American Veterinary Medical Association

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), founded in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 75,000 U.S. 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.

Official website

The AVMA's veterinary student organization is the Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA).

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AVMA policy

The AVMA produces policy statements in response to member requests and public interest. These statements are general and aim to encourage improvement based on the best available scientific evidence.

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.

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 alleged cruelty to animals, the AVMA has refused to take a stand either for or against foie gras.

In 2006, Farm Sanctuary sent a petitions signed by many veterinarians to the AVMA. These petitions supported a resolution to declare that "animal welfare is a higher priority than economic considerations." However, the AVMA delegates at the AVMA annual convention did not support this proposition. The AVMA is often regarded as a group that exists to protect animal health and well-being, but in fact it represents the concerns of the veterinary profession as a whole, including concerns about human health and safety and with an explicit position that human use of animals is an acceptable practice.

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 applied to only 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]. In the absence of slaughter the humane killing of unwanted horses remains an issue and transporting horses to Mexico^[4] or dumping of unwanted horses seems to have become more common, to avoid the costs of veterinary euthanasia.

Specialists in veterinary medicine

"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

See also

References

1. ^ About the AVMA. Retrieved on 2006-04-06.
2. ^ AVMA Animal Welfare Positions. Retrieved on 2006-04-06.
3. ^ Farm Sanctuary AVMA Reform Website
4. ^ http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA093007.01A.horseslaughter.3496288.html
5. ^ Veterinary Specialty Organizations. Retrieved on 2006-04-06.