Animal activists always seem to have something on their mind, and there’s no shortage of organizations carrying out that cause. The petition, delivered to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on September 2 of last year, asked for notice stating:
1) State officials are not categorically prevented from enforcing state cruelty laws by the federal Meat Inspection Act, Humane Slaughter Act, or Poultry Product Inspection Act.and
2) FSIS personnel should cooperate with state officials in enforcing state anti-atrocity laws and improve the clarity and frequency of communications (i.e., Lines of Concern (“LOC”)) to those officials; be.
The petition was filed by a Virginia-based group called Animal Partisans. Another non-governmental organization, Animal Outlook, later endorsed the petition.
“We fully support these demands and the legal basis laid out in the petition,” Animal Outlook said in a statement. “We are writing this document to further highlight the importance of enforcing state laws in protecting livestock and to detail our relevant experience as an organization. Animal Outlook The reluctance of law enforcement officials and prosecutors to enforce state anti-cruelty ordinances in the face of pre-emptive strike concerns, despite implementation and reporting of ironclad evidence of animal abuse. Many effectively nullify these important laws. However, when state prosecutors fulfill their duty to enforce state anti-cruelty laws, they are often successful in protecting livestock, and FSIS can make a national impact by supporting these efforts.”
Animal Outlook continued, “Given our experience, the required notifications reduce confusion about well-settled legal doctrine and encourage state prosecutors and law enforcement officials to enforce state anti-cruelty laws. “This is necessary to empower the state and enable it to comply with its legal obligations.” the constitutional role of protecting livestock; ”
The petition calls for correcting “systemic failures” in enforcing state brutality laws amid state prosecutors’ inaction.
“Unfortunately, many state government officials mistakenly believe that the Department of Agriculture has sole and complete jurisdiction over all animal welfare issues related to agriculture, and therefore state cruelty as applied to livestock. It is under the mistaken belief that it has exclusive and complete jurisdiction over the enforcement of prohibited laws,” the petition continues. “This has led to the widespread belief that federal laws such as the FMIA, HMSA, and PPIA preempt state enforcement of anti-cruelty laws in cases involving farmed animals. Seeking redress for domestic animals is often met with resistance from prosecutors and law enforcement officials who believe that state anti-cruelty laws do not apply to livestock.
The petition will be assigned to the FSIS Office of Policy and Program Development for review.
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