4.4. SR 04-07-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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O W,A# THE GREAT BULL RM 236 Huntington Avenue I Suite 303 1 Boston,MA 02115 1 T 413-768-0366 1 info @thegreatbullrun.com www.thegmatbullrun.com February 10, 2014 Re: The Great Bull Run, animal welfare, and compliance with state and federal law To Whom It May Concern: I am writing this letter to explain how The Great Bull Run("GBR") is in compliance with all state and federal laws governing animal use and welfare, and to demonstrate that we take the health and safety of our animals very seriously. In particular, the United States Department of Agriculture issued a letter stating that GBR is in compliance with The Animal Welfare Act ("AWA"). Furthermore, GBR works closely with the State Veterinarian in each state where the event is held to ensure compliance with that state's laws governing the safe use of animals, including obtaining all necessary permits for each event. By way of background, Congress enacted the AWA to ensure the humane care,treatment, handling, and transportation of animals used in commerce and tasked the United States Department of Agriculture ("USDA") with promulgating regulations to effectuate this purpose. (7 U.S.C. Section 2131). On June 21, 2013, the Humane Society of the United States ("HSUS") filed a legal brief with the USDA alleging that The Great Bull Run was in violation of (Exhibit A). In response, GBR filed a brief with the USDA detailing the reasons the event complies with the AWA. (Exhibit B). On August 24, 2013,the USDA sent three inspectors to the GBR event held in Petersburg, VA, to observe the event and assess the treatment of the animals involved. After the event, on November 13, 2013, the USDA issued an official letter finding GBR in compliance with the AWA. (Exhibit Q. Prior to each event, GBR contacts the State Veterinarian for the state where that event is being held to ensure compliance with that state's rules and regulations governing the use of animals. Additionally, each animal is accompanied by a USDA Certificate of Veterinary Inspection that complies with that state's laws, and these certificates are submitted to the office of the State Veterinarian. Also, where applicable, a state entry permit is obtained for each animal. In addition to complying with all state and federal laws, GBR contacts the local animal control office for each event to address that office's concerns. Furthermore, prior to each event, each animal is inspected by a licensed veterinarian and a licensed veterinarian is on site for the duration of each event to monitor the health and safety of the animals used. To date, we have had zero animals injured in our events. As you can see, each event fully complies with all laws governing animal use and welfare, and we take every measure possible to ensure the safety of the animals we work with. Any argument to the contrary is unfounded.