Welcome to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Website!

The Animal and Plant Health inspection Service (APHIS) is responsible for protecting and promoting U.S. agricultural health, administering the Animal Welfare Act, and carrying out wildlife damage management activities.

The APHIS mission is an integral part of U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) efforts to provide the Nation with safe and affordable food. Without APHIS protecting America's animal and plant resources from agricultural pests and diseases, threats to our food supply and to our Nation's economy would be enormous. For example, if Mediterranean fruit fly and Asian longhorned beetle, two major agricultural pests, were left unchecked by APHIS, production and marketing losses of several billions of dollars would occur annually in this country. And, if APHIS was not on the job as the first line of defense, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, animal diseases like foot-and-mouth disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) could devastate our livestock industry and our food supply. All these plant and animal pests and disease threats could cost billions of dollars in lost domestic and international markets and have a huge impact on U.S. consumers, but APHIS has aggressively and successfully worked to prevent and respond to these situations.

In recent years, the scope of APHIS' protection function has expanded beyond pest and disease management. Because of its technical expertise and leadership in assessing and regulating the risks associated with agricultural imports, APHIS has assumed a greater role in the global agricultural arena. Now, the agency must respond to other countries' animal and plant health import requirements and negotiate science-based standards that ensure America's agricultural exports, worth over $50 billion annually, are protected from unjustified trade restrictions.

In response to needs expressed by the American people and Congress, APHIS' protection role also includes wildlife damage management, the welfare of animals, human health and safety, and ecosystems vulnerable to invasive pests and pathogens. In carrying out its diverse protection responsibilities, APHIS makes every effort to address the needs of all those involved in the U.S. agricultural sector.

For additional information on APHIS and its many activities, I encourage you to browse this website. Feel free to e-mail your questions to us, by clicking here.