DOES YOUR VETERINARIAN CARE ABOUT
ANIMALS? Not if he or she follows the guidelines and policies of the
American Veterinary Medical Association!
You can check out the AVMA website listing all AVMA
official policies at:
www.avma.org/care4pets/morewelf.htm#about
The American Veterinary Medical Association has an
Animal Welfare Committee which is supposed to write animal welfare
policies to protect animals from inhumane treatment. However, the AVMA
Animal Welfare Committee is made up of pro-industry veterinarians who
have far more interest in economics than the humane treatment of
animals.
The AVMA does not recognize the rights of any animal and
has been a scathing critic of anyone wishing to address the inherent
needs of animals.
CAGED HENS
Consider the fact that the fast food giant MacDonalds
required its suppliers to enlarge the size of the hen's cage and to stop
forced molting. However, the AVMA still supports both forced molting and
tiny cages.
The AVMA states, "Housing Layer Chickens in Cages: The
current use of cages to house layer chickens should be continued, and
present knowledge is not sufficient to support a radical change or ban
of this system".
RODEO
Coca Cola has withdrawn its rodeo sponsorship after
viewing graphic video documentation of cruelty to animals in rodeo
events. In addition, Coke was supplied with an extensive record of
injuries and deaths of rodeo animals which has not been contested by any
rodeo organization.
Coke also listened to expert opinion of what happens to
rodeo animals according to meat inspectors, as told by Dr. Peggy Larson
and SHARK President Steve Hindi.
Coke was extremely concerned about violence to rodeo
animals and its effect on children. The AVMA was presented with the same
information and yet continues to adamantly support rodeo.
WILDLIFE AND FERAL CATS
The AVMA does consider the steel-jaw leghold trap to be
inhumane. However, the wildlife veterinarian sitting on the AVMA Animal
Welfare Committee wants that policy changed to allow use of the
steel-jawed leghold trap. This is the same individual who advocated
shooting feral cats as a solution to reducing their numbers. What ever
happened to "First, do no harm"? Are lap cats and family dogs the only
sentient animals? Or is sentience only associated with paying customers?
Unconscionable!
SPECTATOR EVENTS
The AVMA acknowledges that there are "spectator events
involving animals where injuries may occur. Nevertheless, the AVMA
continues to support these events, including Greyhound racing, the
Iditarod, roadside animal parks (notorious for their poor animal care),
rodeo (five horses were killed in rodeo events last year and the dead
and injured bovines are not even counted), polo, horse racing (a dirty
business where horses are sometimes killed by veterinarians for
insurance money), cutting, reining, jumping and field trials. The status
quo "tradition" of beating up on animals in the name of entertainment is
morally and socially unacceptable. Why has the AVMA failed to evolve
with the rest of us? The Europeans recognize that animals are sentient
and is acting accordingly, but the AVMA disagrees and does nothing.
The AVMA merely condemns the practice of "soring" horses
but does not consider it inhumane even though the federal government
(USDA) considers this practice in violation of the Animal Welfare Act. "Soring"
is deliberately causing pain in the front feet of Tennessee Walkers to
make them step higher.
POUND DOGS AND CATS and RESEARCH
Did you know that the AVMA supports the "Use of
Random-Source Dogs and Cats for Research, Testing, and Education?"
According to its own policy, "The AVMA believes that there is ample
justification for the prudent and humane use of random-source animals in
veterinary medical education and biomedical research." No pound dog or
cat is safe from the AVMA!
The AVMA also supports the use of biologic specimens,
cats, frogs and other animals, in pre-college education. However, and
with the help of the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights,
many educational institutions are opting for non-animal specimens.
The AVMA "defends and promotes the use of animals in
meaningful research, testing and education programs". Education programs
use either live or dead animals as teaching aids.
FACTORY FARMING
The "AVMA commends livestock and poultry producers,
animal scientists, and veterinarians who have advanced the science of
animal agriculture to the benefit of animals and mankind." To this end,
the AVMA supports the confinement rearing of livestock and poultry."
The AVMA supports raising veal calves raised in tiny
stalls and provided with poor nutrition to make "white veal," pigs
confined in crates, calves fattened in feedlots where they are fed
antibiotics as growth stimulants, laying hens confined in tiny cages,
and PMU farming where pregnant mares are confined to small stalls for 6
months and their foals are sold to slaughter.
The evidence makes clear that:
If you care about animals and don't want them to continue to suffer, you
must contact the American Veterinary Medical Association. Let them know
what you think about their heartless and hopelessly outdated policies.
Tell them that condoning and promoting animal abuse is unacceptable and
that the AVMA must change their policies to protect animals, not harm
them. Here is the AVMA's contact information:
Bruce Little, DVM
AVMA Executive Vice President
1931 North Meacham Road, Suite 100
Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360
Phone 847-925-8070
Fax 847-925-1329
e-mail: [email protected]
contirbuted by: SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and
Kindness)
website: www.sharkonline.org
[email protected]
Go on to President
Bush Working to Reverse Food Safety Rules
Return to 28 January 2001 Issue
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