The ASPCA has strongly condemned the animal-related provisions in the Farm Bill released by the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, warning that it would have severe negative impacts on billions of animals including farm animals, dogs, cats, and horses. Key concerns include a provision that would overturn existing state and local farm animal welfare laws, undermining bans on cruel farming practices and harming higher-welfare farmers. Additionally, the bill weakens protections for dogs suffering in puppy mills by making it harder for the USDA to intervene and rescue them. The bill also fails to include bipartisan legislation aimed at ending the export of American horses for slaughter, leaving tens of thousands vulnerable to this fate.

The ASPCA urges Congress to reject these harmful provisions and instead pass a Farm Bill that upholds state animal welfare laws, strengthens protections for dogs in puppy mills, and permanently ends horse slaughter. The organization highlights that the current bill represents a dangerous federal overreach that would reverse years of progress toward humane treatment of animals and calls on the public to contact their representatives to advocate for a more compassionate and protective Farm Bill.