USDA announces a suite of new measures aimed at strengthening companion animal oversightt

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins convened a Strikeforce roundtable alongside key federal partners to announce a suite of new measures aimed at strengthening companion animal oversight across the nation. The event brought together leaders from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the Offices of Inspector General for both USDA and DOJ.

Highlighting the interagency collaboration, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. stressed that animal care directly reflects national values and public health responsibilities. He announced that HHS is driving a shift toward human-based research through more than twenty distinct actions to reduce unnecessary animal testing, while launching a public portal to track these advancements. Central to the USDA’s upcoming oversight plans is a 2027 regulatory proposal to update Animal Welfare Act standards for dogs, informed by over 7,500 public comments advocating for stronger regulations in medical care, socialization, exercise, and research usage.

To reinforce compliance, the USDA is issuing over 2,000 regulatory refresher notices to licensed dog breeding facilities to clarify humane care mandates. Furthering direct oversight, the agency recently launched the Animal Protection Bureau, a specialized unit tasked with conducting targeted compliance reviews, modernizing enforcement strategies, and identifying unauthorized operations across the country. Additionally, USDA OIG John Walk announced plans to expand special agent investigator staffing focused on animal fighting and related violations by 20 percent over the coming year.

Looking ahead to 2027, the USDA aims to eliminate repeat bad actors by reviewing all dog breeders who have surrendered licenses in the past two years to ensure full adherence to the Animal Welfare Act.