Many (but not all) U.S. animal protection laws are enforced and regulated by the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA), specifically their Animal Care Unit. A lot of animal law is regulated by states, but the main federal animal laws are important, especially in states without robust animal legal protection.
Some of the main federal laws regulating animal protection are outlined below:
The Animal Welfare Act (AWA), first enacted in 1966, is the U.S.'s top animal protection law, though it is criticized by some for not being very comprehensive in its breadth. It mostly covers zoo animals, laboratory animals, and puppy mills, and it instructs the USDA to set standards for the “handling, care, treatment, and transportation” of these groups of animals. Public access to the Act is linked above, but it is also available on Lexis and Westlaw.
The "28 Hour Law", enacted in 1873, requires vehicles transporting animals for slaughter to stop every 28 hours to give the animals food and water if the vehicle does not already have access to food and water, with the exception of birds and chickens. Public access to the Act is linked above, but it is also available on Lexis and Westlaw.
The Humane Slaughter Act, most recently amended in 1978, regulates the slaughter of livestock animals, including the requirement that animals be made unconscious before being slaughtered, with the exception of birds and chickens. Public access to the Act is linked above, but it is also available on Lexis and Westlaw.
The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, enacted more recently in 2019, makes it a federal crime to burn, drown, suffocate, impale or sexually exploit animals in the U.S. This was enacted federally in response to some online "crush videos" of people torturing animals. Public access to the Act is linked above, but it is also available on Lexis and Westlaw.
The Endangered Species Act (ESA), enacted in 1973, protects animals that are listed as endangered or threatened by the U.S. or other countries and sets procedures that are meant to prevent animals from becoming extinct. This law is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Public access to the Act is linked above, but it is also available on Lexis and Westlaw.
