Youngkin signs ‘Beagle Bills’ for animal welfare reform

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Governor Glenn Youngkin signed 5 items of laws Monday to help animal welfare reform for canine and cats which are bred and bought for experimental functions.

According to a press launch from the Office of the Governor, these legal guidelines, dubbed “the Beagle Bills” work to make sure that these animals are protected by Virginia’s animal cruelty legal guidelines. They make clear the inclusion of animals bred and bought for experimental functions in these protections and provides authorities the power to take motion when violations happen.

“Today’s remarkable achievement brought every single Republican and Democrat together to protect our four-legged constituents,” mentioned Youngkin. 

At the signing ceremony Youngkin mentioned, “Today, I’ll sign five bills, and those five pieces of legislation, on all of them, every single voting member of the General Assembly voted for them.”

Delegate Robert Bell (R-58th District), who launched HB 1350 to the House, added, “A dog is a dog — if it’s for a pet store, it should have the same rules as it would for any other purpose.”

“The Beagle Bills”

HB 1350 and SB 87

These legal guidelines amend the Comprehensive Animal Care Law to incorporate cats and breeders of cats. The earlier language solely referred to canine and their breeders.

These legal guidelines additionally make clear that breeders or sellers embody any particular person or entity which breeds cats or canine which are regulated by federal regulation as analysis animals. A former loophole will probably be closed, so breeders and sellers will probably be prohibited from importing or promoting cats and canine bred by anybody with sure Animal Welfare Act violations.

Specific language has been included to check with animals bought for “experimental purposes”.

SB 88

This regulation requires breeders of cats and canine bred for experimental functions to keep up data of those animals for two years from the date of sale or switch.

A quarterly abstract of those data should be despatched to the State Veterinarian and be obtainable to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, animal management officers and regulation enforcement.

SB 90

The present Comprehensive Animal Care part of the code solely requires animal testing services to supply canine and cats, that are now not wanted, up for adoption earlier than euthanizing them. This regulation makes it in order that breeders of cats and canine for experimental functions are required to do the identical with their surplus animals.

SB 604

This regulation clarifies that canine and cats in possession of breeders that promote animals for experimental functions fall beneath the safety of Virginia’s cruelty-to-animals legal guidelines.

As beforehand reported by 8News, the Cumberland County Envigo canine breeding facility has obtained USDA violations associated to those new legal guidelines.