State and local advocacy

A wide range of animal welfare issues draw government attention at state and local levels. These include animal abuse and cruelty, companion animal care, disaster preparedness, and certificates of veterinary inspection, among others.

The AVMA opposes breed-specific legislation, which targets specific dog breeds that are wrongly thought to all be dangerous. Dog bite prevention should instead be based on promoting responsible pet ownership, and developing methods to rapidly identify and respond to owners whose dogs present an actual risk.

Veterinarians have a special responsibility to animals during the final stages of life. AVMA's resources and guidance on euthanasia topics include the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia, a model euthanasia authorization form, and a summary of state laws governing euthanasia.

The interests of animals and their owners are best protected by the current legal framework allowing for potential recovery of economic damages in negligence litigation involving animals. Learn about AVMA's advocacy work with states in this area, and the pros and cons of allowing recovery of non-economic damages.

Animal owners love their pets, and veterinarians love animals. But "guardian" is a legal term with significant legal implications and repercussions.

Pharmacy and drug topics are a common subject of state legislation and regulation, from compounding and prescription drug monitoring, to internet pharmacies and vaccination. AVMA resources help inform discussions around these important topics.

Find information and policies related to veterinary practice and business, from patient records and state taxes, to veterinary CE requirements and veterinary loan repayment.

Scope-of-practice issues are critical to veterinary medicine, and to the health and safety of our animal patients. When state and local lawmakers consider policies that address the scope of veterinary practice, AVMA resources can help guide the conversation. These include the AVMA Model Veterinary Practice Act, state-by-state comparisons of existing law, specific requirements for various areas of practice, and information related to alternative veterinary medicine and unauthorized practice.