I work at a dog boarding kennel and almost ever single week we have dogs that come in that will literally cower unprovoked to our staff. There are also dogs with serious reactivity that is usually derived from abuse. I feel like my hands are tied and I can’t do anything to help these animals. We then have to return them to the owners we often are sure are abusing them, or at least not giving them their basic needs: food, security, a feeling of being safe. My heart breaks every time these dogs go back home to those toxic environments, and I can’t do anything. I would like a federal law passed that required animaL professionals or those in the animal care industry to be required to report potential abuse, the same way the Mandated Reporter Law applies to children and humans. This seems like a gigantic loophole that I think really needs to be filled soon, for the safety of these animals that don’t deserve to suffer. Not only does it put the dogs at risk, but our staffs safety is at risk because their behavior is so erratic and unpredictable. These dogs are essentially a liability to those caring for them and the dogs and cats around them. Animal rights should be protected at the same level as humans.