rats, mice, and birds which are not covered by welfare legislation but make up approximately 90% of research animals. In 2015, an article in The New York Times on the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, a scientific facility containing over 30,000 farm animals, stated that the animals there are grossly mistreated because farm animals are not included under the Animal Welfare Act of 1966. In September 2016, the United States Department of Agriculture released a report on an investigation into the material covered by the Times article, and recommended that the USDA "establish adequate policies, procedures, and processes related to oversight of animal welfare at USMARC." Animals used in cosmetics tests Testing cosmetics on animals is currently legal in the US. The Humane Cosmetics Act to prohibit testing cosmetics on animals was re-introduced to Congress in 2015. Animals used for entertainment The controversial practice of circus animal acts is legal in the US. In 2015 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced it will phase out its use of elephants by 2018, but ended up shutting down in 2017. In May 2022, the circus announced it would resume touring in 2023 without the use of animals. The keeping of cetaceans in captivity for entertainment is also legal. California has proposed legislation to ban the captive display of orcas, and the state of Washington has proposed banning the captivity of any cetacean for entertainment. Following major public backlash prompted by the 2013 film Blackfish, SeaWorld announced in 2015-16 that it will end its controversial orca shows and breeding program. Dog fighting In 2007, the U.S. Congress passed a Federal law against interstate dog fighting activities. The Animal Fighting Prohibition Reinforcement Act provided for felony-level penalties including multi-year prison sentences and large fines for each offence. Passage of this law was followed by the involvement of the Inspector General's Office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in ongoing investigations around the United States. In addition to the controversial treatment a dog receives when he has potential as a fighter, according to a filing in U.S. District Court in Richmond by Federal investigators in Virginia, which was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and published by The Baltimore Sun on July 6, 2007, a losing dog or one whose potential is considered unacceptable faces "being put to death by drowning, strangulation, hanging, gun shot, electrocution or some other method". "Bait" animals