Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. Inside *,'<■ '* * * ' t' ■> ’%{ > \’* ■ ' .-il ‘ Animal Care Safeguarding the Welfare of America's Animals Vol. 18 No. 3 United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Summer 1998 Cover Story Animal Care Takes Center Stage APHIS PHOTO BY ANN C2APIEWSKI Table of Contents Acting Deputy Administrator for Animal Care Ron DeHaven speaks during a public meeting at APHIS headquarters in Riverdale, MD. Also attending (left to right) John Coakley from Organizational and Professional Development, Assistant Secretary for APHIS Works With Other Marketing and Regulatory Programs Michael Dunn, and Acting APHIS Administrator Countries to Combat Craig Reed. Medflies Page 4 by Jamie Ambrosi, Legislative and Public AJfairs, Riverdale, MD The scene is tense. A crowd of side with Acting APHIS Administra¬ Inside Profile: Theresa 250 animal rights advocates, tor Craig Reed, strongly supports Hohlfeld and her dog industry representatives, and these efforts. Nugget Page 6 interested members of the public “I’m glad you asked,” begins pack into the conference center at DeHaven. “Let me take a few APHIS Employees Bring the APHIS Headquarters building minutes to recap some of the many Their Children to Work in Riverdale, MD. changes our program has under¬ Page 8 Cordial but cautious, they all gone in the past 2 years.” come to the May 12 Animal Care A United Effort (AC) public meeting for one reason: APHIS Management to learn what APHIS has been In April 1996, APHIS issued its Prepares for Y2K doing to improve enforcement of strategic direction for the Animal Page 10 the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Care program. The document Outside, the rain pounds against painted the picture of a program the windows. Inside, the questions with vast potential but in need of APHIS Awards Texas spring from the floor. an overhaul. It also detailed the Veterinarian Page 10 “What has USDA been doing to steps AC needed to take to improve the oversight of commer¬ improve. These included making cial dog dealers?” asks one indi¬ better use of resources for vidual. “What are USDA’s plans enhanced program delivery and regarding the testing of circus empowering, supporting, and elephants for tuberculosis?” asks developing employees. another. From the start, the strategic Ron DeHaven, AC’s Acting direction had the backing of Dunn Deputy Administrator, has antici¬ and other high-level Department pated these questions for weeks. officials. As Dunn notes. “We knew In fact, as head of the program that what needed to be accomplished, From the Cover enforces the AWA, he’s been hoping and we gave our full support to AC they would be asked. The ques¬ employees to get the job done. tions provide him the opportunity Capitalizing on this support. AC While putting the "Care" back in to showcase the program’s efforts. wasted no time in putting the plan Animal Care, this program has a Assistant Secretary for Marketing into action. The program estab¬ new outlook and has unvieled this and Regulatory Programs Michael lished eight employee-based teams, art as part of its effort to safeguard America's animals. V. Dunn, who sits by DeHaven’s each focusing on one or more of the Page 2/Inside APHIS Summer 1998 plan’s objectives. It also created an inspection system that was both Carrot-and-Stick Approach initiatives coordinator position to objective and impartial. The AC also modified its enforcement oversee the teams and ensure that system must rate everybody using strategy. No longer does the the strategic direction moved the same criteria. The result? program treat all alleged AWA forward. AC’s new risk-based inspection violators the same. Under a new “The strategic direction docu¬ system (RBIS). This system uses two-pronged strategy, AC and ment was basically a mandate to several criteria, such as licensees’ Investigative and Enforcement reinvent the AC program,” says or registrants’ past compliance Services (IES) pursue innovative Dick Watkins, AC’s initiatives history and types of animals being penalties for licensees and regis¬ coordinator. “The strategic direc¬ used (e.g., tigers versus gerbils), to trants who show an interest in tion said, ‘Don’t be modest. Take determine risk and inspection improving the conditions for their risks and make major changes.’” frequencies for given facilities. animals. These penalties allow the For the next several months, AC Still, implementing the plan individuals to invest all or part of employees from California to the wasn’t easy. “It took us 2 years of their monetary sanctions in facility Carolinas descended on APHIS hard work and headaches to make improvements. headquarters with the charge of RBIS a reality,” says Bob Gibbens, At the same time, AC and IES revamping the way AC did busi¬ AC’s Western Region Director and a have pursued stringent penalties ness. The employees looked at member of the team that developed for licensees and registrants who everything from the way the the system. “Some of our inspec¬ do not improve the conditions for program conducted inspections to tors even had reservations at first, their animals. Such actions ways to better educate stakehold¬ not to mention how it was viewed typically include significant mon¬ ers—such as licensees and animal by those outside the agency.” etary sanctions, such as a rights activists—about the laws However, in time, these concerns $200,000 fine that was levied and regulations. The employees turned into confidence for the risk- against a circus for the death of an had numerous suggestions for based system. And, by the time it elephant in the southwestern improvements. was officially launched in February United States in August 1997. “At one point, I think we had of this year, the system was ‘The idea is to get off the backs more proposed changes than we broadly supported both by AC of those that are in compliance, had employees to carry them out,” employees and the program’s work with those who want to says DeHaven. “However, it was stakeholders. improve, and get tough on the bad easy to identify the high-priority “Right now, we are seeing actors,” DeHaven proclaims. items.” tremendous support for RBIS,” AC’s numbers speak for them¬ says Watkins. “People are realizing What to Change First? selves. During the past 2 years, that it is a fair and equitable way to more than $1.8 million in fines “One of the first items we looked do more with less. And, after all, have been assessed and nearly 50 at changing was our inspection isn’t that what reinventing govern¬ licenses suspended, revoked, or system for AWA licensees and ment is all about?” disqualified. All the while, AC and registrants,” says DeHaven. “We Less Frequent, but More IES have virtually eliminated the realized that with decreasing once insurmountable backlog of Focused Inspections resources and increasing costs we AWA cases in the legal pipeline. would need to change our policy of To complement RBIS, AC also inspecting all regulated facilities at Provide Tools to Do the Job changed the focus of its inspec¬ the same frequency.” tions. “After 30 years of conduct¬ But AC’s efforts don’t stop with This concept first surfaced at ing as many inspections as pos¬ the new plans for focus and AC’s public meetings on the sible, we began performing more enforcement. The program has regulation of dog dealers in early indepth inspections, particularly of also undertaken several initiatives 1996. But serious concerns those licensees and registrants who to better equip its field personnel remained. Any decrease in the historically had compliance prob¬ with the tools they need. For frequency of inspections would be lems,” says DeHaven. example, AC has provided its entire viewed by animal welfare organiza¬ “The result is a slight decrease AC field force with laptop comput¬ tions as making APHIS’ AWA in the overall number of inspec¬ ers, allowing them to eventually inspection system less stringent. tions but a significant increase in produce electronic inspection And any new system had to be fair the amount of time spent inspect¬ reports that can be instantly and equitable for all licensees and ing individual facilities. And that transmitted to the AC regional registrants. means more time to search for any offices. To handle these thorny issues, problem areas.” AC knew it needed to establish an AC continued on page 9 Summer 1998 Inside APHIS/Page 3 International Partnerships Pay Off When Fighting Medflies by Anna Cherry, Legislative and Public Ajfairs, Riverdale, MD APHIS uses state-of-the-art good scientists and practitioners by the research and experience technology to keep up with trends developing useful applications of gained from this project," said John in agriculture, international trade, data and technology to battle Stewart, IS director for the Mosca¬ and other pertinent issues. All of Medflies," said Isi Siddiqui, Deputy med Program. “The further away our work enhances the ability of Assistant Secretary for USDA’s from our borders we keep this pest, the United States to buy and sell Marketing and Regulatory Pro¬ the better our protection is.” agricultural products in the grams mission area. “I was very impressed with the international marketplace and Siddiqui and several other U.S. operations here and all of the fortifies our abundant, safe, and officials, including U.S. Ambassa¬ people we have met. The trip was diverse food supply. One of the dor to Guatemala Donald J. Planty very educational," said Elder. “A most destructive threats to our and Plant Protection and Quaran¬ lot of the work done in Guatemala agricultural resources is the tine (PPQ) Deputy Administrator A1 is designed to help us develop Mediterranean fruit fly. The Elder, had an opportunity to tour alternatives to using the pesticide Medfly, or Moscamed in Spanish, several sites associated with the malathion.” Malathion is used as attacks more than 250 species of Moscamed Program earlier this an aerial spray and as ground fruit, nut, and vegetable crops. year. “I was glad to have the treatment to fight off Medflies when they are first detected in an area. This poster, seen It is a pesticide that is very effective here on the side of even when used in very diluted a common work concentrations. However, PPQ is truck, is one always looking for better and more example of how environmentally friendly ways to participating countries of combat the Medfly. So the search Moscamed work for other weapons to battle this together. Posters pest has become even more are used as important. advertising to One highlight of the Guatemalan inform residents tour was a visit to Coatapeque, about Medflies and how where, as part of the Moscamed governments are Program, tests using applications working hard to of a photoactive dye, SureDye®, to eliminate them combat Medflies are taking place. from the western When Medflies ingest SureDye® hemisphere. and are then exposed to light, they experience a phototoxic reaction. In other words, regular daylight The Medfly deposits eggs under the opportunity to see the operation becomes deadly to them. This skin of the fruit or vegetable. The and talk to the people in the field,” year's test began in December of maggots later hatch and feed there Siddiqui said. 1997. Development is ongoing, but until the destroyed crop—maggots Primarily, the Moscamed Pro¬ it is too early to tell if SureDye® and all—falls onto the ground, and gram helps reduce the potential for will be an effective tool to use in the flies develop into the next stage. establishment of Medflies in the aerial and ground treatment for As a part of our efforts to continental United States. By Medflies. The results to date, safeguard agricultural resources, maintaining a barrier against this however, are promising. In addi¬ facilitate trade, and keep the pest in Guatemala, APHIS ensures tion to Moscamed Program testing, destructive Medfly as far away from that U.S. exports are accepted into data on environmental impacts had our borders as possible, APHIS other Medfly-free countries such as been sent to various laboratories contributes to the Moscamed Japan. Also, by working coopera¬ for evaluation. Program in Guatemala. The United tively with other countries like “One of the benefits with States, Mexico, and Guatemala are Mexico and Guatemala, we are able SureDye® is that it has already partners in this effort to control to develop comprehensive treat¬ been approved by the Food and and eradicate the Mediterranean ments and tools to use in the battle Drug Administration for use in fruit fly in Guatemala. Interna¬ against the Medfly when there are human foods and other products, tional Services (IS) provides sup¬ emergency outbreaks in the United like Pepto-Bismol®” said Stewart. port and guidance to this program. States. “One disadvantage of the dye is “The Moscamed Program has “The United States benefits both that it's red and leaves spots where great potential, and has lots of by keeping the Medfly from being it is used, although it is very water established close to its borders and Page 4/Inside APHIS Summer 1998 Left: Crews prepare for a SureDye® test application by pumping the red dye mixture into helicopters. Above: An adult Medfly, the pest that threatens crops of the United States and many Central and South American Countries. part of such an important and worthwhile program,” said Farouk Hamdy, IS' Region IV director. The tour of Moscamed and Guatemalan agricultural facilities APHIS PHOTO BY ANNA CHERRY helped bring about a higher level of understanding about agricultural soluble. It has also been challeng¬ This pesticide operation, which issues like quarantines and export ing and costly to procure.” Guatemala agreed to use, is high- capabilities for all of the partici¬ “It will be interesting to examine tech all the way. Oscar Morales, pants. “We were able to see for the data and see how diluted we an agricultural engineer for Mosca- ourselves a program that some¬ can make the dye and still have it med, manages the satellite locking times seems a little abstract from be effective,” said Elder. “Hope¬ and tracking system (SATLOC) that Washington, DC,” Siddiqui said. fully, there will be a way to mini¬ determines where the airplanes are “It is so critical to be able to get mize the spotting.” treating with SureDye®. “With the into the field and talk about the “We have been impressed with SATLOC system, we instantly know work people are doing on a day-to- SureDye® so far,” agricultural exactly where the plane is, where it day basis,” Elder said. “We all engineer and coordinator of Mosca- was, and where it has applied the benefit from events like this one.” med field operations Carlos Lira dye,” Morales said. There is a high “For myself and all the people said. “We had to stop using level of precision in each run, and working in Guatemala, it was nice malathion in treatments because it helpful data can be downloaded to have the chance to demonstrate proved to be harmful to honeybees, directly from the planes that carry our accomplishments and really and there are numerous beekeep¬ computers. “The maps and charts have our colleagues listening,” ers in this area.” SureDye® can be that are generated from this system Stewart said. “I look forward to harmful to bees if they ingest it, are excellent,” said operations continuing the work here.” but it is specially mixed to be coordinator Leonel Carrillo. "Medflies are a destructive pest attractive to Medflies and no “Every aspect of this operation is of agriculture everywhere, and the beekeepers have reported problems professional and highly focused,” more we can do to successfully with their colonies. “Numerous Siddiqui said. “We stand to benefit control and eradicate them, the evaluations have shown that the from the data collected here and better,” Elder said. "All of the dye shouldn’t be a problem for the maybe even gain a new tool in the research and practice occurring bee industry,” Lira added. battle against the Medfly when an here will help us battle this pest.” ❖ Before testing in Guatemala, outbreak occurs in the United APHIS had to complete an environ¬ States.” In addition to the mental impact assessment. This is SureDye® testing, a full-scale required of Federal agencies taking sterile insect release program is actions like this abroad. However, going on in Guatemala. There are each country is responsible for several laboratories and even a determining which pesticides can sterile fruit fly rearing facility or cannot be used on their lands. operating in the country. “Interna¬ tional Services is pleased to be a Summer 1998 Inside APHIS/Page 5 Inside Profile: Theresa Hohlfeld by Katherine Hilton, Legislative and Public Affairs, Riverdale, MD It has been said that “Life some experience in several types of no better than its weakest link, the shrinks or expands in proportion to work, she is principally an air- handler, too, must be fit, know one’s courage.” scent tracking dog oriented to basic human and canine first aid, If that is true, life is certainly airborne human scent. When be search-wise, and understand large for one APHIS employee who Hohlfeld and Nugget are called out field survival and the necessary dedicates her leisure hours to an on a mission, they work moving equipment. activity that requires enormous downwind through a specific Despite knowledge and training, courage and compassion. After search area. Based on the terrain rescue teams have to work hard working for APHIS each day as and the kind of search they are not to become as lost as the person chief of field operations for IS’ working. Nugget typically begins off they are trying to find. Even Screwworm Eradication Program, her leash, running free. Hohlfeld experienced teams like Hohlfeld Theresa Hohlfeld—with her golden knows immediately when Nugget and Nugget have found themselves retriever. Nugget, as her partner— finds the scent because she turns in dangerous situations that tested participates in search and rescue in the direction of the scent, puts them both physically and mentally. missions. The first Costa Rican search effort While serving as an APHIS in which they participated was veterinary medical officer in New looking for a missing Peace Corps Mexico, Hohlfeld, who joined APHIS volunteer. After tracking her scent in 1992, sought an activity that through part of a Costa Rican diy combined her love of dogs, the tropical rainforest, Hohlfeld and outdoors, and people. She discov¬ Nugget discovered that the woman ered a local search and rescue had fallen from a waterfall and group and soon had a 6-week-old died. On another occasion, puppy to train. Nugget, now 4 Hohlfeld and Nugget were assisting years old, and Hohlfeld are an in a search for bodies believed to be accomplished search and rescue in two cars that had plunged into a team that has participated in nine deep river bed. While isolated from rescue missions. Hohlfeld and the other searchers, Hohlfeld and Nugget are trained to help locate Nugget found themselves in rapidly lost hikers, children, Alzheimer’s rising water with no clear escape patients who have wandered away route from the river bed. On that from home, and, sometimes, occasion, despite increasing fear, “I bodies. The type of search being APHIS PHOTO followed my dog,” said Hohlfeld. IS Veterinarian Theresa Hohlfeld and her conducted and its location greatly “She knew just where to go.” rescue dog Nugget at their last affect the likelihood of finding a assignment in Costa Rica. Experiences such as these help missing person alive. Hohlfeld has build a strong bond between thus far located two missing people partners that extends far beyond alive. her nose in the air, and becomes rescue work. Although other animals are used very animated. Unlike many other What drives Hohlfeld to under¬ for search and rescue missions, rescue dog trainers, Hohlfeld does take these often dangerous rescue canines are the best suited for the not use food as a reward for her missions? A very deeply felt desire work. A search dog has 44 times dog. Instead, Nugget’s reward for to help people. That desire recently more olfactory sensory cells than a her efforts is some quality time sent Hohlfeld and Nugget on a human. In addition, one-eighth of playing with her favorite toy and mission into Costa Rica’s San Luis a dog’s brain is dedicated to the Hohlfeld. Valley. On Saturday, February 7, sense of smell. With that amazing To focus all that ability, search the U.S. Embassy in San Jose sensitivity, a dog can detect some and rescue dogs are tested and received word that an American odors as small as one part per trained by their handlers in the woman doing volunteer work as a trillion. areas of obedience, agility, track¬ biologist had disappeared in the The primary rule in search and ing, searching, and retrieving. lush rainforest reserve of rescue work is “trust your dog,” Establishing a strong bond Monteverde, one of the most says Hohlfeld, because he is the between human and canine is impenetrable areas of the country. best judge of what he smells. critical because, more than other As the Embassy’s duty officer for Search dogs can be trained in search and rescue endeavors, the day, Hohlfeld took the call from several types of rescue work: search dog teams often work on the woman's worried parents who tracking, trailing, air scenting, and their own. Because such a team is reported her missing, and quickly disaster relief. While Nugget has volunteered her services—and Nugget’s—for the search. Page 6/Inside APHIS Summer 1998 The San Luis Valley is approxi¬ expanded search area that mately 4 hours from San Jose. the lucky woman was found Nevertheless, after she finished within was one recom¬ work that day, Hohlfeld and Nugget mended by Hohlfeld. sacrificed a good night’s sleep to Although she and Nugget journey to the site that same were not among the search¬ evening, arriving at 1 a.m., ensur¬ ers who found the missing ing that Hohlfeld would be there to American in this case, meet with the searchers gathering Hohlfeld’s presence during at dawn the next morning. When the mission was invaluable. the group formed at 5 a.m. Sun¬ She brought experienced day, Hohlfeld heard reports that people into the search some individuals had seen the process, she comforted missing person leaving the area, frightened family members that perpetrators of a nearby in the United States with robbery had taken the woman as a frequent updates, and she hostage, and that the woman had alone convinced the local been seen in various areas by search and rescue group to different people. She quickly continue looking when realized these scattered stories had others were ready to aban¬ seriously undermined the search don the effort. effort. By then, the woman had Hohlfeld’s supervisors in been missing 4 days and could Costa Rica have been very have been seriously hurt. They supportive of her rescue were losing valuable time. work. “Human lives are on Hohlfeld knew it was critical to the line,” explains her widen the search area. As she was supervisor, Screwworm making her case for the expansion, Eradication Program the International Red Cross, director H. Chris Hofmann. believing all hope of finding the “She is a model of a fully APHIS PHOTO woman alive was lost, abandoned dedicated U.S. Government its search, leaving Hohlfeld and the diplomat, representing her country throughout chemotherapy. As she local searchers to carry on. To 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” fought increasing pain, she turned increase their search capabilities— U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica to training search dogs, and did so and raise morale—Hohlfeld used Thomas J. Dodd says of Hohlfeld. until the end of her life. According her Embassy contacts to secure the Dodd also recounts that military to Hohlfeld, no matter the rescuer’s assistance of several experienced personnel involved in the search situation “I know the person in military specialists from Panama, said that, had Hohlfeld herself been trouble out there is worse off than two military helicopters accompa¬ in the military, she would certainly I am.” nied by eight crewmen, and 30 have been a Green Beret or a Hohlfeld, who is scheduled to Green Berets who were placed on Ranger. High praise indeed. become co-director of the Exotic standby. Intensifying the search “No individual ever finds a lost Animal Disease Commission in and rallying the rescue parties, person,” says a modest Hohlfeld Mexico City, anticipates that she Hohlfeld convinced them to begin about the importance of teamwork and Nugget will soon face new looking for the woman in a wider and group effort in search and challenges. Trained search dogs area, even though hope for finding rescue work. Rescue workers and are often called upon there to her alive was fading. their canine teammates often work locate people in collapsed buildings Good news came on Monday in less than hospitable weather in the aftermath of earthquakes morning when one local rescue through rough terrain. They work and tremors that frequently shake team entered a new search zone even when they are cold, sick, and Mexico City. Wherever Hohlfeld and found the woman, who had exhausted. Hohlfeld explains the goes with Nugget, she takes her fallen into a deep sink hole and kind of dedication demonstrated by courage, compassion, and commit¬ was unable to get out. She had search and rescue teams, telling ment to helping others, knowing survived 6 days without food or about a good friend in New Mexico. she has a steadfast partner at water, wearing only a T-shirt and Though fighting cancer, this her side. ❖ shorts to keep her warm. The woman continued to participate in search and rescue missions Summer 1998 Inside APHIS/Page 7 We Brought Our Kids to Work and They Saw... Bugs! APHIS PHOTO BY RUBEN RUIZ (Above) In Pharr, TX, K.C. Fuentes, niece of PPQ Officer Martin Fuentes, views an insect under the microscope as Rebekah Ruiz, daughter of Public Awareness Officer Ruben Ruiz, awaits her turn. (Left) Also in Pharr, Sean Alanis, son of PPQ Supervisor Joe Alanis, discovers caterpillars in some vegetables. (Above left and below) Children in Honolulu, HI, pour through the variety of plant pests intercepted at the port. In the above left photograph, Keenan (left) and Jamie Nonaka, children of PPQ Officer Howard Nonaka examine live specimens. Below, Jamie examines pinned insects from the port's collection with Casey Hara, son of PPQ Officer Craig Hara. APHIS PHOTO BY RUBEN RUIZ APHIS PHOTO Page 8/Inside APHIS Summer 1998