This victory for animals cannot be mentioned without praising Last Chance for Animals for their contributions in successfully prosecuting this case. Having seen much of the C.C. Baird footage first-hand thanks to LCA, I can certainly say that the world is a far better place with the Bairds out of the Class-B animal dealer business.
I hope for a world where animals aren't bought and sold as if they were commodities, but this is a very prominent enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act.
Excerpt:
A Sharp County couple this afternoon waived indictment and entered felony guilty pleas on charges stemming from their roles in a mail fraud scheme related to the sale of dogs and cats to research facilities across the United States. The sales violated the Animal Welfare Act because C.C. Baird, a former USDA licensed Class B animal dealer, transferred the dogs and cats to research facilities with false acquisition records.The article describes their pleas and forfeitures, which you should read. It's a pretty big deal. I know some of you out there feel they deserve worse, but let's try to appreciate what has been accomplished here.
"Use of animals for medical and other research is a sensitive and controversial issue," said U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins. "Those who engage in the business of breeding, buying, and selling these animals must exercise the utmost care to abide by every law and regulation. Those who ignore their many responsibilities must be held accountable, especially when their conduct results in needless suffering or inhumane treatment."Highlighting mine. It is quite heartening to see a U.S. Attorney say such a thing, and I certainly hope that it stands as a warning to those that would hope to bend the law for their own business interests, at the expense of the animals.
