§2Including reptiles and fish as animals under Animal Welfare Act
This section revises the definition of "animal" under the Animal Welfare Act to include any live or dead warm-blooded animal (e.g., dogs, cats, nonhuman primates, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, or birds), cold-blooded animal (e.g., reptiles, amphibians, cephalopods, or fish), or other animal as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture, when used or intended for research, testing, experimentation, exhibition, or as a pet. (Previously, the definition was limited to warm-blooded animals used for those purposes.) It retains exclusions for birds, rats of the genus Rattus, and mice of the genus Mus bred for research; horses not used for research; and farmed animals (e.g., livestock, poultry, or fish) used for food, fiber, or production efficiency. It further specifies that all dogs are included, including those used for hunting, security, or breeding purposes. (Thus, the act's standards for humane care, handling, and transport—currently applicable to warm-blooded animals by dealers, research facilities, and exhibitors—extend to these additional species, subject to the exclusions.)