Dr. Ron DeHaven on the Animal Welfare Act
In
my twenty-five years with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS), I have held a number of different positions
in various parts of the Agency. I started working with our Veterinary
Services program in 1979 as part of their field force before
joining the Animal Care team in 1989. Eventually, after working
as the Western Regional Director for Animal Care, I became that
program’s Deputy Administrator and moved to Maryland.
Since then, I have been the Acting Associate Administrator and
the Deputy Administrator for Veterinary Services, before my
current position as Administrator for all of APHIS. Making the
25-year transition from field employee to upper management has
given me a unique perspective on operations within a program
and across an agency.
Around the same time I was selected as the Deputy Administrator
for Animal Care, a regulatory proposal was created that would
not only clarify our regulations and close several loopholes
(especially regarding licensed dealers purchasing animals from
non-regulated sources), but it would also give us more tools
to do a better job of enforcing the Animal Welfare Act. This
document was a hodgepodge of issues and, as such, quickly came
to be known affectionately as the “kitchen sink”
docket.
The “kitchen sink” rule signed by Dr. DeHaven
affects the Animal Welfare Act pertaining to inspection,
licensing, and procurement of animals. These changes will
vastly improve enforcement of the Act, close loopholes
that allow individuals to thwart the intentions of the
law, and better protect the animals the law covers. Of
particular significance, the new rule strengthens the
USDA’s hand in denying or revoking licenses when
individuals have violated animal cruelty laws or are otherwise
judged to be “unfit to be licensed” or when
issuing a license would “be contrary to the purposes
of the Act.” These common-sense changes were supported
by both animal protection organizations and the regulated
community.
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The kitchen sink docket started out almost 8 years ago. Sometimes,
it seemed to be a constant companion during my time as Deputy
Administrator and, during that time, the staff and I worked
hard to keep it relevant while moving it forward. After creating
a draft and making a proposal public, we received a number of
wonderful suggestions from the industry and interest groups
which we then used to make an even better final document. As
APHIS Administrator this summer, I had the pleasure to sign
off on the final rule, a document that I’ve been watching
all these years, and make it official.
Over the years, I always found that voluntary compliance with
the AWA, through understanding and cooperation, is the key to
success. Most people doing business under the AWA do not set
out to violate the law and willingly seek compliance. It is,
of course, essential that we work with our stakeholders to ensure
they understand the regulations and the consequences for non-compliance.
The “kitchen sink” changed the regulations and made
them more understandable and, as I have witnessed, that leads
to compliance, and compliance leads to better treatment of animals
which has always been our goal.
Will be published in the Spring 2005 Animal Guardian magazine.
Dr. Ron DeHaven is the Administrator for the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
He is responsible for protecting U.S. agricultural and natural
resources from exotic pests and diseases, administering the
Animal Welfare Act, and carrying out wildlife damage management
activities. He obtained a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree
from Purdue University in 1975, and a Masters in Business Administration
from Millsaps College in May 1989. After graduating from veterinary
school, he spent 4 years in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps before
beginning his career with APHIS in 1979.
