Target: Dr. Michael Watson, Administrator, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Washington, D.C.
Goal: Defend and strengthen the federal electronic identification (EID) ear tag rule for interstate adult cattle, pair enforcement with cost relief for small producers, and publish transparent outbreak trace-back metrics.
A federal rule now requires EID ear tags on sexually intact adult cattle moving across state lines. The policy was adopted to speed disease trace-back during outbreaks so quarantines shrink, healthy herds return to market faster, and animals are not destroyed needlessly. Litigation seeks to overturn that rule, arguing cost and scope concerns. Public health, animal welfare, and rural livelihoods hinge on fast, accurate traceability when contagious livestock diseases emerge. Without reliable ID, investigations slow, exposure zones sprawl, and culling can escalate.
Rapid electronic traceability protects animals and people. Digital tags and modern databases allow investigators to find contacts in hours rather than weeks. That speed limits suffering, reduces mass depopulation, and prevents long quarantines that strain veterinary capacity and rancher finances. While producers worry about price and implementation, practical support can solve those hurdles. A smart program helps small and mid-size operators comply affordably while preserving the core protection: fast, verifiable movement data when it counts.
APHIS can keep herds safer and markets steadier by defending the rule, improving equity in compliance, and reporting clear outcomes. Cost-share support, bulk purchasing, and technical assistance remove financial friction. Transparent metrics—such as average trace-back time and quarantine reductions—build trust. Humane, science-driven disease control benefits ranchers, consumers, and animals alike. Sign below to demand these changes be made for the benefit of animals and markets.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Dr. Watson,
Electronic identification for interstate adult cattle provides the rapid traceability needed to contain livestock diseases, minimize animal suffering, and shorten quarantines that imperil rancher livelihoods. The current legal challenge puts those protections at risk at the very moment we need faster, clearer investigations.
We respectfully urge you to defend the EID rule and pair it with practical support for producers. Please expand cost-sharing and bulk procurement so smaller operators can obtain tags and readers at affordable, predictable prices. Provide straightforward training and technical help through state veterinarians and extension networks so compliance is simple in the field. Publish regular public metrics on trace-back speed, quarantine duration, and avoided depopulation events to demonstrate real-world benefits for animal welfare and rural economies.
Finally, continue refining guidance with producer input while holding firm on the core requirement that makes disease control humane and effective: rapid electronic traceability. With these steps, APHIS can protect animals, stabilize markets, and show that strong safeguards and workable implementation go hand in hand.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Sandstein
