Letter to the editor: Legislators urged to protect animals

I urge Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, to support Goldie’s Act, H.R. 6100, which would impose stricter professional practices on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to uphold the Animal Welfare Act, which has oversight on puppy mills.

Generally, “puppy mill” is another term for a dog producing factory, where female canines are worked to death to give birth to as many puppies as possible to be sold to animal stores and research labs throughout the country.

Puppy mills are riddled with neglect that is completely enabled by the USDA, which is supposed to uphold the Animal Welfare Act, the law set to police puppy mills and inspect them and fine them for wrongdoing. Currently, many inspectors and enforcers of the Animal Welfare Act are grossly negligent in carrying out their job duties and are overlooked by the USDA, which results in animal cruelty.

Goldie’s Act is named for a “gold”en retriever who died emaciated, thirsty and without care while under the care of a puppy mill in Iowa.

I urge Lee and thank her for her consideration to support Goldie’s Act to hold those accountable under the jurisdiction of the Animal Welfare Act.

Micah Wintner

Munhall