The U.S. Department of Agriculture is complicit in the suffering of dogs and puppies raised in federally licensed puppy mills, which is why I am thanking Rep. Chellie Pingree for cosponsoring and working to pass Goldie’s Act (HR 6100). This federal agency is responsibility for protecting dogs from cruelty in USDA-licensed commercial facilities, but they rarely take action to fulfill this mandated responsibility.

Goldie’s Act would make this pattern a thing of the past, and ensure that the USDA is properly enforcing the law. A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers introduced this federal legislation in honor of Goldie – a golden retriever who suffered terribly before dying in an Iowa puppy mill. The neglect that Goldie experienced is common in these facilities because the USDA refuses to do its job.

Goldie’s Act would require the USDA to intervene in cases of visible neglect and to notify local law enforcement about documented Animal Welfare Act violations. Overall, this bill would help ensure that no more dogs suffer Goldie’s fate.

I thank Rep. Pingree for cosponsoring Goldie’s Act to protect vulnerable dogs and puppies.

Kim Schwickrath
Old Orchard Beach