USDA Launches New Animal Protection Bureau and Expanded Enforecment Initiative

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On Monday, September 21, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins hosted what USDA called a “Strikeforce” roundtable and press conference with representatives from the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, USDA Office of Inspector General and other federal officials to announce an expanded federal approach to companion-animal welfare enforcement.

Among the most significant announcements, USDA confirmed that it has created a new Animal Protection Bureau, a specialized unit tasked with nationwide oversight, targeted compliance reviews, investigations, identification of unlicensed operations and “modernized enforcement strategies” under the Animal Welfare Act and Horse Protection Act. USDA also announced that its Office of Inspector General intends to increase special agents working on animal fighting and related matters by 20 percent.

USDA further announced that in 2027 it intends to propose new regulations governing the care of dogs under the Animal Welfare Act, following the agency’s 2026 Request for Information. Those potential changes concern medical care, exercise and socialization, recordkeeping and other standards. The agency also said it will intensify efforts to identify breeders it believes are operating outside federal licensing requirements, while continuing monthly case coordination with DOJ.

Of particular interest to The Cavalry Group is the increasingly coordinated relationship between federal agencies and private animal-welfare organizations. Big Dog Ranch Rescue, led by Lauree Simmons, publicly describes itself as involved in what it calls a Federal Animal Cruelty Task Force, complete with an anonymous tip line to report alleged animal cruelty, and has stated that it intends to pursue additional legislation at every level of government. Simmons says the organization’s mission includes changing animal policy through legislative efforts and strategic partnerships. Especially concerning since Lara Trump, President Trump’s daughter-in-law is on the Board of Directors of Lauree Simmons’ Big Dog Rescue Ranch.

An Important Jurisdictional Question:

The announcement also raises an important question that The Cavalry Group believes deserves careful examination:
Exactly how far does USDA intend to extend its enforcement activities involving people who are not USDA licensees?
There is an important legal distinction between an individual who is required by federal law to hold a USDA license but is operating without one, and an individual who is lawfully unlicensed because his or her activities fall outside the scope of the Animal Welfare Act or qualify for an exemption.

USDA certainly has authority to investigate potentially unlawful unlicensed activity within the jurisdiction Congress granted it. But the announcement leaves an important question unanswered: How will USDA’s new Animal Protection Bureau distinguish between someone unlawfully evading a federal licensing requirement and someone whom federal law does not require to be licensed in the first place? That is a slippery slope and precedent we do not want.

And, as federal agencies expand information-sharing and coordination with state and local authorities and private animal-welfare organizations, where will the jurisdictional boundaries be drawn?

The September 21, 2026 USDA press release says: “Within six months, USDA will review all dog breeders who have surrendered a USDA or equivalent state license in the past two years and pursue action against anyone operating in circumvention of the Animal Welfare Act.” So, apparently, USDA intends to review every dog breeder who has surrendered a USDA or equivalent state license during the past two years and pursue enforcement against anyone it determines is operating in circumvention of the Animal Welfare Act. This raises an important jurisdictional question: how will USDA distinguish someone who surrendered a license to evade federal requirements from someone who lawfully changed or ceased regulated activities and therefore no longer requires a federal license? The Cavalry Group will be watching closely to see how USDA defines and implements this new review process.

The Cavalry Group will be watching USDA’s forthcoming 2027 rulemaking, the expansion of federal enforcement infrastructure, the treatment of unlicensed breeders, and the role private animal-welfare organizations may play in shaping or participating in government policy and enforcement.

The Cavalry Group will be watching what comes next. We encourage our members to watch the press conference linked below, particularly the closing remarks by Lauree Simmons, founder of Big Dog Ranch Rescue. Simmons discusses plans to continue pursuing additional animal-welfare legislation and regulatory changes at USDA in the near future. Her remarks are especially important in light of the expanding coordination among USDA, DOJ, state and local law enforcement, and private animal-welfare organizations.

As new legislation is introduced and USDA moves forward with rulemaking, The Cavalry Group will be examining the details, the legal authority involved, and the potential impact on lawful animal owners, breeders, exhibitors, farmers, ranchers, and other regulated and non-regulated animal enterprises.

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