the missing link

There are many veterinarians who have witnessed animal neglect and cruelty. When animals are rescued from inhumane breeders, they are often the first responders, providing medical care.

It’s been argued, however, that veterinarians (and their associations) are the missing links as to why more legislation, protecting animals, has not been passed in Minnesota and why many inhumane breeders continue to operate. If veterinarians are silent, no action is taken.

Just as with doctors for humans, it is the responsibility of the veterinarian to report signs of neglect or abuse and to monitor and report conditions that could contribute to the spread of disease or health concerns. Veterinarians who choose to be the ‘vet of record’ for commercial breeders, and do not report animal neglect or suffering if seen (physical or psychological), have placed revenues before their professional oath.

If you are concerned about a breeder’s veterinarian and wish to file a complaint, go to:

Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine
2829 University Ave. SE, Suite 540
Minneapolis, MN  55414
651-201-2844 (Office)   
651-201-2842 (Fax)
http://www.vetmed.state.mn.us/ (Website)

Reputable veterinarians do not tolerate animal suffering in any form. Please, if you are a veterinarian, call your State legislators directly or contact us. Your voice is important.

Why do some veterinarians choose to ignore an animal’s health and safety?

The treatment of animals is a sensitive and controversial issue, which has created divisions even within the veterinarian community itself. 

Veterinarians vary in their professional attitudes about animals and what is considered humane.

”Veterinarians have traditionally been beholden to the human client, not to the nonhuman patient,” explains veterinarian Dr. Gloria Binkowski in 2004. (Friends of Animal; see link below) Within veterinary education, animals have been “viewed as educational tools rather than sentient beings” — creatures who feel pain and can suffer. Some have been taught to define the “client” as the human who pays the bill, not the sick patient (the animal).

The consequence of this attitude, in regards to dog and cat breeding, is that some veterinarians may turn a blind eye to inhumane conditions and practices because of income earned.

Some veterinarians may also be ignorant of new scientific research regarding animal pain or what’s considered inhumane. They continue to do what they’ve always been doing, even though the veterinarian community has reversed its opinion.

As an example, in order to keep the noise of barking to a minimum (considered a nuisance to people), one Morrison County breeder stated he would debark his 500 adult dogs. (Debarking is a surgical procedure that removes the dog’s vocal cords.) The veterinarian of record for this breeder testified that he had debarked about 10,000 dogs and would conduct the procedure for this breeder. This veterinarian did not question the procedure, even though the veterinarian community considers it inhumane. Even Morrison County asked that debarking not be used. In a letter to this breeder (during the breeder’s request for a conditional use permit), the Morrison County administrator and attorney stated: “We have learned that surgical debarking is overwhelmingly disfavored within the veterinary community and many allege that it is inhumane. It is also a permanent and irreversible approach to the problem of noise. As such, we encourage the use of barking collars in place of surgical debarking. While we realize that this is ultimately your choice, not ours, we will not defend your use of the surgical practice to any or all inquirers.” The breeder stated he would use shock collars.

Veterinarian attitudes are changing

Over the past years, many veterinarians have challenged the old-school thinking and are actively leading the charge to protect animals from harm and pain. Examples:

• Dr. Erik K. Dunayer: “Since the late 1980s, U.S. veterinary schools have radically altered their policies regarding students’ surgical training. At eight schools, practice surgery no longer entails harm to animals. At virtually all others, students are allowed the alternative of surgery that involves no harm. Increasingly, veterinary schools are avoiding the moral inconsistency of treating some animals as cherished individuals and others as disposable objects.” (Lee Hall, 2004; Friends of Animals interview)
• Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association: “Incorporating pain management into the veterinary practice helps everyone. It benefits the patient through improved quality of life and reduced complications. It benefits clients through enhancement of the human-animal bond. It benefits the health care team through increased safety; improved morale, pride, and job satisfaction; and a less stressful environment. Contemporary approaches to pain management enable veterinarians to more effectively fulfill their responsibility to relieves animal suffering as pledged in the veterinarian’s oath.” (AAHA/AAFP Pain Management Guidelines for Dog & Cats)
• The Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society: “Our society is currently re-examining its entire relationship with animals and the natural world. Until recently, issues such as animal welfare and environmental protection were considered the domain of small idealistic minorities. In the last 20-30 years, they have become matters of widespread public and political concern. … The Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society (CIAS) is a multi-disciplinary research center within the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. It was re-established in 1997 to provide a forum for addressing the many practical and moral issues arising from the interactions of animals and society…” (per CIAS website)

The fear of change

Some science-based (research) organizations, however, still fear “lay people” (non-scientists) having an opinion about animal care rules and regulations. This fear often results in opposition to legislation, which requires rule-making — setting clear and specific guidelines for the benefit of the animal, not just the benefit of the human.

Individual veterinarians, their associations and related medical and research organizations have varied in their beliefs about what constitutes humane treatment of animals and the value of life.

Today, in Minnesota, many veterinarians strive for humane practices, but agreeing on the right legislation, language, and policies that truly and pro-actively protect animals is still a struggle.

The value of an animal

“…if one person is unkind to an animal, it is considered to be cruelty, but where a lot of people are unkind to animals, especially in the name of commerce, the cruelty is condoned and, once sums of money are at stake, will be defended to the last by otherwise intelligent people.”
- Ruth Harrison (author, Animal Machines, 1983, Vincent Stuart Publishers)

Supporting Links

• Journal of Applies Animal Welfare Science: Noise in the Animal Shelter environment
  

• Vets Who Make A Difference in The Lives of Domestic Cats and Dogs, Friends of Animals, ActionLine, Spring 2004
  

• Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society: University of Pennsylvania
  

• The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights
  

• The National Anti-Vivisection Society
  

• Last medical school to use dogs to train doctors has ended that practice
  

• Animal Welfare Act: An Act For All
  

• Doctors and Dog Lovers: The Passage of the First Laboratory Animal Welfare Act (LAWA 1966)