New US Farm Bill Increases Animal Protections

Mark Markarian has a good roundup of some of the new provisions in the new Farm Bill passed over the veto of THE MOST UNPOPULAR PRESIDENT IN MODERN AMERICAN HISTORY.

Among the provisions (from Mark's blog):

One provision strengthens the federal law against dogfighting and cockfighting, and builds on the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act which was enacted last year. The new measure upgrades the federal penalties for animal fighting from three years to five years in prison. Importantly, it makes it a federal felony to possess and train fighting animals, and allows federal prosecutions of animal fighting rings regardless of whether those particular animals moved in interstate commerce.

...Another measure will crack down on foreign puppy mills by barring the import of young, unweaned puppies for commercial sale at pet stores and over the Internet.

...And finally, the Farm Bill upgrades penalties for violations of the Animal Welfare Act—which haven’t changed in more than twenty years—by quadrupling the potential fine from $2,500 to $10,000.