Local Congressman Jimmy Panetta on Thursday introduced the House version of legislation intended to stop the routine killing of kittens by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The kittens are specifically bred, intentionally infected by toxoplasmosis parasites which are then harvested, and the kittens killed. The agency says it has killed nearly 3,000 kittens since 1982.
The legislation, called the Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now — or KITTEN — Act.
More than 40 million American humans carry the parasite – most without knowledge or symptoms. Opponents say that beyond killing healthy kittens the program is a waste of money.
The bill has also been introduced in the Senate and has both Democrat and Republican sponsors.
