I received the following from a friend who is a retired lobbyist for the Michigan Humane Society. Her comment: "Just got this from the USDA and thought I would pass it on to anyone who might want to keep track of inspections. It looks like the USDA is beginning to realize there are concerns about random source animal dealers throughout the U.S. Obviously, the interest and concerns are such that the department has decided to disclose more than has been customary." I forwarded the information to Linda Iroff for her intake on if/how this would impact our ferrets and she replied this is excellent news in that "in the past, if you wanted to know the results of a USDA inspection at a licensed facility, you had to submit a request under the Freedom of Information Act and wait several weeks for the result. That's why it took us so long to discover that Doug McKay had been inspected and shut down, giving us the chance to go in and get the ferrets. Now this info will be searchable on the web. " Linda suggested this info would be beneficial to the FML. Please read the following: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sandra L. Carlton (616)754-6066 Subject: USDA-APHIS Stakeholder Announcement Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 10:35:17 -0400 The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is pleased to announce that beginning May 26, 2009, all Animal Care inspection reports for Class A, B, and C licensees and Class E, H, and T registrants (animal breeders, dealers, exhibitors, and registered exhibitors, intermediate handles, and carriers respectively) will be available online at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/. You have received this announcement because of your recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for documents related to APHIS Animal Care's licensing and inspection activities through the Animal Welfare Act. This transition will make these documents conveniently accessible to you, should you require further information in the future. Attached, you will find a copy of the stakeholder announcement from Dr. Charles Gipson, Deputy Administrator for Animal Care, APHIS. This document can also be found on our Web site at <http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/downloads/stakeholder/stakeholder5_13_2009.pdf> Please note that after May 26, 2009, you will no longer need to submit a FOIA request in order to access these inspection reports. In addition, the Web site will be updated monthly in order to\ensure the most up-to-date information is available. We recognize your concerns related to our Agency's enforcement of animal welfare standards, and welcome your continued feedback as we make a continued effort towards openness and transparency. ~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ Dee Gage www.westmichiganferretconnection.com [Posted in FML 6356]