FOIA/Animal Welfare Workshop Potluck

World Week for Animals in Labs

HOW TO WRITE A FOIA WORKSHOP AND POTLUCK:

Almost immediately after taking office the trump administration started working against animals. In early February 2017

the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) removed public access to tens of thousands of reports that document the numbers of animals kept by research labs and breeding facilities, zoos, circuses, puppy mills and animal transporters; and violation reports indicating whether those animals are being treated humanely under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). While some information has recently been returned to the site, for that which was not available, it is necessary to file a Freedom of Information Act request. The same goes for inspection reports under the Horse Protection Act (HPA), which prohibits injuring horses’ hooves or legs for show. FOIA requests are sometimes the best recourse for those working on behalf of animals supposedly covered by the AWA and HPA.