Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Recent years have produced an illegal economy in the acquisition, transportation and sale of stolen pets, mostly dogs, which are sold for purposes of research. Those who steal family pets or trap stray dogs to be sold to animal dealers are known as bunchers. Bunchers collect these animals, often under inhumane conditions, and sell them to any of the twenty-nine Class B animal dealers who are licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture to provide experimental animals to medical and veterinary schools, universities and corporations.

Although governed by the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act these Class B dealers often flaunt the law by buying stolen pets. Bunchers who collect the pets are paid $25.00 per animal. Animals are then resold to institutions which pay up to $500.00 per experimental animal. Although the law requires a certificate of origin for experimental animals, this regulation is often circumvented by unscrupulous dealers who forge documents and veterinarians who issue bogus health certificates for the animals.

Victims of this crime include the animals, their legal owners and the general public who may be victimized by research conducted on non-standardized animals. This paper explores the illegal aspects of bunching, selling and transportation of experimental animals, and the regulation and enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act. A case study is presented to illustrate the issues connected with illegal animal traffic, and regulation and enforcement in the United States.