CARE Act

The CARE Act amends the Animal Welfare Act to explicitly include cold-blooded animals - such as reptiles, amphibians, cephalopods, and fish - under federal animal welfare protections. This change directly affects these animals used in research, testing, experimentation, or exhibition, expanding their legal definition as "animals" under federal law. The bill excludes common lab rodents (rats, mice), birds, horses, and farmed animals raised for food or fiber. Key provisions redefine "animal" to cover cold-blooded species in specified contexts, while maintaining existing exclusions for certain livestock and research animals. The law would require federal oversight for these animals' care in regulated settings, aligning their treatment with protections already applied to warm-blooded animals like dogs and cats.