NEW ORLEANS, July 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Veterinary
Medical Association House of Delegates (AVMA-HOD) voted today to pass a
groundbreaking policy on veal calf housing that promotes both animal health
and welfare. The resolution passed by a landslide 88.7 percent vote.
This new policy states "that the AVMA supports a change in veal husbandry
practices that severely restrict movement, to housing systems that allow for
greater freedom of movement without compromising health or welfare."
"This is encouraging on two levels," explains Dr. Ron DeHaven, AVMA chief
executive officer. "First, we are proactively seeking to improve the welfare
of veal calves, and second, the resolution still affords the AVMA Animal
Welfare Committee the opportunity to do a comprehensive analysis of the
science and to consider all relevant perspectives of veal calf production."
The AVMA-HOD referred a second veal housing resolution to the AVMA Animal
Welfare Committee, which is currently studying all aspects of the welfare of
veal calves, not just housing. The AVMA-HOD anticipates future resolutions
that will even further enhance the health and welfare of all animals.
"By approving this policy, the AVMA is encouraging innovation in design
and implementation of animal care systems. Equally important, the new policy
acknowledges that a multitude of factors, including, but not limited to,
housing contribute to veal calf welfare and need to be considered conjointly,"
says Dr. Gail Golab, director of the AVMA Animal Welfare Division. "To ensure
we are meeting the physiological and psychological needs of calves, we need to
look at systems that may not be as confining, but still maintain the benefits
of the systems we currently employ."
Another key policy passed by the AVMA-HOD urges that a coordinated network
of microchip databases with the ability to communicate be created to help
identify lost pets.
"This resolution just makes good sense when it comes to improving the
chances of reuniting pets with their owners," Dr. DeHaven says.
Currently, information on animals with implanted microchip identifications
are maintained in separate databases, creating gaps that can frustrate efforts
to reunited pets and their owners.
"The AVMA is very pleased to help encourage all microchip companies to
cooperate to develop a means by which microchipped animals can be easily
reunited with their owners," explains Dr. Rosemary LoGiudice, AVMA
representative to the Coalition for Reuniting Pets and Families.
CONTACT:
Tom McPheron
1-773-494-5419
SOURCE American Veterinary Medical Association
Tom McPheron, +1-773-494-5419, American Veterinary Medical Association
