2026-04-09T16:23:00-0400 / 哥伦比亚广播公司新闻
2026年初，时任司法部长帕姆·邦迪领导的司法部采取了不同寻常的快速举措推进动物福利执法，这是她推动利用刑事司法系统打击虐待动物行为的一部分。
据直接知情人士向哥伦比亚广播公司新闻透露，新年前夜前后，邦迪收到了其朋友劳里·西蒙斯的语音留言和短信。西蒙斯是总部位于佛罗里达州的“大狗狗牧场救援”组织创始人，她告诉邦迪，得克萨斯州东部的一名德国牧羊犬饲养者正在枪杀她的狗狗。
西蒙斯还曾向另一位朋友、农业部长布鲁克·罗林斯发送短信提醒此事。
不到两周时间，邦迪的办公室就组建了一个多机构团队，美国农业部特工对饲养者克里斯汀·希克斯的房产执行了搜查令。希克斯当时已经面临州级虐待动物指控。
希克斯交出了她的狗狗，这些狗狗最终被送往“大狗狗牧场救援”组织等待领养。起诉书显示，她于3月被起诉，罪名包括一项无美国农业部许可经营的轻罪，以及一项因向买家虚假陈述狗狗血统而构成的重罪电信欺诈罪。美国农业部调查人员在进行DNA检测时发现了她的虚假陈述——这是极不寻常的调查步骤，多名消息人士向哥伦比亚广播公司新闻透露了这一情况。
希克斯的律师拒绝置评。
多只救援犬出现在邦迪、西蒙斯以及该组织董事会成员劳拉·特朗普共同出镜的视频中。“我们有超过100只狗狗需要被领养，”邦迪说，“来吧，我们必须让所有这些可爱的宝贝都找到家。”
据直接知情人士和“大狗狗牧场救援”组织发布的照片显示，就在希克斯出庭的同一周，邦迪在司法部的舞台上为西蒙斯颁发了奖项，表彰她“在备受关注的诉讼中为司法部提供了异常宝贵的协助”。
邦迪的法律顾问亨利·惠特克站在她们身旁，怀里抱着一只从该案件中领养的德国牧羊犬，这只狗狗现在经常出现在司法部。
动物福利专家表示，得克萨斯州这起案件似乎是同类案件中的首批之一，代表了一种比联邦政府历史上采取的更为快速、更具攻击性的动物福利执法方式。
熟悉美国农业部检查流程的消息人士还告诉哥伦比亚广播公司新闻，针对涉及狗狗的违规行为采取执法行动的兴趣有所上升。其中一位消息人士补充道，在某些情况下，美国农业部在发现严重的福利违规行为后，会更主动地暂停或吊销执照，而在过去，这类举措可能需要数年时间才能实现。
与此同时，消息人士称，“大狗狗牧场救援”组织的参与可能引发人们对其在邦迪动物福利倡议中看似过大的角色的质疑，该倡议涵盖了协助制定政府议程、向司法部和美国农业部提交刑事和民事转介案件等诸多内容。
政府记录显示，在邦迪于2月宣布动物福利政策之前，“大狗狗牧场救援”组织就参与了相关计划的讨论，该计划旨在组建一个执法“猛虎队”，协助执行搜查令和扣押行动。
据西蒙斯透露，该救援组织还参与了一个新成立的“动物福利执行战略团队”，该团队主要由司法部官员组成，负责制定执法战略和协调工作。
多位消息人士称，周三，西蒙斯与邦迪以及代理司法部长托德·布兰奇一同在南卡罗来纳州司法部国家倡导中心举行的联邦检察官动物福利培训峰会上发表了讲话。这很可能是邦迪正式辞职前的最后一场活动，此前特朗普总统于上周罢免了她的司法部长职务。
“司法部长应当避免出现个人偏好、个人倾向以及与朋友的关系成为决定追查和起诉哪些罪行的主要动机因素的情况，”前联邦检察官吉恩·罗西说道。
“这与我们是否喜欢狗狗无关，也与我们是否喜欢救援犬无关。几乎所有人都喜欢狗狗，”他补充道，“但这关乎美国司法部的优先级和政策，以及司法部长履行职责的行为。在我看来，她似乎是在让个人关系主导司法部的工作优先级。”
尽管许多动物福利倡导者对联邦政府对该议题日益增长的兴趣感到乐观，但多位相关领域的法律专家告诉哥伦比亚广播公司新闻，邦迪的倡议在推出时并未征求许多其他传统动物福利倡导组织的意见，而且似乎缺乏关键的监管要素。
与此同时，哥伦比亚广播公司新闻获取的公开记录显示，“大狗狗牧场救援”组织的一位董事会成员目前也是佛罗里达州一项 ongoing 动物虐待调查的目标，她去年被指控在未获得兽医执照和狗主人许可的情况下，向一只老年狗狗注射处方药。她否认了这些指控。
在接受哥伦比亚广播公司新闻采访时，西蒙斯表示，她多年前通过共同关注动物福利倡导活动结识了邦迪和罗林斯。她证实曾就得克萨斯州男子枪杀狗狗一事分别给两人发了短信，并补充道，当时不存在正式的举报渠道来提交这类线索。
“那天晚上我无法入睡，”她说，“他们把情况传达给了合适的人，所有人都迅速行动起来。”
“我坚信本届政府正在认真对待动物福利问题，”她补充道，“多年来，动物福利问题一直被掩盖……我们举报了恶劣的幼犬养殖场虐待行为，但从未得到调查。”
当被问及她与高级政府官员的私人友谊是否会对案件执法和哪些案件被起诉带来伦理担忧时，她对此不予理会。
“别这么说，”她说，“这一切都是关于关心动物的人。我不在乎你属于哪个党派。我们是一个人道的国家，这种情况必须停止。”
司法部一位发言人证实，在希克斯枪杀狗狗的视频走红后，西蒙斯联系了邦迪反映得克萨斯州的案件。
该发言人补充道，西蒙斯还参与了动物福利政策的制定工作，称“西蒙斯女士与其他人一同参与其中。司法部欢迎任何公众举报的违法违规行为。”
“神药”
西蒙斯于2008年创立了“大狗狗牧场救援”组织。该组织在其网站上声称，自成立以来已救助了超过8万只狗狗。
作为特朗普的支持者和共和党捐赠者，西蒙斯表示，她第一次见到邦迪是在邦迪担任佛罗里达州司法部长期间，两人因支持一项禁止灰狗赛跑的法案而结下交情。
她的非营利组织2024年的收入为1860万美元，该组织在海湖庄园举办耗资数百万美元的奢华筹款活动，总统特朗普本人、埃隆·马斯克以及美国检察官珍妮·皮罗都曾出席。特朗普的儿媳劳拉·特朗普也担任该组织的董事会成员。
该组织网站上的照片显示，处于佛罗里达州调查中心的“大狗狗牧场救援”组织董事会成员梅利莎·比洛多出现在海湖庄园。
未标注日期的霍华德·莱博维茨的狗狗伯克的照片
州级调查围绕的指控是，未取得兽医执业执照的比洛多于去年春天，在未征得伯克主人霍华德·莱博维茨同意或许可的情况下，向一只名为伯克的老年德国牧羊犬注射了一种名为Librela的处方药，该药物用于治疗骨关节炎疼痛，警方记录显示。
伯克几周后死亡，据莱博维茨和警方记录显示，兽医告诉伯克的主人，Librela不应给患有伯克这类神经系统疾病的狗狗使用。
莱博维茨告诉调查人员，他的狗狗在注射后几周健康状况恶化，但目前尚不清楚伯克的死亡是否由该药物直接导致。
比洛多在与莱博维茨的律师邦妮·纳文的交流信息中后来表示了悔意，称“是我做的。我完全是出于善意，但这是错误的。”
但在一次采访中，比洛多否认了这些指控，称莱博维茨此前曾恳求她帮助自己病重的狗狗，并且哥伦比亚广播公司新闻向她展示的警方报告中提到的兽医并非了解伯克病情的主治医生。
她补充道，她只是就两种可能帮助伯克的药物提供了非医疗建议，并向主人展示了一个空药瓶和一个空药瓶，但从未主动提供或注射任何药物，并告知他应咨询医疗专业人士。
“我计划在此事解决前辞去董事会职务，”她说。
生产Librela的制药公司发言人拒绝置评。
莱博维茨表示，他在一个马术设施遇到了比洛多，当时她试图给他一瓶由“大狗狗牧场救援”组织兽医开具的、为另一只狗狗准备的开瓶药片，以帮助伯克缓解疼痛。
据警方报告称，几周后她再次前来，发现伯克和莱博维茨的同事特拉维斯·胡普在一起。她让胡普按住狗狗以便她注射，胡普照做了，误以为她是兽医。据警方报告和对胡普的采访，直到她说道：“别告诉莱博维茨先生。我们给他个惊喜。这是神药”，胡普才意识到不对劲。
在佛罗里达州，未取得执照从事兽医工作属于犯罪行为。该罪行的严重程度取决于具体事实以及是否有足够证据将其行为与伤害或死亡联系起来。
哥伦比亚广播公司新闻从棕榈滩县警长办公室获取的记录显示，佛罗里达州执法部门和州商业与专业监管部门都在调查这起事件。
两个部门的发言人都未回应置评请求，但莱博维茨告诉哥伦比亚广播公司，他在2025年4月提交投诉后得知，此案仍在审理中。
“我相信我会为伯克讨回公道，”他告诉哥伦比亚广播公司新闻，并表示对案件没有任何有意义的最新进展感到沮丧，“我会坚持到底，没有什么能阻止我。”
比洛多表示，她去年曾与一名州调查员有过短暂通信，并告诉对方自己从未以兽医身份行事。她还表示，直到哥伦比亚广播公司向她分享警方报告之前，她都不知道这些报告的存在。
西蒙斯表示，她直到哥伦比亚广播公司新闻向她指出才得知针对比洛多的指控，不过莱博维茨的律师邦妮·纳文告诉哥伦比亚广播公司新闻，她去年曾给“大狗狗牧场救援”组织留下两条详细的语音留言，告知该组织所发生的事情。
西蒙斯表示，她不认为比洛多有任何恶意。
“她非常热爱动物，为我们寄养了很多狗狗，”西蒙斯说，“我不觉得梅利莎骨子里有恶意。但有些规则必须遵守。”
动物福利战略存在漏洞？
长期以来，《动物福利法》并非许多联邦刑事起诉的核心议题，这主要是因为该法多数刑事违规行为属于轻罪，而非重罪。该法律主要通过民事方式执行。
美国农业部动植物卫生检验局（APHIS）负责向持证企业——从狗狗饲养者到动物园和水族馆——派遣检查员，确保其遵守基本的护理标准。
罗林斯在一份声明中表示：“我们不会允许少数不法分子玷污负责任的美国饲养者的声誉，或损害动物的人道待遇”，并表示总统内阁正在“加强对屡教不改的不法分子的执法力度，致力于彻底结束斗狗活动”。
美国农业部一位发言人表示，“大狗狗牧场救援”组织提交的一份转介案件涉及约10个人和实体。
大多数违规行为通过行政方式处理，但如果动物处境面临直接危险，司法部可以援引该法律的民事条款寻求紧急法院命令，将动物带走。
多位专家告诉哥伦比亚广播公司新闻，除了斗狗起诉案件外，动物福利违规行为很少能达到联邦刑事立案的程度。
美国农业部的规定被广泛认为过时、薄弱且无效。
美国农业部和司法部的人员编制也处于历史低位，没有足够的检查员、特工、检察官或民事审判律师专门负责动物福利事务。司法部的一个关键职位——动物福利顾问一职——自2021年春季以来一直空缺。
近年来最受关注的动物福利案件起诉是针对动物研究饲养商Envigo及其虐待比格犬的行为。
在该案中，负责民事动物福利事务的司法部律师于2022年5月提起诉讼，指控该公司未能达到狗狗的基本护理标准，随后该公司交出了4000多只比格犬。
相比之下，并行的刑事案件直到大约两年后才结案，该公司对动物福利和环境违规行为认罪。
专家表示，邦迪的动物福利倡议似乎将重点大量放在《动物福利法》的刑事执法上，尽管该法律大部分内容通过民事方式执行。
“《动物福利法》几乎完全依靠民事执法，因为否则就是轻罪，”玛丽·霍林斯沃思说道，她曾在司法部环境与自然资源司工作期间参与Envigo案的民事部分调查。
“考虑到幼犬养殖场是优先整治对象，却没有强调民事执法部分——这是一个缺失的环节。”
邦迪的倡议也未提及其他动物保护法律，如《莱西法》或《濒危物种法》——这两部法律曾被司法部用于定罪“虎王”真人秀明星约瑟夫·艾伦·马尔多纳多（又名“乔·异国情调”）杀害老虎的罪行。
目前尚不清楚这些遗漏的原因，但动物福利倡导界的多位人士告诉哥伦比亚广播公司新闻，即使他们主动提出会面，邦迪的办公室也没有提前征求他们的意见。
“我们联盟已经尝试了一年多的时间与她会面，”佛蒙特大学法学院和研究生院动物法与政策研究所副主任、法学副教授德尔西安娜·温德斯说道。
该联盟的其他成员包括动物保护协会、动物法律辩护基金和善待动物组织。
“如果他们声称致力于动物福利，却无视这些在相关法规方面拥有数十年集体专业知识、并主动提供协助的组织，这显然是脱节的，”温德斯补充道。
司法部一位发言人驳斥了这一说法，称去年美国防止虐待动物协会与环境与自然资源司负责人举行了一次会议。
Inside Pam Bondi’s aggressive push to crack down on animal cruelty crimes
2026-04-09T16:23:00-0400 / CBS News
In early 2026, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Justice Department took an unusually rapid approach to animal welfare enforcement, as part of her push to use the criminal justice system to crack down on animal cruelty.
Around New Year’s Eve, Bondi received a voicemail and a text from her friend Lauree Simmons, the founder of the Florida-based Big Dog Ranch Rescue, who told her that a German Shepherd breeder in East Texas was shooting her dogs, sources with direct knowledge told CBS News.
Simmons also texted another friend, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, to alert her.
In less than two weeks, Bondi’s office assembled a multi-agency team, and USDA agents executed a search warrant at the property of breeder Kristine Hicks, who was already facing state cruelty charges.
Hicks relinquished her dogs, and they were eventually shipped to Big Dog Ranch Rescue for adoption. She was indicted in March on a misdemeanor of operating without a USDA license and a felony wire fraud count stemming from her misrepresentation of the dogs’ lineage to buyers. USDA investigators uncovered her false statements about the dogs when they conducted DNA tests — a highly unusual investigative step — according to multiple sources who spoke with CBS News, the indictment shows.
A lawyer for Hicks declined to comment.
Several of the rescue dogs appeared in a video with Bondi, Simmons and Lara Trump, one of the group’s board members. “We have over 100 that need to be adopted,” Bondi said. “Come on, we’ve got to get all of these beautiful babies adopted.”
The same week that Hicks appeared in court, Bondi stood on stage at the Justice Department and presented Simmons with an award for providing “exceptionally helpful assistance to the Department in high-visibility litigation,” according to sources with direct knowledge and photos posted by Big Dog Ranch Rescue.
Bondi’s counsel Henry Whitaker stood next to them, holding a German Shepherd he adopted from the case that is now a frequent guest at the Justice Department.
The Texas case appears to be among the first of its kind, in what represents a faster and much more aggressive approach to animal welfare enforcement than the federal government has historically taken, animal welfare experts say.
Sources familiar with the inspection process by the USDA also told CBS News there has also been an uptick in interest in taking enforcement action against violations involving dogs. In some cases, USDA has been more proactive about suspending or revoking licenses after finding egregious welfare violations, whereas in the past such a move could have taken years to achieve, one of the sources added.
At the same time, Big Dog Ranch Rescue’s involvement could raise questions about its seemingly outsized role in Bondi’s animal welfare initiative, which has included everything from helping shape the government’s agenda to making criminal and civil referrals to both DOJ and USDA, sources say.
In the lead-up to Bondi’s animal welfare policy announcement in February, Big Dog Ranch Rescue was involved in discussions about the plans to create a law enforcement “tiger team” to assist with the execution of search warrants and seizures, government records show.
The rescue also participates in a newly created “Animal Welfare Executive Strategy Team,” according to Simmons, which is mostly made up of Justice Department officials who are supposed to devise enforcement strategies and coordination efforts.
On Wednesday, Simmons spoke along with Bondi and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche at a training and animal welfare summit for federal prosecutors at the DOJ’s National Advocacy Center in South Carolina, several sources said, in what is likely to mark Bondi’s last event before she formally steps down, after President Trump ousted her as attorney general last week.
“An attorney general should try to avoid any appearance where your personal preferences, your personal predilections and your contacts with your friends are a major motivating factor in which crimes to pursue and prosecute,” said Gene Rossi, a former federal prosecutor.
“This is not about whether we like dogs. This is not about whether we like rescue dogs. Everyone, with few exceptions, loves dogs,” he added. “But this is about the priorities and the policies of the United States Department of Justice and the actions of the attorney general in executing her duties, and this appears to me that she is letting her personal relationships drive the priorities of the Department of Justice.”
Although many animal welfare advocates are optimistic about the federal government’s increased interest in the subject, Bondi’s initiative was launched without any input from many of the other more traditional animal welfare advocacy groups and appears to lack crucial regulatory elements, numerous legal experts on the subject told CBS News.
One of Big Dog Ranch Rescue’s board members, meanwhile, is also the target of an ongoing animal cruelty investigation in Florida, after she was accused of injecting a prescription drug into an elderly dog without a veterinary license or the owner’s permission last year, public records obtained by CBS News show. She denies the allegations.
In an interview with CBS News, Simmons said she met Bondi and Rollins years ago through their mutual interest in animal welfare advocacy efforts. She confirmed texting each of them about the woman shooting her dogs in Texas, adding that no formal tip line existed then to make such referrals.
“I wasn’t going to sleep that night,” she said. “They got it to the right people, and everyone jumped into action.”
“I feel strongly that this administration is taking animal welfare seriously,” she added. “For so, so many years, animal welfare issues got pushed under the rug… We’d report a bad puppy mill with abuse that never got investigated.”
She brushed aside questions about whether her personal friendships with senior government leaders could create ethical concerns about how cases are enforced and which ones get prosecuted.
“Stop that,” she said. “This is all about people that care about animals. I don’t care what party you’re with. We are a humane country and this needs to stop.”
A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed that Simmons contacted Bondi about the Texas case, after a video of Hicks shooting a dog went viral.
The spokesperson added that Simmons has also been involved in helping to develop animal welfare policy, saying “Ms. Simmons was involved along with others. DOJ welcomes any public reporting about violations of the law.”
“Miracle drug”
Simmons launched Big Dog Ranch Rescue in 2008. Her organization claims on its website to have rescued more than 80,000 dogs since its creation.
Simmons, a Trump supporter and Republican donor, said she first met Bondi when she was Florida’s attorney general and the two of them bonded over their support for a measure to ban greyhound racing.
Her nonprofit, which reported $18.6 million in revenue in 2024, throws elaborate multi-million dollar fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago that have been attended by President Trump himself, as well as Elon Musk and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. Mr. Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump also sits on the group’s board.
The Big Dog Ranch Rescue board member at the heart of the state-led investigation, Melissa Bilodeau, is pictured at Mar-a-Lago in her photo on the group’s website.
Undated photo of Howard Leibowitz’s dog, Birk Howard Leibowitz
The state’s investigation centers on allegations that Bilodeau, who is not licensed to practice veterinary medicine, last spring injected an elderly German Shepherd named Birk with a prescription medication called Librela that is used to treat osteoarthritis pain without consent or permission from Birk’s owner, police records show.
Birk died a few weeks later, and veterinarians told Birk’s owner Howard Leibowitz that Librela should not be administered to dogs with neurological conditions like those Birk had, according to Leibowitz and police records.
Leibowitz told investigators his dog declined in the weeks after the shot was administered, though it was not immediately clear whether Birk’s death was directly caused by the medication.
Bilodeau later expressed regret in messages she exchanged with Leibowitz’s attorney Bonnie Navin, saying “I did it. I had nothing but loving intentions, but it was wrong.”
But in an interview, Bilodeau denied the allegations, saying Leibowitz had previously pleaded with her to help his ailing dog, and that the veterinarians cited in the police reports shown to her by CBS News were not the dog’s primary doctors who were versed in his care.
Undated photo of Melissa Bilodeau at Mar-a-Lago. Big Dog Rescue website
She added that she only provided non-medical advice about two different drugs that could help Birk and showed the owner an empty pill bottle and an empty vial, but never offered or administered any medication and told him to consult a medical professional.
“I am planning to remove myself from the board until this matter is resolved,” she said.
A spokesperson for the drug manufacturer that makes Librela declined to comment.
Leibowitz said he encountered Bilodeau at an equestrian facility, where she tried to offer him an opened bottle of pills prescribed for a different dog from a Big Dog Ranch vet to help Birk with his pain.
She returned a few weeks later, where she found Birk with Leibowitz’s colleague, Travis Houp, according to police reports. She asked Houp to hold the dog while she administered the shot, and he complied, mistakenly thinking she was a vet, according to police reports and an interview with Houp. He only realized something was wrong when she said: “Don’t tell Mr. Leibowitz. Let’s surprise him. It’s a miracle drug,” according to the police report.
It is a crime in Florida to practice veterinary medicine without a license. The severity of the offense depends on the facts and whether there is enough evidence to link the acts to injury or death.
Records obtained by CBS News from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office show that both the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the state’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation are investigating the incident.
Spokespeople for both offices did not respond to requests for comment, though Leibowitz told CBS he was advised the case remains pending after he filed his complaint in April 2025.
“What I believe is that I am going to get Birk justice,” he told CBS News, saying he was frustrated by the lack of any meaningful updates on the case. “I’ll take this all the way, and nothing will stop it.”
Bilodeau said she corresponded briefly with a state investigator last year and told him she never acted as a veterinarian. She added she was not aware police reports existed until CBS shared them with her.
Simmons said she was not aware of the allegations against Bilodeau until CBS News brought them to her attention, though Leibowitz’s attorney Bonnie Navin told CBS News she left two detailed voicemails with Big Dog Ranch last year alerting the group about what happened.
Simmons said she did not believe Bilodeau did anything with malicious intent.
“She is a huge animal lover. She fosters a lot of dogs for us,” Simmons said. “I don’t feel like Melissa has a malicious bone in her body. But there are rules that need to be followed.”
Holes in the animal welfare strategy?
The Animal Welfare Act has not been historically at the center of many federal criminal prosecutions, largely due to the fact that most criminal violations of the law are misdemeanors, not felonies. It is primarily enforced civilly.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, is responsible for sending inspectors out to licensed businesses, from dog breeders to zoos and aquariums, to ensure compliance with basic standards of care.
Rollins said in a statement, “We will not allow a handful of bad actors to tarnish the reputation of responsible American breeders or compromise the humane treatment of animals,” and she said the president’s Cabinet is “stepping up enforcement on recurring bad actors and working to end dog fighting once and for all.”
A USDA spokesperson said that a referral submitted by Big Dog Rescue involved approximately 10 individuals and entities.
Most violations are handled administratively, though if conditions present an imminent danger to the animals, the Justice Department can use civil provisions of the law to seek an emergency court order to have them removed.
Apart from animal fighting prosecutions, it has been relatively uncommon for animal welfare violations to rise to the level of a federal criminal case, numerous experts told CBS News.
The USDA regulations are widely viewed as being out of date, weak and ineffective.
Staffing levels at the USDA as well as the DOJ are also facing historical lows, without ample inspectors, agents, prosecutors or civil trial attorneys dedicated to working on animal welfare matters. A key position at the DOJ — the role of the counselor for animal welfare — has been vacant since the spring of 2021.
The highest-profile prosecution in an animal welfare case in the recent past centered on animal research breeder Envigo over its mistreatment of beagles.
In that case, Justice Department lawyers who handled civil animal welfare matters filed a lawsuit in May 2022 alleging the company was failing to meet basic standards of care for the dogs, and the company surrendered more than 4,000 beagles shortly thereafter.
The parallel criminal case, by contrast, did not get resolved until about two years later, with the company pleading guilty to animal welfare and environmental violations.
Bondi’s animal welfare initiative appears to focus its efforts heavily on criminal enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, even though most of the law is enforced civilly, experts said.
The Animal Welfare Act “is almost exclusively civil enforcement, because otherwise it is a misdemeanor,” said Mary Hollingsworth, who previously worked on the civil part of the Envigo investigation during her time at the DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
“Given that puppy mills are a priority, the fact that the civil component hasn’t been emphasized — it’s a missing piece.”
Bondi’s initiative also makes no reference to other animal protection laws, like the Lacey Act or the Endangered Species Act — two statutes used by the Justice Department in the conviction it won against of “Tiger King” reality TV star Joseph Allen Maldonado, known as “Joe Exotic,” for killing tigers.
The reasons for these omissions were not immediately clear, though a number of people in the animal welfare advocacy world told CBS News that they had not been consulted by Bondi’s office in advance, even after offering to meet.
“Our coalition has been trying for more than a year to meet her,” said Delcianna Winders, an associate professor of law and Director of the Animal Law and Policy Institute at the Vermont Law and Graduate School.
Other members of the coalition include the Animal Welfare Institute, the Animal Legal Defense Fund and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
“There’s a clear disconnect if they’re purporting to be committed to animal welfare, and yet ignoring these groups with decades of collective expertise on these precise statutes who are offering, proactively, their assistance,” Winders added.
A Justice Department spokesperson disputed that notion, citing a meeting that took place between the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the head of the Environment and Natural Resources Division last year.