSTICE MUST STOP SUCH HORRIBLE HORRIBLE TREATMENT,,,,,IMMEDIATELY !!!!
I would like to know who still dares to walk around in fur coats. All animal abusers no matter the circumstances or the country should be punished and never allowed to have any sort of animal again.
18k is definitely not “measly”. It’s a lot of money.
Animal abusing scumbags require instigation of the death penalty and nothing less!
Our federal (and state and local) agencies are a joke and don’t ever make the abusers truly pay for their crimes! Who in their right minds would let animal abusers have more animals???? No one with 2 functioning brain cells but federal agencies/employees don’t seem to have common sense! Animal abuse should be a federal crime, no plea bargains which amount to a slap on the wrist, no more owning animals or being around them! In GA a couple of years ago there was a huge cock-fighting bust but did the media report on it near us (Greenville, SC)? No, why would they do something informative like that? Were their names and addresses published?? No! Why would the honest, hard-working, animal-loving public want to know who the evil being are that were doing this?? I think all animal abusers should be taken to the woods, tied to a tree and have a come-to-Jesus meeting with a Karma bat until this earth is free of them and safe for all living creatures.
These evil facilities should have been shut down long ago. In fact they never should have been allowed to open up in the first place. Harming animals is NEVER acceptable in any form whatsoever. Please put a stop to this now.
What good is the USDA if these greedy, evil, cruel breeders continue to get away with treating these innocent animals like disposable trash. The breeders concern is only for the money he makes off these animals. Sick animals are left in terrible condition, cages are filthy, food and water are almost non existent because that do not care. If the facility fails to meet humane standards these evil bastards should be fined and closed down.
Stop those mean animal abusers!
Stop this NOW
I agree with this petition. It is absolutely appalling that animal abusers are able to keep their animals even in instances when there are numerous animal welfare violations against them from the USDA. This does not surprise me at all. The USDA is more about allowing harm to animals than protecting them. It is inexcusable that torture to animals can continue despite crimes of animal abuse. It is almost as if so long as Breeders pay their “Breeder Fees” to the USDA, then little oversight and protection are given to the animals in their care.