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American Veterinary Medical Association
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), founded in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 73,000 US veterinarians working in private and corporate practice, government, industry, academia, and uniformed services.[1]
The AVMA provides information resources, continuing education opportunities, publications, and discounts on personal and professional products, programs, and services. The AVMA indicates that it lobbies for animal friendly legislation within a framework that supports the use of animals for human purposes (e.g., food, fiber, research, companionship).[2]
The AVMA publishes the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Journal of Veterinary Research.
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In 2005, the AVMA changed its gestation crates policy and acknowledged that gestation crates cause animal welfare problems. Still, the AVMA is not asking that factory farms stop using gestation crates. Critics of the AVMA say this is an example of the AVMA validating cruel factory farming practices.
Recently the AVMA has voted on several proposals to take a formal stand against the force-feeding of birds to make foie gras. Although foie gras has been banned in many countries in Europe as well as California and the City of Chicago for extreme cruelty to animals, the AVMA has refused to take a stand against foie gras.
In 2006, Farm Sanctuary sent several hundred petitions signed by veterinarians to the AVMA. These petitions supported a resolution to declare that "animal welfare is a higher priority than economic considerations." However, the AVMA refused this proposition. The AVMA is often regarded as a group that exists to protect animal health and well-being, but in fact the main concern seems to be protecting the meat industry and other animal industries.
Later in 2006, the AVMA testified against the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503) and defended the slaughter of horses processed and sold as meat. They insisted that the transportation of horses to slaughterhouses is humane, but the federal Twenty-Eight Hour Law only applied to trains not trucks. But 95 percent of animals transported in the U.S. go by truck. Farm Sanctuary petitioned the USDA for this law to include all animals and the petition was finally granted in September 2006. [3]
The Veterinarian's Oath clearly states that veterinarians must aid in the relief of animal suffering. However, AVMA ties to the meat industry make the group unable to promote animal welfare. A number of animal welfare advocates and organizations are critical of the AVMA’s position on a number of animal welfare issues.[4] Farm Sanctuary is one of the main groups interested in reforming AVMA policy.
"A veterinary specialist, as recognized by the AVMA, is a graduate veterinarian who has successfully completed the process of board certification in an AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organization (ie, board or college). To become board certified, a veterinarian must have extensive post-graduate training and experience and pass a credential review and examinations set by the given specialty organization."[5]
The AVMA recognizes the following 20 veterinary specialty organizations:
- American Board of Veterinary Practitioners
- American Board of Veterinary Toxicology
- American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine
- American College of Poultry Veterinarians
- American College of Theriogenologists
- American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists
- American College of Veterinary Behaviorists
- American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology
- American College of Veterinary Dermatology
- American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care
- American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
- American College of Veterinary Microbiologists
- American College of Veterinary Nutrition
- American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists
- American College of Veterinary Pathologists
- American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine
- American College of Veterinary Radiology
- American College of Veterinary Surgeons
- American College of Zoological Medicine
- American Veterinary Dental College
- ^ About the AVMA. Retrieved on April 6, 2006.
- ^ AVMA Animal Welfare Positions. Retrieved on April 6, 2006.
- ^ Farm Sanctuary AVMA Reform Website
- ^ Animal Rights International, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, United Poultry Concerns, and the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights. "Has anyone betrayed more animals than the American Veterinary Association?" advertisement (PDF). New York Times (June 21, 2004).
- ^ Veterinary Specialty Organizations. Retrieved on April 6, 2006.