HSUS and AVAR Unite

January 16, 2008 — 

The Humane Society of the US (HSUS) and the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR) are partnering to form the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (HSVMA).

According to the HSUS press release, HSVMA will give veterinarians, veterinary students and veterinary technicians an opportunity to participate in animal welfare programs, including disaster response; expanded hands-on animal care; spaying and neutering; and advocacy for legislative, corporate and veterinary medical school reforms.

Both groups have long expressed frustration with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) which they say is on the opposite side of animal protection advocates or neutral on a wide range of unacceptable abuses of animals, including the slaughter of horses for human consumption, the continued use of random-source dogs and cats in research, cruelty to ducks and geese in the production of foie gras, the confinement of veal calves, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens in tiny crates and cages.

"All too often, the AVMA sides with animal-use industries, and not with animals," said Wayne Pacelle, HSUS President and CEO. "How could a veterinarian, who takes a sworn oath to care for animals, not speak out against force feeding of ducks for foie gras or the confinement of veal calves in crates so small that the animals cannot even turn around? The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association will be a voice for the vast majority of veterinarians not in the employ of industries that do harm to animals."

[Ed. Note - AVAR is not an AVMA-recognized organization. According to this article, the organization claims a membership of 3500 "affiliated veterinarians." AVAR is promoting the signature campaign in support of a California ballot initiative to prevent farm animal cruelty on its website. The group actively opposes the "raising of nonhuman animals for food and fiber" and promotes vegetarianism. HSUS claims the support of 11,000 veterinarians and touts as "highly successful" its program called Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS). RAVS purports to provide veterinary services to animals and people in rural communities and reportedly delivered "more than 30,000 treatments to animals" in 2007. HSUS also claims "major collaborative programs" with the veterinary schools at Louisiana State University and Mississippi State University.]