Comment from Lester M Schwab, DVM, AnimalALERT

Document ID: APHIS-2006-0012-0005
Document Type: Public Submission
Agency: Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service
Received Date: March 17 2006, at 08:04 AM Eastern Standard Time
Date Posted: March 20 2006, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Comment Start Date: March 10 2006, at 07:12 AM Eastern Standard Time
Comment Due Date: September 7 2006, at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time
Tracking Number: 8014852a
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This is comment on Proposed Rule

Animal Welfare; Animal Identification Standards

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Dear Aphis: This is my 43rd year of attempting to decrease the number of companion animals destroyed in shelters across the U.S. simply because their owners could not be identified. I was elated when RFID of companion animals was made possible and very disturbed that the U.S. manufacturer's and distributors refused to accept the ISO (International Standard Organization) world standard. For this exceptional technology to be available to the masses of pet owners worldwide it must: Be on the ISO standard. Be priced so as to be accessable to the masses Be a proven technology. Be readily available. Be easily accessible. Be open to all who wish to participate. Be on a national and global database. Be annually updated. Unfortunately only #3 above (Be a proven technology) exist. AnimalALERT has contacted a 5 billion dollar databse company to maintain a world companion animal database that would be open to all manufacturers and distributors world wide.