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Trump’s USDA Animal-Welfare Regulations Have Led to Atrocious Violations, Little Enforcement, Vets Say

A decline in federal enforcement for animal welfare that started under the Obama administration has led to unthinkable violations under Trump.

An incident in 2017 in which 300 caged raccoons raised for pets and research in an Iowa barn were left to swelter in 100 degree temperatures kicked off what should have been a move to bolster enforcement of federal animal-welfare regulations. But a new Washington Post report shows that instead, enforcement of regulations meant to protect animals, which had started to decline under the Obama administration, have now all but disappeared under the Trump administration. Leaders of the USDA animal-welfare agency were supposed to focus on breeders, zoos, circuses, horse shows and research labs, but instead staff cuts and lack of initiative has led to a more lenient approach to keeping entities in charge of animals accountable, putting hundreds more animals at risk.