The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (HSVMA) advocates for animals through legislation, publication and litigation. We strive to develop better public policies for animals and advance humane alternatives in veterinary education.

Advocacy

Contacting the AVMA Regarding Petition on VSD

Background Information

To contact your AVMA delegate, log on to www.avma.org. The landing page contains contact information for your HOD delegate. Some delegates do not monitor their posted email addresses, so we recommend calling them by phone.

Talking points include:

  • A new scientific, peer-reviewed article published just this week highlights the key concerns about the use of heatstroke as a method of depopulation pigs and poultry. The article, published in the open access Animals publication, highlights that VSD+ Heat has become a "standard" method of depopulating chickens (90% of chicken killed in depopulations in 2022 used VSD+Heat as the sole method or one of multiple methods used at the premises); that review of the scientific literature on hot air sauna burns in humans suggests some pigs killed by VSD+TH may have suffered second- and third degree burns before dying; and that the veterinary professional has significant power and responsibility to advance animal welfare when it comes to depopulations, both because the AVMA's Guidelines have been incorporated into federal and state policy and because there are numerous ways by which the veterinary profession could help decrease the need for depopulation. 

  • VSD+Heat is becoming the “go to” method for depopulation. During the on-going avian flu outbreak, ventilation shutdown (VSD) plus heat has been used to kill tens of millions of chickens, turkeys, and ducks. In contrast, VSD was only used a handful of times during the previous HPAI outbreak (2014-2016), prior to release of the AVMA’s Depopulation Guidelines, which classified VSD+ as “permitted in constrained circumstances.”

  • VSD+ is a particularly cruel and painful method of killing birds and pigs. VSD+Heat causes birds and pigs to die over several excruciating hours due to heatstroke. Just as in other species, birds and pigs dying of heatstroke experience heat distress, pain, severe damage to their gastrointestinal tract, and respiratory distress prior to losing consciousness.

  • What are producers supposed to do if preferred methods like CO2 aren't available? Even if the American Veterinary Medical Association classifies VSD/VSD+ as “not recommended,” producers may still choose to use it. However, under current systems, producers who use methods classified as “not recommended” by AVMA are not eligible for USDA indemnity payments. As a result, if VSD+ is reclassified, producers may be motivated to implement alternative methods that are less cruel in order to avoid financial consequences.

  • AVMA has failed to act since early 2021. A previous Resolution by petition asking the AVMA to reclassify VSD+ as “not recommended” was initially introduced prior to the January 2021 House of Delegates (HoD) session. The AVMA declined to allow discussion of the Resolution until the July 2021 meeting, at which time the HoD voted to refer the Resolution to the AVMA Panel on Depopulation. In spite of this, an AVMA representative announced in June 2022 that the group had been too busy with other projects, so the Panel had not yet begun deliberating about the request.
  • AVMA should lead the way in preventing widespread use of VSD+. Given the number of animals affected by the on-going animal welfare crisis, the AVMA must do more than reclassify VSD+. Our profession should work to decrease the need for depopulations and reduce the number of animals killed in them, especially by depopulation methods that rely on heatstroke as their mechanism of killing.  Instead, we should be supporting  the use of  more humane depopulation methods (including some already acknowledged by the AVMA as preferable to VSD+). As a profession, we must support legislative efforts that would increase transparency and accountability around mass depopulations.

Please email [email protected] if you have any questions about the above information.

 

 
Advocacy

Pets and Monkeypox Virus (MPXV)

(Published August 23, 2022)

The Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is an orthopox virus, in the same genus as smallpox. Historically, cases of the disease have been concentrated in Africa, however there have now been confirmed cases worldwide, including in the United States.

In addition to being spread human-to-human, Monkeypox can also be spread animal-to-human and human-to-animal. Reverse zoonotic transmission of the disease was recently confirmed in Europe—in a case of human household members infecting a pet dog.

Information about this virus and disease is changing rapidly; there is still much that is unknown about the disease and many questions about it cannot yet be adequately answered.

However, although not a lot is known about the disease, it should be assumed that any mammal is susceptible to Monkeypox.

Transmission is thought to be via close direct contact with an infected human or animal. The incubation period can range from 1-2 weeks; the period of infection can last up to 21 days and the patient may be contagious throughout this period.

Clinical signs of infection are non-specific and may vary with the severity of the case.  These signs can include fever, skin rash or characteristic pustular (pox) or vesicular (blister) lesions, respiratory signs such as coughing or congestion, conjunctivitis and inappetance. It is important to note that skin lesions do not manifest in all cases of this disease, and because of the low number of animal case reports to-date, we have only limited knowledge about what MPXV infection will look like in most animals.

Unless you know that a patient may have had close contact with a Monkeypox-infected person or animal, it makes sense to rule out more common causes of clinical signs before considering testing for infection and contacting public or animal health officials.  At this point the CDC offers scant details about where to send suspect specimens for confirmation.  A good first step would be to contact your state’s Department of Health or Department of Agriculture.

MORE INFORMATION:

The CDC guidance for veterinarians regarding Monkeypox has been issued to facilitate preparedness and to ensure practices in a veterinary clinical setting are in place to help staff, clients and animals stay safe and healthy. These include proper PPE usage and isolation and disinfection protocols.  Consider checking the guidelines frequently, since they will be updated as more information becomes available.

PROTECTING PETS:

Pets play important positive roles in people’s lives, so it is critical pet owners keep Monkeypox concerns in perspective and not make rash decisions about their pets.

Pets should be treated the same as any other at-risk family member and the same preventive safety and distancing guidelines should be followed if and when they are outside the home. More detailed information for pet owners who believe their pets may have been exposed to Monkeypox can be found in the article, What to do with Monkeypox-Exposed Pets?, by Dr. Scott Weese, DVM, ACVIM of the Ontario Veterinary College’s Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses.

 
Advocacy

Veterinary Support Needed for
Critical Equine Welfare Legislation
Contact Your U.S. Representative to Co-Sponsor

With your help, the US House of Representatives can pass TWO of the most important pieces of federal legislation designed to protect horses. 

The Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act (H.R.3355/S.2732) would permanently ban domestic horse slaughter plants within the U.S. and stop the export of American horses for slaughter abroad.

The Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (H.R.5441/S.2295) would put an end to the barbaric soring of Big Lick Tennessee Walking horses and the charade of self-policing within that industry. The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) calls soring “one of the most significant welfare issues affecting any equine breed or discipline.“ 

As veterinary professionals we see the struggles some horse owners experience when coping with end-of-life decisions, but we also see the throwaway nature of some irresponsible owners in the horse industry, where shipping to slaughter—the antithesis of humane euthanasia—is routine. And we see the horrible effects of soring. We owe it to our equine companions to raise our respected voices to protect them from such egregious violations of the human-animal bond that we hold so dear in our profession.

TAKING ACTION WILL ONLY TAKE A FEW MINUTES! 

Use the information below to call and/or email your Representative as soon as possible. 

1. CALL your U.S. Representative: Find his/her name and number HERE

Here’s a suggested script you can use on the phone or in a voicemail message: 

“Hi, my name is <your name and title>. I am a veterinarian/veterinary technician and a voting constituent from <your city>. I’m calling to urge Representative ________ to co-sponsor the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act (H.R. 3355), and the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (H.R.5441) and do everything possible to get these bills enacted quickly to end intentional and inhumane brutality towards horses.  I am urging Representative ______ to co-sponsor these bills. Thank you!

2. EMAIL your U.S. Representative:

The links below will take you to pre-written emails. When you fill in your name and address, your Representative will automatically be identified.

You can personalize both messages within their respective text boxes. Please do so, making sure to identify yourself as a veterinary professional.

Access the SAFE Act email message and the PAST Act email message.

Thank you so much for taking action as soon as possible. These bills have been languishing for years and with your help, we will get them over the goal line!

 
Advocacy

Advocating to End Inhumane Cosmetics Testing on Animals

Progress Continues in the US and Abroad

Although non-animal alternatives to animal testing are readily available, unnecessary and inhumane testing is still being conducted on rabbits, mice, rats and guinea pigs by companies manufacturing lipstick, deodorant, shampoo and other beauty and personal care products.

Safe cosmetics can be humanely created using thousands of approved existing ingredients, and several non-animal methods are already available to test new ingredients. These advanced technologies are often more reliable predictors of safety than archaic animal tests.

Steady progress is being made on both the state and national levels, and HSVMA continues to support these efforts. Eight US states have already banned cosmetics testing: California in 2018, Illinois and Nevada in 2019, and Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia in 2021.

More than 40 countries—including Australia, India, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and every European Union country—already prohibit or limit this retrograde practice, and last year Mexico became the first North American country to do so. 

Unfortunately, the US has not yet done so at the federal level. However, passage of the federal Humane Cosmetics Act, introduced in the last Congress and reintroduced in December in the current 117th Congress, would change that by prohibiting animal testing for all cosmetics manufactured in the United States. It would also prohibit the import of cosmetics that have been tested on animals anywhere else in the world. 

Thanks to strong bipartisan support, unprecedented support from the cosmetics industry itself, and strong public and consumer support, HSVMA and our allied advocates hope that our active support will make 2022 the year the federal Humane Cosmetics Act is finally enacted.

We need your help to pass this critical animal welfare legislation—please follow these few short steps to take action:  

  1. Confirm who your U.S. Representative and both your U.S Senators are and their numbers here.
  1. Check to see if your U.S. Representative is one of the many cosponsors here. If your Representative is a cosponsor, a quick thank you call or email goes a very long way.
  1. Call or email your U.S. Representative if they are not a cosponsor. 
Here’s a script you can personalize:
My name is <your name> and I am a veterinary professional and a voting constituent in <your city>. I am calling to urge Representative ____ to cosponsor the Humane Cosmetics Act, HR 6207. Forty-one countries and 8 U.S. states have already passed laws to end cosmetics testing on animals and it’s time for the U.S. to do the same. The cosmetics industry itself has worked with animal protection groups to propose the language for this bill. I urge Representative ____  to cosponsor HR 6207 as soon as possible to end this cruelty. Thank you.  
  1. Call or email both of your U.S. Senators (there is no need to call Senators Booker (NJ), Portman (OH), Hickenlooper (CO), Collins (ME), and Rosen (NV), as they are all already sponsors; although a thank you email or call would be helpful).
Here’s a script you can personalize:
My name is <your name> and I am a veterinary professional and a voting constituent in <your city>. I am calling to urge Senator ____ to cosponsor the Humane Cosmetics Act, S.3357. Forty-one countries and 8 U.S. states have already passed laws to end cosmetics testing on animals and it’s time for the U.S. to do the same. The cosmetics industry itself has worked with animal protection groups to propose the language for this bill. Please urge Senator ____  to cosponsor S.3357 as soon as possible to end this cruelty. Thank you.
 

You can learn more about this bill at Cosmetics Testing FAQ as well as  Humane Cosmetics Act Fact Sheet 117th Congress  We appreciate your collaborative advocacy.

 

 
Advocacy

Talking Points:
Pennsylvania's Humane Pet Store Bill (Victoria's Law)
 

HSVMA is providing the following talking points to counter some of the false arguments against Victoria's Law, the Pennsylvania legislation that would prohibit Pennsylvania pet stores from selling dogs and cats from large-scale commercial breeders (i.e. puppy mills). In lieu of these sales, this legislation would promote partnerships between Pennsylvania pet stores and nonprofit rescue groups and municipal shelters for the adoption of cats and dogs from pet shop locations.

More than 300 Pennsylvania veterinary professionals have joined with HSVMA in supporting this legislation as a way to sever the connection between the inherently inhumane commercial breeding enterprises known as ‘mills’ and the pet stores who are taking advantage of these animals and of the unknowing families who purchase them and often end up with sick animals, unanticipated medical bills and heartbreak for all involved. Veterinary professionals can join HSVMA in supporting this legislation by signing the endorsement form here.

TALKING POINTS

Opponents claim rescues are the real problem
Our positionThis argument is merely a deflection from the issue at hand—the known, well-documented, and numerous animals welfare and consumer protection problems posed by puppy-selling pet stores. Most rescues operate responsibly while doing the lifesaving work of rehoming animals that might otherwise be on the streets, in unsafe situations, or euthanized. As such, it is irresponsible and disrespectful to the animal welfare community to draw a moral equivalency between rescues that save homeless animals and pet stores that buy purposefully-bred puppies from high volume commercial breeders who often disregard the health and welfare of their animals.

Opponents claim rescue dogs are of unknown origin.
Our position: While this is sometimes true, most rescues are honest about this with adopters, and most adopters understand this will be the case before deciding to adopt. On the contrary, pet stores go to great lengths to hide from customers where their puppies really come from. A common pet store customer complaint is that they didn’t realize they were supporting a massive, inhumane, out-of-state breeder until after they purchased a puppy.

Opponents claim Internet sales are a bigger problem (than pet store-supplied mill dogs). 
Our position: No one bill can address all animal issues, and this bill is largely focused on pet stores. It does, however, include a provision requiring all sellers to include license numbers in advertisements and online postings, which will increase transparency into internet sales. While prohibiting the sale of puppies and kittens on the internet is a complicated issue that states would have a hard time enforcing, Pennsylvania pet stores, are in-state businesses selling thousands of puppy mills puppies each year to unsuspecting consumers. The puppies are often sick and have behavioral problems due to their origin, long transports, and pet store conditions. They are sold for thousands of dollars based on false guarantees. When customers balk at the price tag, financing is offered and low interest rates are promised, even though many end up with shockingly high rates. These are very real issues affecting Pennsylvanians, and the fact that there are also issues with internet sales should not prevent action on pet stores.

Opponents claim: There is an unregulated black market.
Our position: Puppy-selling pet stores and those that profit from their sales often refer to the online sales as a black market but fail to mention that, since 2013, the USDA has regulated breeders and brokers who sell over the internet just as the agency regulates breeders and brokers who sell to pet stores.  Pet stores, however, are not regulated by the USDA, so if there is a black market on a federal scale, its pet stores. And, while pet stores are regulated under PA’s Dog Law, the law is silent on where they can source from. Further, there is no evidence that stopping the sale of puppies in pet stores leads to an increase in online puppy sales, as pet stores cater to impulse buyers who fall for the cute puppy in the window and would likely not buy a puppy at all if it weren’t for the pet store and to customers who want to meet a puppy in person before purchase, which is not possible with online sales. 

Opponents claim Victoria's Law would limit pet choice.
Our position: According to the pet industry, only 4% of Americans obtain dogs from pet stores. Removing this outlet would have a minor impact on pet choice and a major impact on animal welfare, most significantly by cutting off the puppy mill to pet store pipeline, and on consumer protection. Those looking to add a new dog or cat to their family are far better off adopting from one of PA’s many shelters or rescues, including many breed-specific rescues, or seeking out a responsible breeder who treats their dogs like pets and only sells directly to the public because they have nothing to hide. An online search of the AKC Marketplace shows a high volume of popular purebred puppies available within PA, directly from breeders, and that doesn’t even include all of the designer/mixed breed puppies available.

 

 
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