Posted By: Mira Trapper
AVA & Farmers know animals. HSUS/PETA do not!. - 09/23/08 10:45 PM
AVMA responds to 'Prop 2'
This November, California voters will decide on Proposition 2, a
ballot initiative sponsored by a coalition of animal protection groups
requiring that egg-laying hens, veal calves, and pregnant sows have
room enough to lie down, stand, turn around, and fully extend their
limbs, effective 2015. The initiative, Standards for Confining Farm
Animals, is backed by the California VMA. Some CVMA members have
formed the Association of California Veterinarians because they
disagree with their association's support for Proposition 2.
Although the AVMA applauds every effort to promote animal welfare, the
Association is concerned about possible, unintended negative
consequences to animal welfare of enacting the measure. Following is
the AVMA's response to Proposition 2.
"The American Veterinary Medical Association believes Proposition 2,
'Standards for Confining Farm Animals,' is admirable in its goal to
improve the welfare of production farm animals; however, it ignores
critical aspects of animal welfare that ultimately would threaten the
well-being of the very animals it strives to protect.
"The best housing environments take into consideration all relevant
factors, including: freedom of movement; expression of normal
behaviors; protection from disease, injury, and predators; adequate
food and water; and proper handling. Proposition 2 would clearly
provide greater freedom of movement, but would likely compromise
several of the other factors necessary to ensure the overall welfare
of the animals, especially with regard to protection from disease and
injury.
"AVMA is the premier professional organization representing
veterinarians in the United States. As such, we are not only a key
medical authority on animal health and welfare, but just as
importantly, we truly care about the animals we serve every day. It is
in that mindset that we strive for continued improvement of animal
housing systems through comprehensive, science-based evaluations with
the expert input from veterinarians and animal welfare scientists.
"We are concerned that legislating isolated, arbitrary and
emotion-based criteria to implement farm animal housing systems may
actually do more harm than good for the well-being of the animals
while compromising the sustainability of production systems that are
essential to ensure we continue to have the safest, most affordable,
and abundant food supply in the world."
The Association's positions on the housing of layer chickens, veal
calves, and pregnant sows are available on the AVMA Web site
(www.avma.org) under Animal Welfare by clicking on AVMA Animal Welfare
Policy Statements.
This November, California voters will decide on Proposition 2, a
ballot initiative sponsored by a coalition of animal protection groups
requiring that egg-laying hens, veal calves, and pregnant sows have
room enough to lie down, stand, turn around, and fully extend their
limbs, effective 2015. The initiative, Standards for Confining Farm
Animals, is backed by the California VMA. Some CVMA members have
formed the Association of California Veterinarians because they
disagree with their association's support for Proposition 2.
Although the AVMA applauds every effort to promote animal welfare, the
Association is concerned about possible, unintended negative
consequences to animal welfare of enacting the measure. Following is
the AVMA's response to Proposition 2.
"The American Veterinary Medical Association believes Proposition 2,
'Standards for Confining Farm Animals,' is admirable in its goal to
improve the welfare of production farm animals; however, it ignores
critical aspects of animal welfare that ultimately would threaten the
well-being of the very animals it strives to protect.
"The best housing environments take into consideration all relevant
factors, including: freedom of movement; expression of normal
behaviors; protection from disease, injury, and predators; adequate
food and water; and proper handling. Proposition 2 would clearly
provide greater freedom of movement, but would likely compromise
several of the other factors necessary to ensure the overall welfare
of the animals, especially with regard to protection from disease and
injury.
"AVMA is the premier professional organization representing
veterinarians in the United States. As such, we are not only a key
medical authority on animal health and welfare, but just as
importantly, we truly care about the animals we serve every day. It is
in that mindset that we strive for continued improvement of animal
housing systems through comprehensive, science-based evaluations with
the expert input from veterinarians and animal welfare scientists.
"We are concerned that legislating isolated, arbitrary and
emotion-based criteria to implement farm animal housing systems may
actually do more harm than good for the well-being of the animals
while compromising the sustainability of production systems that are
essential to ensure we continue to have the safest, most affordable,
and abundant food supply in the world."
The Association's positions on the housing of layer chickens, veal
calves, and pregnant sows are available on the AVMA Web site
(www.avma.org) under Animal Welfare by clicking on AVMA Animal Welfare
Policy Statements.