Federal laws that protect animals

Most of the laws that protect dogs in Miami are state and county laws. But a handful of federal laws matter to everyday dog owners and rescuers: they make extreme cruelty and dog fighting federal crimes, protect pets in domestic violence cases and disasters, and set the rules for flying with a service dog or bringing a dog into the country. Here is what each one does, and just as important, what it does not do.

The laws at a glance

PACT Act: federal animal cruelty law

The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act became law on November 25, 2019. It expanded an earlier 2010 law that only covered "crush videos." Now the act itself is a federal crime, not just filming it.

• It covers "animal crushing": purposely crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impaling or otherwise causing serious bodily injury to a living mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian.
• It also bans creating or distributing animal crush videos.
• The penalty is a fine, up to 7 years in prison, or both.
• There are exceptions, including normal veterinary and agricultural practices, slaughter for food, hunting and fishing, pest control, medical research, protecting life or property, and humane euthanasia.

Important limit: the PACT Act only applies when the conduct affects interstate or foreign commerce, or happens on federal property or in other areas of federal jurisdiction. It also says plainly that it does not override state or local animal protection laws. A neighbor abusing a dog in a backyard in Hialeah is normally a state case.

Animal Welfare Act: commercial animals, not your pet

The Animal Welfare Act (AWA), passed in 1966, is often misunderstood. It sets minimum standards of care for animals handled by commercial breeders, dealers, brokers, transportation companies, exhibitors and research facilities. USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) licenses, registers and inspects these businesses.

What the AWA does not cover, according to USDA:

• Pets owned by private citizens. Your dog at home is not regulated under the AWA.
• Farm animals used for food, fiber or other agricultural purposes.
• Cold-blooded animals, such as snakes and alligators.
• Shelters and pounds, unless they sell animals to dealers or research facilities.

For rescuers, the AWA matters most when you see a commercial breeder, dealer or exhibitor with sick, dirty or underfed animals. That is something APHIS can investigate.

Dog fighting and other animal fighting

Federal law (7 U.S.C. 2156) makes it illegal to knowingly:

• Sponsor or exhibit an animal in a fighting event.
• Attend an animal fight as a spectator.
• Bring a child under 16 to an animal fight.
• Sell, buy, possess, train, transport, deliver or receive an animal for fighting.
• Sell or ship knives, gaffs and other sharp instruments meant for fighting, or advertise fights by mail or other interstate means.

Penalties under 18 U.S.C. 49:

• Fighting, possessing or trading fighting animals, and related crimes: up to 5 years in prison and a fine, per violation.
• Attending as a spectator: up to 1 year and a fine.
• Bringing a child under 16: up to 3 years and a fine.

The spectator and minor provisions were added by the 2014 Farm Bill. The 2018 Farm Bill removed an old exception for bird fighting in places where it was legal under local law, so the ban now applies in every state, D.C., Puerto Rico and all U.S. territories. That change took effect on December 20, 2019.

PAWS Act: pets and domestic violence

The Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act, part of the 2018 Farm Bill, wrote pets into federal domestic violence law.

• Pets, service animals, emotional support animals and horses are now covered by the federal crime of crossing state lines to violate a protection order. A threat or attack against a victim's pet can be part of the offense.
• It created a federal grant program for emergency and transitional shelter and housing for domestic violence survivors with pets. Animal shelters and animal welfare groups that work with domestic violence organizations are among the groups that can apply.

If you foster or rescue, this is worth knowing: a partnership with a local domestic violence program can help survivors leave without leaving their dog behind.

PETS Act: pets in disaster planning

Congress passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act in 2006. It requires the FEMA Administrator to make sure state and local emergency plans take into account the needs of people with household pets and service animals before, during and after a major disaster.

For what this means in Miami-Dade, see our hurricane plan for your dog.

Flying with dogs: service animals vs. emotional support animals

The Air Carrier Access Act prohibits airlines from discriminating against passengers with disabilities. Under it, the Department of Transportation issued a final rule that took effect January 11, 2021:

• A service animal is a dog, of any breed or type, individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.
• Emotional support animals are not service animals. Airlines may treat them as pets, under the airline's own pet policy.
• Psychiatric service dogs are treated the same as other service dogs.
• Airlines may require DOT forms about the dog's health, behavior and training, plus a relief form for flights of 8 hours or more. They can ask for the forms up to 48 hours before travel if you booked earlier.
• Airlines can limit each passenger to two service animals, and the dog must fit on the handler's lap or in the foot space.
• Airlines may not refuse a dog based only on breed.

Bringing a dog into the U.S.: the CDC rule

Since August 1, 2024, the CDC has applied updated requirements to dogs entering the United States.

• Dogs must be at least 6 months old.
• Dogs must have a microchip.
• Dogs that have been only in rabies-free or low-risk countries need a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, shown on paper or a phone. The receipt is valid for six months, including multiple entries.
• Dogs coming from high-risk rabies countries face additional documents and requirements.

Rescuers bringing dogs from overseas should plan well ahead. Read our full international pet travel guide before booking.

Other federal animal laws, briefly

• Horse Protection Act (1970): bans showing, selling, auctioning, exhibiting or transporting "sored" horses, meaning horses deliberately hurt to exaggerate their gait. APHIS takes complaints.
• Endangered Species Act (1973): protects listed threatened and endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries share responsibility.
• Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972): bans "taking" marine mammals, which includes harassing, hunting, capturing or killing them. In Florida this covers animals like manatees and dolphins. Don't approach, feed or touch them.

How to report a federal violation

• A commercial breeder, dealer, exhibitor or research facility: file a complaint with USDA APHIS (opens in a new tab). The same form covers Horse Protection Act concerns. You can report anonymously. If you give your name, APHIS warns that the licensee could see your identity through a Privacy Act request.
• Dog fighting, cockfighting or crush cruelty: the Department of Justice accepts tips through its online animal welfare violation form (opens in a new tab), and also points people to the FBI Tip Line, the USDA Office of Inspector General and local law enforcement.
• An animal in danger right now: call 911 or local law enforcement first. Online federal forms are not monitored for emergencies.

How federal and state laws work together

Federal animal laws are narrow. They reach commercial businesses, organized fighting, interstate activity and federal property. Most cruelty and neglect cases, including almost everything involving a family pet, are handled under state law by local police, animal services and the State Attorney.

The two systems overlap rather than compete. The PACT Act, for example, states that it does not preempt state or local animal protection laws, so state charges remain available even when a federal law also applies. In Miami, start with our guides to Florida animal laws and reporting animal cruelty.

What's new in 2025 and 2026

As of this review, we did not find any new federal law protecting dogs or other companion animals enacted in 2025 or 2026.

• Proposed, not law: the 2026 Farm Bill passed the House on April 30, 2026, and the Senate Agriculture Committee passed its own version on September 16, 2026. A Senate floor vote was expected after the November elections. Farm bills often include animal provisions, so watch this one, but none of it is law until both chambers agree and the President signs.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws and rules change. If you are dealing with a specific legal situation, talk to a lawyer or the agency involved.