Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement on passage of H.R.6720, the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act, which was approved by the House of Representatives this afternoon. (Please find a copy of the legislation attached):



“The House of Representatives has voted to unify animal cruelty laws across the country, which would prohibit the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption. I am proud to have championed this effort in Congress to explicitly ban the killing and consumption dogs and cats across the United States, and am greatly appreciative of my friend and colleague Congressman Buchanan for taking the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act across the finish line today. As the House of Representatives also calls for the end of the dog and cat meat trade globally, it is important to that we hold ourselves to the same standards we wish to see in others. H.R.6720 makes that commitment, and I urge the Senate to take up this important bill without delay,” said Hastings.



“More than half the households in America have a dog or cat as part of their family,” Congressman Vern Buchanan said. “We should send a clear message that slaughtering these beloved animals for food is unacceptable and will be punished.”



BACKGROUND:



H.R.6720 is a modified version of H.R.1406, which was originally introduced by Hastings, as well as Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL), David Trott (R-MI) and Brendan Boyle (D-PA) on March 7, 2017. The legislation, which has 246 cosponsors and broad bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit people from knowingly slaughtering a dog or cat for human consumption. In addition, the bill prohibits people from knowingly transporting, possessing, buying, selling, or donating: (1) a dog or cat to be slaughtered for human consumption, or (2) dog or cat parts for human consumption, setting a maximum fine of $5,000 for violations.



Congressman Alcee L. Hastings serves as Senior Member of the House Rules Committee, Ranking Democratic Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, Co-Chairman of the Florida Delegation

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