Lawmakers agreed to a ban on the consumption of dogs and cats in the House 2018 Farm Bill, which was approved by the House Agriculture Committee Wednesday in a 26-20 vote.
Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., introduced the ban as an amendment to the Agriculture and Nutrition Act, which authorizes funding for farm programs as well as the nation’s food stamp program for the poor.
The provision amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the slaughter, trade, import, or export of dogs and cats for human consumption in the U.S., which is legal in 44 states.
The Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation, which advocates for a ban on cat and dog meat consumption, celebrated the passage of the amendment authored by Reps. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., and Alcee Hastings, D-Fla.
“This is just one small victory in our effort to ban this horrible practice in our country and internationally, but it is an important one and one that could not have been possible without our great team and the strong support we have had from our great authors Congressman Hastings and Congressman Buchanan,” organization founder Marc Ching said. “There is still a lot of work to do but we are closer now than we have ever been before.”
The amendment banning cat and dog consumption was a very minor part of the committee debate on the Farm Bill. Democrats voted against the measure because it bolsters a work requirent for food stamps.
Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, said he is aiming for a May vote on the bill.
