The Issues

Current Campaigns

AVMA Reform Campaign

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has traditionally endorsed many cruel farming systems, including veal and gestation crates as well as battery cages. In fact, at the most recent AVMA meeting in 2007, the group once again failed to take a position against the cruel forced feeding of ducks and geese which is used to produce foie gras.

Do No Harm: Although the Veterinarian's Oath clearly states that the veterinary medicine profession should aid "the relief of animal suffering," the AVMA unfortunately remains too close to agribusiness, and it has failed objectively to promote animal welfare.

In 2004, Bonnie Beaver, then AVMA President, acknowledged,

"It is important for each of us to recognize that we may at times become too close to the industries we serve, losing our objectivity about what is the best welfare and adopting instead that suggested by industry"

While the AVMA brought up several issues for debate over the past few years, (click here for more info) unfortunately, they have repeatedly failed to take a strong position against the cruelest industry practices.

However, thanks to growing concern and opinions by individual veterinarians, the issues have at least come to the table for discussion and this provides us with a venue to make changes. Polls show that individual veterinarians recognize the inherent cruelty in many industry accepted practices and are willing to convey their position to their trade group (the AVMA)

YOU CAN HELP

• Petition: Ask your veterinarian to sign the petition which asks the AVMA to resolve to give higher priority to the care and welfare of animals than industry economics. Please return the signed petition to Farm Sanctuary. IF YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA - please ask your veterinarian to endorse the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act which will be on the November 2008 ballot. Download an endorsement form and check to see if your veterinarian has already endorsed this ground breaking initiative.
• Write to the AVMA President: Please write to the current AVMA President, and urge the AVMA to place a higher priority on animal welfare than on agribusiness profits. Specifically include examples of foie gras, gestation and veal crates as well as battery cages.
  
  Dr. Gregory Hammer, President
  American Veterinary Medical Association
  1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100
  Schaumburg, IL 60173
  
  Fax: 847.925.1329
  E-mail: avmainfo@avma.org
• Ask Your Local Veterinarian: Please also ask your veterinarian to write to the AVMA President, and urge him to place a higher priority on animal welfare when required to choose between animal welfare and economic considerations. Click here to print a letter for your veterinarian to sign and mail.
• Distribute Brochures: Order AVMA Reform Campaign brochures to give to your local veterinarians and to spread the word about this Farm Sanctuary campaign. To order these free brochures, simply email campaign@farmsanctuary.org, click here or call (607) 583-2225 ext. 251.
• Download Brochures: A downloadable version of the AVMA Reform Campaign brochure is available here.
• Background on the Campaign: Click here for additional background about the AVMA Reform Campaign.

NEWS

AVMA Disgraces Itself and its Members With Stance on Humane Farming Initiative
Dr. Eric Barchas, DVM, explains how the AVMA’s opposition to California’s Proposition 2 damages its credibility.

AVMA says Prop 2 is not 'in animals' best interests'
Unsurprisingly, the AVMA has once again sided with industry by coming out against California's Prop 2. In contrast, Prop 2 is supported by California Veterinary Medical Association, more than 600 California veterinarians, more than 150 California veterinary medical students, the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, the San Diego County Veterinary Medical Association, and nearly 70 veterinary hospitals and clinics. It is a modest measure that would give farm animals room to stretch their limbs, lie down comfortably and turn around. Find out more about it here: http://humanecalifornia.org/

Report by The Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production
The Pew Commission's final report confirms that many common industrialized farming practices are harmful to animals. Among many findings, the commission concluded that,
"Intensive confinement (e.g. gestation crates for swine, battery cages for laying hens) often so severely restricts movement and natural behaviors, such as the ability to walk or lie on natural materials, having enough floor space to move with some freedom, and rooting for pigs, that it increases the likelihood that the animals suffer severe distress."

California initiative targets livestock housing
California voters will get to decide this November whether certain livestock in their state have a right to more spacious quarters. The ballot initiative, sponsored by a coalition of animal protection groups including the Humane Society of the United States, would require that egg-laying hens, veal calves, and pregnant sows be provided with enough room to lie down, stand, turn around, and fully extend their limbs.

AASV president wants members and students on the farm
Dr. Kerry Keffaber, president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, sees a lack of veterinarians and veterinary students with experience on the farm.

A New Problem for Farmers: Few Veterinarians
Rainbow had the bad luck to try to have a baby on a Thursday. Thursday was her doctor’s day off, and there was no one else for miles who could handle a complicated breech birth, not when the mother was a Holstein cow.

Study: Animal vet shortage may affect food
Food safety and America's ability to handle outbreaks of catastrophic animal diseases are being threatened by a projected shortage in food animal veterinarians, a new study shows.

Factors In Vet Shortage Began 35 Years Ago
Large animal vet explains that drug companies care more about profit than animal care and human health:

"....producers aren't trained to discriminate between competing products and programs to produce healthy animals. Only the attending vet has the technical knowledge to sort through the sales spin. Some large companies try to cover their shameful behavior by hiring a veterinarian willing to prostitute his license visit producers once a year to meet pharmacy law requirements that he be on the farm if he writes prescriptions for controlled drugs. All this defeats the purpose of providing professional care for animals, protection of the food supply and profitable farm management. Sales pressures have overtaken competency."

For more information, materials, or if you have any questions, please contact us at campaign@farmsanctuary.org or at 607-583-2225 ext 229.