As you may know, the AVMA has been
working for the past several months to develop a response to
the Final Report of the
Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal
Production. We felt it was imperative to respond to
the Pew report due to Pew's widely publicized findings and
recommendations, which are being used to advocate for the
passage of H.R. 1549 and S. 619, the Preservation of
Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), which
the AVMA does not
support.
The AVMA's response is currently being
widely distributed through several different channels.
We encourage you to read
the full report and view relevant multimedia materials at www.avma.org/PEWresponse.
Please
help us advocate for the AVMA by:
- Forwarding this
email to your friends and colleagues.
- Asking Congress
to vote "NO" on PAMTA. Take action by clicking the link
below and entering your zip code. http://avmacan.avma.org/avma/issues/alert/?alertid=13873126
As a reminder, key talking points on
this issue are:
- Veterinarians are the only health
professionals that routinely operate at the interface of
human and animal health.
- Veterinarians are already limited in
the tools that we have available to protect human and animal
health.
- Less restrictive antibiotic bans in
Denmark
and the Netherlands have
severely diminished animal health and welfare without
significantly improving human health.
- The Pew Commission criticizes the
AVMA for not being "consensus-oriented." However, our
policies are developed based upon impartial, scientifically
sound evidence, rather than the consensus of like-minded
individuals.
Thank you for your support. Please
feel free to contact Dr. Christine Hoang (800-248-2862 ext. 6784) or Dr.
Ashley Shelton (202-289-3210) should you need any additional information or
explanation of the AVMA's
comments.
If you'd like to learn more about our
involvement in this issue, take a few moments to watch the
following video:
