Today, without warning, the Trump administration ordered that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service immediately take offline thousands and thousands of records related to Animal Welfare Act-related entities, including research facilities that experiment on dogs and cats.

This database contained inspection reports that allowed the public to see a host of law enforcement records related to the Animal Welfare Act. These records included inspection reports from facilities who were violating the law, annual reports that allowed the public to know what laboratories are experimenting on animals, how many animals are used for research, and other related information. Now the public will have not even any basic statistical information going forward regarding animal use in the United States. The rule also affects other regulated entities, including puppy mills, circuses, and zoos. This new rule from the Trump administration allows those who break the law to evade public scrutiny.

This move makes it IMPOSSIBLE to find out where animals are located, their treatment and any violations, essentially giving carte blanche to anyone to hide animal violations, and violate animal welfare laws, among other things.

Because this information will now be hidden, it also makes it impossible for us to take action against facilities abusing animals, or even reach out to facilities using animals to offer assistance in placing beagles in loving homes.

BFP is looking at legal options to force the Trump administration to reverse course on this decision that destroys transparency. Please help by contacting your members of Congress here and urging them to change this rule. We need more transparency surrounding animal research, not less.