Pet Safety and Protection Act

The Pet Safety and Protection Act would establish integrity in the provision of dogs and cats for research purposes. If adopted, the bill will:

• Prohibit the sale of random source dogs and cats to laboratories by Class B dealers;
• Prevent stray animals, who may be lost family pets, from being sold to laboratories; and
• Remove the financial incentive to illegally acquire dogs and cats who would then be sold by Class B dealers to research laboratories.

The Pet Safety and Protection Act was crafted to halt the notorious trade in random source dogs and cats by Class B dealers. The other supply chains would be virtually unaffected. Dogs and cats could be supplied by Class A dealers (breeders); established breeding colonies; those municipal pounds who opt to sell animals directly to laboratories (except for stray animals); and individuals (these animals could be donated, but not sold, thereby removing the financial incentive driving the current fraudulent behavior). These sources can provide researchers with dogs and cats who have similar qualities as random source animals, without the problems inherent in the Class B dealer system.