Dear [Your Elected Official],

<p>I am writing to you as a constituent to request that you OPPOSE H.R.3112/S.1538. <br /><br />The bill title, the Better Collaboration, Accountability, and Regulatory Enforcement (CARE) for Animals Act is extremely deceptive. While this legislation <em>claims</em> to strengthen the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) by engaging and collaborating with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take civil action against violators, this legislation raises significant concerns for those in the animal enterprise community licensed by USDA. </p> <p>This legislation is framed as a means to enhance enforcement against "bad actors," the DOJ's involvement brings prosecutorial authority potential for misinterpretation and overreach that could negatively impact lawful, responsible animal owners and businesses. </p> <p>H.R.3112/S.1538 transfers enforcement authority from the USDA to the DOJ. </p> <p>The DOJ has little experience in animal welfare and primarily focuses on criminal violations, increasing the risk of punitive enforcement without improving animal care standards and gives the DOJ unprecedented power to file charges, seize animals, and impose penalties even if the USDA has not identified any AWA violations. <br /><br />While  the USDA Animal Care division is supposed to take a compliance-based approach, offering correction periods, the DOJ operates within a litigation-first mindset which would lead to immediate injunctions, license revocations, civil penalties up to $10,000 per day per violation, and the seizure and forfeture of animals. <br /><br />Additionally, animal rights groups could use this legislation, if passed, to pressure DOJ through lawsuit or lobbying to pursue cases based on animal rights ideological motives and use this process to politicize enforcement, favoring activist-driven interpretations of "animal welfare" instead of science-based agriculture or animal husbandry standards. <br /><br />H.R.3112/S.1538 contains vague terminology which could be exploited to prosecute lawful animal owners, farmers, ranchers, breeders, and exhibitors based on activist claims - not actual violations under the AWA. <br /><br /></p> <p>I respectfully request that you oppose this legislation. </p>