Animal Legislative Update - January 21, 2025
from the desk of Vanessa Gagne
Updates
- USDA Halts Mexican Cattle Imports, Impacting Millions in Texas Livestock Industry - New World Screwworm was recently found in a cow in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas. Texas Ag Commissioner is worried USDA acted too quickly and the shutdown of cattle imports will have more of a negative impact on the industry than if screwworm were actually spreading here
- Resumption of equine imports from Mexico after New World Screwworm detection effective 1/21/25
- Bill proposes adding sharks to Iowa dangerous wild animals list - After a shark in an aquarium bit a keeper, HSUS swept in to lobby and try to get sharks added to the Iowa list of dangerous animals. With touch tanks being super popular in zoo attractions, this could set a dangerous precedent for HSUS to go into other states and get them banned.
- SeaQuest for sale as fate of exotic animals remains in limbo - I cannot say for certain where the breakdown occurred with SeaQuest, but it has been a couple of years in the making. We can only hope that the animals are able to be taken in by other facilities.
IN THE NEWS
APHIS Answers Call to Protect Animal Agriculture
US to end seafood imports from countries without marine mammal protections
Russia sold six Su-30s for ʻsix live elephantsʼ, a source said
