Dog lovers all of the world have before a few years ago frown at the illegal sales of domesticated animals purposely for their meat. In the past, dog and cat meat were typical in many livestock markets in North America and other parts of the world.
While other parts of the world may condone such animal cruelty, the USA decided to take a bold step in 2018 and banned dog and cat meat trade.
The dog and cat meat prohibition act, which was signed on Dec 20th, by President Trump, was a welcome development for animal lovers over the world.
The bill, which was sponsored by nonprofit organizations like the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation (AHWF), brought an end to the trade, slaughtering, and consumption of dog and cat meat.
Before a few years back, the act was legal in 44 states in the US, and 2018 brought the end to years of cruelty.
What’s in the Dog Farm Bill?
The bill contains three provisions that cover the interest of farm animals, including those domesticated. Although it doesn’t shed light on the industrial cultivation of meat for commercial purposes, it does go a long way in reducing animal cruelty.
The three main components of the farm bill that protects the interest of animals kept as a pet are,
- The farm bill puts a stop to the trade (import/export) and the killing of cats and dogs for their meat. Although the act is not common in the US, before now, no law prohibited the action. With the new law, the United States customs have the authority to confiscate and persecute anyone found importing contraband meat.
- The second section of the bill that protects canine rights is the PAWS (Pet and Women Safety) Act. It protects the interest of women in the case of a domestic conflict arising from an abusive partner. In this situation, it safeguards the pet from harm as a result of a messy divorce. It also has a provision for funds to help assist with accommodating victims in such situations.
- The bill also fixes the loophole in the law that prevents animal fighting. Before now, it was illegal to stage a dog or cockfight in all US states, including the District of Columbia.
However, the law did not cover regions in US territories such as Guam and Puerto Rico. The bill is known as PACE (Parity in Animal Cruelty Enforcement) Act. You can check here to get an inside peek into the illegal world of dogfighting.
Irregularities in the Farm Bill
While many provisions in the 2018 Act protects animals from abuse, it fails to cover the trade of dogs across state lines. Many advocates see this as a flaw citing the efforts of “white supremacists” sympathetic to animal cruelty.
The “King Amendment” named after Iowa representative in Congress, Steve King, who is believed to be against animal rights, is one of the most significant drawbacks of the Farm Bill.
There are certain things the bill refuses to address, such as the housing conditions of animals on farms. It doesn’t also make any assertions on the sale of products obtained from animals reared under questionable circumstances.
How Farmers and Animals Stand to Gain
The 2018 amendment also came with many benefits for pets and their owners. It puts a stop to the fighting and rearing of dogs and cats for meat.
The development is a step in the right direction as it will bring about positive business growth for farmers. It also relaxes the tension among the public regarding the origin or their meat.
There is the chance it will improve farmer’s livelihood while also ensuring healthy access to food and sustainable environmental resources.
You can find more on that on this page https://pethempcompany.com/blogs/cannabinoid-science/farm-bill-and-hemp about how the farm bill could be of benefit to small businesses.
It is not enough to say that there is still more to be done regarding dog’s and cat’s interests. A good step will be to do more to enforce new policies to safeguard the interests of animals further.
Luckily, there has a lot of progress in that regard. More companies are taking the fight to the legislators, and soon, we could be looking at the introduction of plant-based meat alternatives in the market.
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