Animal Welfare; Amendments to Licensing Provisions and to Requirements for Dogs

We are amending the licensing requirements in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulations to promote compliance, reduce licensing fees, and strengthen safeguards that prevent individuals and businesses with a history of noncompliance from obtaining a license or working with regulated animals. This action will reduce regulatory burden with respect to licensing and help ensure licensees' sustained compliance with the AWA, thus promoting animal welfare. We have also revised the veterinary care and watering standards for regulated dogs to better align the regulations with the humane care and treatment standards set by the Animal Welfare Act.