Animal Welfare Act (AWA) > History

It all started with one dog. In July 1965, Pepper, a Dalmatian, was stolen from a family’s backyard in Pennsylvania. This family identified their lost dog in a newsphoto, showing Pepper and other dogs being loaded into a truck. They soon learned Pepper had been stolen by a Pennsylvania dog dealer who was supplying animals for research.

In an attempt to reclaim their dog, the family appealed to New York Congressman Joseph Y. Resnick. Resnick tried but couldn’t get Pepper back, who died in an experiment at a New York hospital. Resnick was so angry he developed proposal H.R.9743 (See links for full story.)

Soon after, Life Magazine, with photos from photographer Stan Wayman, ran a story exposing animal dealers and the horrendous conditions.

The public was outraged, and called their legislators demanding action. Congress listened and decided it was time to protect certain animals, specifically as it related to the transportation, sale and handling of dogs and cats.

• Doctors and Dog Lovers: The Passage of the First Laboratory Animal Welfare Act; by Erica Burden; April 20, 2007
• Concentration Camps for Lost and Stolen Pets: Stan Wayman’s LIFE photo essay and the Animal Welfare Act
• Historical Perspectives on Animals and Their Use in Research: The Humane Movement
• Ban Pound Seizure