To ensure that dogs are being bred in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), the USDA says the joint federal effort will work together to support responsible dog breeders and take action against those in violation of the AWA. (Getty)
A coordinated effort among multiple federal agencies is targeting repeat dog welfare violators to ensure compliance with the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and hold them accountable.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have launched a coordinated effort to crackdown on chronic dog welfare violators.
Big picture view:
The USDA says 65.1 million American households own a pet dog and actions are being taken to increase compliance with existing laws and protect companion animals. To ensure that dogs are being bred in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), the USDA says the joint federal effort will work together to support responsible dog breeders and take action against those in violation of the AWA.
What they're saying:
"If you are breeding dogs and not meeting the Animal Welfare Act’s humane standards of care, your time is up. We will not allow a handful of bad actors to tarnish the reputation of responsible American breeders or compromise the humane treatment of animals," said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins.
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What we know:
How the USDA will focus on Animal Welfare Act consistency and enforcement
Over the past 15 years, the USDA says compliance with the AWA among dog breeding facilities has risen from an average of 67% in 2015 to over 92% in 2025. USDA says the compliance reflects both regulatory improvements and industry cooperation across the country but there are several breeding facilities that continue to tarnish the industry.
To address the issues, the USDA says it will:
- Root out bad actors with a history of noncompliance through initiation of enforcement actions against the licenses of persistent AWA violators and in worse cases, remove those offenders from the industry altogether.
- Deploy and expand Animal Care’s compliance and enforcement specialist team to aggressively identify and investigate unlicensed activities under the Animal Welfare Act, and intensify enforcement against individuals importing dogs for resale without the required permits.
- Improve consistency across industry with AWA inspections through increased inspector training, compliance tracking, and processing.
- Expand information sharing with Federal and state partners so they can factor in USDA’s inspections when considering when to conduct their own inspections.
- Help state and local partners pursue enforcement action against breeders who do not fall under USDA’s authority but impact the welfare of dogs.
Joint USDA - DOJ effort to focus on dog fighting and prosecute those who fight dogs
Secretary Rollins says the USDA and DOJ have signed a Memorandum of Understanding strengthening their inter-agency collaboration on enforcement of the AWA with a hyper-focus on dog fighting.
In 2025, the USDA says a number of high-profile dog fighting cases were prosecuted successfully, including a Maryland man who was sentenced to federal prison in connection with a multi-state dog fighting conspiracy and a Florida man who was sentenced to 84 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to violate the dog fighting prohibitions of the AWA and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The USDA says court filings show the man conspired with others to purchase, acquire, and breed dogs for use in dogfights and staged dog fights at his home and traveled to dog fights in Massachusetts, Florida, and Connecticut.
USDA's Animal Care Public Search Tool helps those seeking a dog check on breeders
When it comes to getting a dog, consumers have many options, including adoption from a shelter or from a dog breeder. To help consumers, the USDA Animal Care Public Search Tool allows consumers to look up inspection records and licensing information on dog breeders, allowing them to make informed decisions and identify breeders who meet USDA’s humane care standards.
How to file an Animal Welfare Complaint
If you or someone you know has a concern about an animal covered under the Animal Welfare Act, please share detailed information in USDA’s Animal Welfare Complaint Form.
Each week, the USDA provides updates on its work to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General Inspector, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This story was reported from Orlando.