The US government is asking for public comments on a petition to regulate animal shelters

The Federal Trade Commission has received a petition asking it to regulate animal rescue organizations. The agency is now asking the public for written comments on this petition. This is the first step in a long process.

Animal rescue organizations are largely unregulated. This means they operate without much oversight, even though they handle millions of animals and billions of dollars in donations. If the Federal Trade Commission decides to act on this petition, it could create new rules for how these organizations operate, affecting everything from their fundraising practices to how they care for animals.