Letter to Hon. Phyllis Fong, USDA Inspector General - Durbin, Feinstein Call On USDA OIG To Audit Oversight Of Dog Breeders
Letter
Dear Inspector General Fong:
After reviewing the audit recently released by the Office of Inspector General (OIG),
"Animal Care Program Oversight of Dog Breeders," we request that OIG conduct a more in-depth
audit to properly examine the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) oversight of
dog breeders regulated under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
In the recently released report, OIG noted that they were unable to conduct a full audit due
to the COVID-19 pandemic. Auditors originally planned to visit 120 dog breeding sites in 15 states,
but these inspections were cancelled due to the pandemic. As a result, critical information was not
obtained on whether licensed facilities are providing humane care for dogs, as well as how
inspectors are carrying out inspections and whether inspectors are accurately documenting violations
or adequately following up on prior noncompliance. The report notes that because of these
limitations, inspectors were unable to ensure or assess breeder compliance with the AWA.
In 2010, we were pleased with OIG's comprehensive audit to determine the efficacy of
APHIS' oversight of dog dealers. In that audit, OIG made recommendations based on its findings
that the APHIS enforcement process was ineffective against problematic dealers. Given the
incomplete 2021 audit, we are concerned that many of the problems identified in the 2010 audit may
continue to go unaddressed, allowing problematic dog dealers to operate unchecked.
Overall, while we commend the OIG for its efforts to conduct this follow-up audit and
understand the limitations imposed by the pandemic, we remain concerned about the incomplete
2021 audit. Over 2,000 dog breeders are currently licensed by USDA, and insufficient oversight
could put hundreds of thousands of dogs at risk. As such, we request that once the pandemic
conditions are safer, OIG conduct an in-depth examination of APHIS' oversight of dog breeders.
Ensuring breeders are compliant with existing regulations helps ensure the health and
safety of dogs in their care. We thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Members of Congress
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