Nov. 09, 2020-Animal Care is making available the written transcripts from three recent virtual listening sessions focused on Animal Welfare Act (AWA) standards for birds. The transcripts from the September 29th, October 7th, and October 15th, listening sessions are available on the Animal Care website.Animal Care hosted the virtual listening sessions to gather information to assist in the development of regulations that will ensure the humane care and treatment of birds not bred for use in research, consistent with the AWA. As a next step, Animal Care will review the comments received during the listening sessions as well as the written comments submitted via Regulations.gov from September 29th through October 29th.The AWA authorizes the regulation of birds not bred for use in research and a January 2020 U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals opinion provided a timeline for APHIS to promulgate regulations and standards for their humane care and treatment. Animal Care will publish a proposed rule by Feb. 24, 2022.Animal Care enforces the AWA to ensure the human handling, care, treatment and transportation of certain animals by dealers, research facilities, exhibitors, operators of auction sales, carriers, and intermediate handlers.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
