Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2017

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of National Pet Day, which takes place every year on April 11th. While loving our pets is something we do every day, National Pet Day encourages us to give special care to pets who may not get that extra attention. This day was founded in 2006 by Pet and Family Lifestyle Expert and Animal Welfare Advocate Colleen Paige, to help raise public awareness about the plight of many different kinds of animals. This is a common sentiment among animal rights activists, and I want to give recognition to all the organizations we have worked with personally in the mission to protect our beloved pets. The Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation, the Humane Society of the United States, and Social Compassion in Legislation have worked extensively to better the lives of our four-legged friends. Together, we introduced H.R. 1406, the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2017, which prohibits the slaughter and trade of dogs and cats for human consumption in the United States.

On January 6, 2017, I reintroduced H. Res. 30--Condemning the Dog Meat Festival in Yulin, China, and urging China to end the dog meat trade. This horrific festival dates back to 2009 through 2010, when it was launched by dog meat traders as a commercial enterprise to boost flagging sales of dog meat. More than 10,000 dogs are reported to be captured, transported and slaughtered every year for this Dog Meat festival, with more than 10 million dogs killed annually in China for the dog meat trade. Animal welfare groups have found that a number of these dogs are stolen pets taken from their homes, still wearing their collars when they reach the slaughterhouse. Many dogs die during transport to the slaughterhouses after days or weeks without food or water, and others suffer illness and injury during transport, such as broken bones. These dogs suffer mentally from watching other dogs being disemboweled and blow-torched in front of them.

Yulin's dog slaughter takes place in residential areas and public marketplaces, imposing scenes of extreme animal cruelty on local residents, including young children who may, as a result, suffer psychological trauma and desensitization. The capture, transport, and butchering of dogs and the consumption of dog meat poses a risk to human health by exposing people to a multitude of diseases, including rabies and cholera. This practice, in my opinion, is completely unacceptable, and can be stopped by the diligent efforts of members of the Chinese government. Although the Yulin city government withdrew as a sponsor of the Dog Meat Festival, it has taken no meaningful action to enforce China's existing laws and regulations on animal disease control, food safety, trans-provincial dog transport, or youth protection, all of which are breached by the dog meat trade.

Activists from across the globe have continued the fight against this barbaric practice. I have been honored to work with Humane Society International, the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation, the Vanderpump Dog Foundation, Duo Duo, the Animal Welfare Institute, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Citizens Lobbyists for H. Res. 30, as well as countless other organizations to bring awareness and hopefully change to this inhumane practice and torture of dogs.

Next month, I will be introducing a resolution denouncing the global dog meat trade, by urging all countries that allow this cruel and barbaric practice to end it once and for all. Furthermore, in the lead up to the Yulin Dog Meat Festival and after the introduction of my global dog meat trade resolution, I do plan on holding another Congressional Briefing on Capitol Hill to provide an opportunity for animal rights activists to speak on behalf of the voiceless.

I also want to recognize and thank the animal welfare organizations in Palm Beach and Broward Counties, whose tireless efforts each and every single day are to be commended. In Palm Beach, the Animal Rescue Force South Florida; Peggy Adams; Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control; Justin Bartlett; Second Chance; Big Dog Ranch Rescue; Gaisha, Tundra & Spirit's Place Husky Rescue; Adopt a Cat Foundation; Tri- County Animal Rescue; South Florida Rabbit Rescue, and the Everglades Golden Retriever Rescue. In Broward County, the Florida Humane Society, Humane Society of Broward County; Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Center, Animal Aid, Inc.; and Abandoned Pet Rescue.

The work that all of these organizations do for animals is truly heartwarming and the lengths that they go to ensure their welfare is inspiring. National Pet Day reminds us to do all that we can to make certain animals are taken care of everywhere. Whether it is taking supplies to animal shelters, volunteering, helping a friend with his or her pets who is recovering from an illness, or adopting a pet.

Mr. Speaker, in honor of National Pet Day, I once again want to reiterate my heartfelt gratitude to those who have dedicated their lives to help, protect, and save animals not only here in the United States, but also across the globe.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to reaffirm my personal and professional commitment to animal welfare issues. I also want to make clear that, had I been in Washington, D.C. and able to vote, I would have voted YES on Amendment No. 28, roll call vote 202, and NO on final passage, roll call vote 205, on May 18, 2018.

While both a Pennsylvania State Representative and Member of Congress, I have continuously fought to strengthen and enforce animal welfare laws, and to extend these protections to species as new abuses come to light. As a proud member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, I have been an active voice in the fight for the humane treatment of animals.

I have cosponsored legislation that prohibits egregious abuses of wild and domesticated horses (Safeguard American Food Exports Act, PAST Act), opposes the abuse of animals in research (FACT Act, Animal Welfare Accountability and Transparency Act), protects the pets of victims of domestic abuse (Pet and Women Safety Act), phases out the use of live animals in military training (Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training Practices Act), outlaws the posting of torture of animals on social media (PACT Act), and bans the breeding of orcas in captivity (Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act).

I have also introduced and cosponsored legislation that would eliminate the slaughter of dogs and cats for the purpose of consumption, both domestically (Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act) and abroad (Yulin Dog Meat Festival condemnation resolution). I am proud to help lead the effort to ensure language prohibiting the dog and cat meat trade is included in the Conference Report on H.R. 2/S. 3042, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. Since its introduction, H.R. 1406, the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2017, which I co-lead has garnered the support of 245 bipartisan cosponsors--and rightfully so.

I have consistently fought against the King Amendment to the Farm Bill, which would undermine state and local laws intended to protect animals--and have a devastating effect on laws across a wide range of state safety and welfare concerns. I have led numerous efforts to end wasteful testing on animals among federal agencies, and to promote adoption or humane caretaking for animals used in such testing. I am also leading the House effort to close loopholes in the Endangered Species Act, our nation's bedrock conservation law, that allow for payments in lieu of conservation efforts in exchange for ``take'' permits with little-to-no transparency or accountability.

On May 18, 2018, I would have voted YES on Amendment No. 28, the Roskam-Blumenauer Amendment, which would strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting by ensuring the law applies to all U.S. territories, not just the states. I vow to do all I can to ensure commonsense provisions like this are included in the Conference Report, and beyond. I certainly wish such provisions weren't necessary in the first place, but it is Congress' responsibility to act as necessary to protect and promote animal welfare and public safety.