Free Speech for Dog Lovers Threatened-Please Read!

[wildbunch]

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CROSS POST - COMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY
> MARCH 1, 2003
>
> The AVMA has drafted a model Veterinary Practice Act which would
> prohibit us
> from sharing our knowledge about nutrition and health with one another by
> telephone or via the internet. The draft will label anyone who
> consults with
> anyone about even alternative therapies as practicing veterinary medicine
> without a license. Their intent is to get EACH STATE to legislate this Act
> into law.
>
> If the AVMA is successful in getting the states to agree to this
> abridgement
> of free speech, to recommend (18a(iv)) a change in food or (18a(ii)) to
> alleviate (18a(i))excessive gas, would constitute practicing veterinary
> medicine and, if you were not a licensed vet, could result in criminal
> prosecution. You could not telephone or email this type of inforamtion.
>
> The draft can be downloaded at
> [url]http://www.avma.org/education/mvpa/default.asp[/url]. Please take the
> time to read
> it. Comments must be snail-mailed before March 1, 2003, to:
> COMMENTS MUST BE SENT IN BY MAIL - PLEASE LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!
>
> Dr. Beth Sabin
> AVMA
> 1931 N Meacham Rd., Suite 100
> Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360
>
> and be sure to CC your comments to:
> Ancient Healing Arts Association
> (healers@A...)
> P .O. Box 75
> Cold Spring, NY 10516
>
> They will present them en masse to the AVMA to ensure none are
> lost in the cracks. (More information available on their site,
> [url]http://www.ancienthealingarts.org/vets-1-03.htm[/url].)
>
> This new AVMA act reads, in part"
>
> 18. "Practice of veterinary medicine" means:
> a) To diagnose, treat, correct, change, alleviate, or prevent animal
> disease, illness, pain, deformity, defect, injury, or other physical,
> dental, or mental conditions by any method or mode; including:
>
> i. the prescription, dispensing, administration, or application of any
> drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, anesthetic, or other therapeutic or
> diagnostic substance or medical or surgical technique, or
>
> ii. the use of complementary, alternative, and integrative therapies, or
>
> iii. the use of any manual or mechanical procedure for reproductive
> management, or
>
> iv. the rendering of advice or recommendation by any means including
> telephonic and other electronic communications with regard to any of the
> above.
>
> b) To represent, directly or indirectly, publicly or privately, an ability
> and willingness to do an act described in subsection 18(a).
>
> Here is a quote from the commentary in this document
> ***The AVMA recognizes that clients may seek any of a number of treatment
> modalities for their animals. However, when applied to animals, these
> treatment modalities represent the practice of veterinary medicine, and as
> such, are subject to regulation as outlined in the practice act. If one
> considers conventional veterinary drugs as atreatment modality, the AVMA
> would define "veterinary drug" as drugs recognized for animal use in the
> official US Pharmacopoeia or the official national formulary. This would
> include but not be limited to medicated feed or water, growth-promoting
> implants, and drugs labeled for human use administered under
> extralabel use
> guidelines. ***
>
> Lets pull together and stand up for our rights! Don't forget to
> cross-post,

[wildbunch]

K,

This is serious! I hope everyone will join me in writing a letter to oppose this new ridiculous law. None of us will be able to give any advice to our fellow dog lovers unless we obtain a veterinary license. We won't be able to recommend dog food, warn others about bad medications, give helpful tips on behaviour or how to treat cuts, etc.... Basically no more forums. We could only discuss the fun antics of our beloved four legged friends.
Not that I'm against discussing the fun side of our pets but still the nice thing about a forum is that you can count on your friends to give you advice instead of running to the vet every 5 seconds.
Ugh! I'm so upset by this. My forum friends have saved me numerous times.

[mouseatthebusstop]

WHO WILL IT HELP the producers of the poor food :cry: