Wildflower International, Ltd. president and CEO Kimberly deCastro is an advocate of wetlands preservation and protection. In fact, she was a recipient of the 1998 National Wetlands Awards. In addition to her passion for protecting the environment, Kimberly deCastro also supports animal welfare.

1. Kimberly deCastro
About the Drop in
Animal Welfare
Violations in 2018

2. Introduction
• Wildflower International, Ltd. president and CEO
Kimberly deCastro is an advocate of wetlands
preservation and protection. In fact, she was a
recipient of the 1998 National Wetlands Awards. In
addition to her passion for protecting the
environment, Kimberly deCastro also supports
animal welfare.
The Washington Post reported that the US
Department of Agriculture (USDA) documented a
decrease in animal welfare violations in 2018.
According to the USDA, 1,800 citations were issued
in 2018, compared to 4,000 in 2017.

3. Animal Welfare
• The USDA is mandated to conduct surprise
inspections of licensed animal facilities such as
zoos, laboratories, and pet breeders. The 2018
inspections documented violations such as
insufficient space in animal shelters and non-
treatment of wounds among animals. When cited
for violations, violators face penalties.
Despite this positive report, the reduction in
citations may be due in part to a shortage of
inspectors. As a result of this shortage, USDA also
reported a decrease in the number of inspections
by 5 percent. This development led the USDA to
coordinate with stakeholders to address the issue.