Some of 500 animals at a temporary shelter in Fort Worth, Texas, rescued from abusive "puppy mill" conditions. Photo: Josh Henderson, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Feb 17, 2017 — ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer says the federal Department of Agriculture under President Donald Trump has backtracked on animal welfare by deleting an online database of inspection reports on animal facilities such as dog breeding centers.

The New York Democrat says Friday that the database helped expose puppy mills and other inhumane facilities. He has written the USDA urging it to reconsider the decision, which he says puts animals at risk.

Schumer says the USDA inspects about 9,000 breeding centers, laboratories and other animal facilities annually.

In a statement on its website, the USDA says an ongoing review of its online information began before Trump took office. It says the changes are intended to balance transparency with personal privacy and that the information can be requested through open records requests.

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