Associations & Organizations
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AVMA Life health insurance kicks off July 1
1/17/2019
Program will be accessible to members in most states
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LMU veterinary college earns full accreditation
1/15/2019
Number of accredited programs in U.S. climbs to 30
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Veterinary telemedicine poised to headline AVMA meeting
1/9/2019
Model practice act revisions, dues increase to be debated
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Veterinary student business group seeks former members
12/26/2018
Veterinary Business Management Association establishes alumni branch
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AVMA plans re-entry into group health insurance arena
10/24/2018
Government stance that ended AVMA Life medical coverage is reversed
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LIU accreditation decision slated for spring
10/8/2018
Controversy surrounds veterinary college proposed in New York
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S. Dakota-Minnesota veterinary school plan advances
9/19/2018
South Dakota VMA lauds goal of enhancing rural veterinary education
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AVMA to members: Enlarge global footprint?
7/30/2018
Veterinarians debate merits of devoting resources to international activities
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Veterinarians split on anti-debarking policy
7/16/2018
AVMA resolutions pass on foot-and-mouth disease, responsible breeding
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Support staff unionize at two veterinary hospitals
6/21/2018
Pro-union votes are a first for Mars-owned VCA and BluePearl
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Louisiana bill caused certifiable confusion
5/16/2018
Veterinarians opposed regulating word used to describe specialists
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Attempt fails to change Washington law on nonprofit veterinary clinics
2/12/2018
Bill would have let humane societies, animal-control agencies broaden services
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Veterinary student essay contest seeks 'solutions for the profession'
1/24/2018
Last year's winners tackled school debt, mental health, leadership gender imbalance
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Proliferation of corporate practice at forefront of veterinary meeting
1/8/2018
AVMA delegates discuss the changing veterinary landscape
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COE amends standards to address veterinary student well-being, debt
1/4/2018
Jan. 31 deadline to comment on revisions to standard 11
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AVMA Life might reinstate group medical insurance
10/23/2017
Trump executive order opens door, but process is lengthy
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Labor union for veterinary workforce makes national push
9/21/2017
Associates, technicians, support staff would be represented
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Should botanical medicine be a formal veterinary specialty?
8/25/2017
As Sept. 1 deadline for comments nears, practitioners debate
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Veterinarians implore AVMA to address marijuana in animals
7/25/2017
Delegates enact telemedicine policy requiring in-person VCPR
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Veterinary herbal medicine supporters seek recognition
7/18/2017
ABVS invites feedback; comment period ends Sept. 1
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Veterinary leaders to debate telemedicine
7/12/2017
Remote care, marijuana therapy and stem cells top House agenda
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COE seeks veterinarian input on accreditation changes
6/21/2017
Comparison: Does COE independence match that of accreditor for human medicine?
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Push underway to adopt ‘nurse’ title for vet techs
6/15/2017
Some question plan’s feasibility, effectiveness
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What role does accreditor play in protecting students?
4/11/2017
Q&A with CVTEA on veterinary-technology program closures
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AVMA enacts policy on responsible breeding
1/25/2017
Policy makes no mention of specific breeds or medical conditions
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Aggressive pets adopted out in quest to save animals’ lives
11/17/2016
Has no-kill philosophy gone too far?
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AVMA opens top job to non-veterinarians
9/6/2016
DVM or VMD no longer required to run national organization
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Dr. Janet Donlin takes AVMA helm
8/16/2016
Replacing DeHaven, association appoints first female CEO
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Federal panel finds in veterinary accrediting body’s favor
7/5/2016
Concerns linger as AVMA COE earns positive recommendation
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Petco grooming promotion hits snarl
6/9/2016
Retailer modifies advertising after veterinarians object
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Another review of AVMA COE nears
3/31/2016
Public comments due April 8
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Leininger wins appeal
8/5/2015
Embattled former COE member reinstated
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Leaders aim to end battle over veterinary accreditation
7/24/2015
House rejects bids to study or alter how COE functions
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Leininger appeal culminates without resolution
7/8/2015
Hearing kicks off days of debate on veterinary accreditation
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Veterinarians challenge AVMA status quo
7/3/2015
USDE taps COE to evaluate foreign schools amid calls to upend how the accrediting body operates
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Stakeholders urge veterinary accreditation overhaul
6/9/2015
Leininger appeal converges with bids to boost transparency, independence
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Veterinary internships lack uniform quality
2/24/2015
Concerned about exploitation, AAHA offers new accreditation option
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Veterinarians urge AVMA to spin off accrediting body
1/26/2015
COE hosts 'listening session' in Orlando
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AVMA president: Mistrust undermines health of veterinary community
1/16/2015
Dr. Ted Cohn calls for transparency, accountability
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Debate on AVMA governance to continue
1/8/2015
Accreditation a likely topic during House of Delegates meeting
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Million Cat Challenge aims to reform shelter methods
12/31/2014
Veterinarians leading campaign encourage shelters to share tactics
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USDE staff heeds 800-plus complaints against AVMA COE
12/4/2014
Report calls for significant change for accrediting agency
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New veterinary degrees may not pay off, economists find
10/29/2014
AVMA conference highlights debt, salary issues
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Veterinarians, schools emphasize yearly pet checkups
8/15/2014
Survey finds more pet owners concerned about cost of care
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Attempt to reorganize AVMA governance fails — again
7/30/2014
Changes urged to retain, attract members
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Cohn poised for AVMA presidency
7/22/2014
Kinnarney, Dee campaign for president-elect during House of Delegates meeting
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Dueling legislation a sore spot in horse community
4/10/2014
Bills tackle pain as training technique
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Surveys yield conflicting trends in U.S. pet ownership
3/31/2014
Counts of dogs and cats differ by millions
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Lawmaker behind proposed Fairness to Pet Owners Act aims to inform consumers
3/14/2014
Congressman heading toward retirement reintroduces bill
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Help exists for those struggling to pay veterinary bills
3/4/2014
Charitable groups offer to defray expenses
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Boyce ushers major changes to NAVLE while eyeing retirement
3/3/2014
Partnership with human medicine poised to modernize veterinary exam
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Judging merits of veterinary homeopathy not an AVMA objective
1/23/2014
Delegates defeat resolution to discourage controversial modality
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Bid to end foreign veterinary accreditation dies at AVMA meeting
1/16/2014
House of Delegates votes to continue spreading U.S. standards internationally
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AVMA to debate homeopathy, jerky, foreign accreditation
1/6/2014
House of Delegates meets this week in Chicago
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Veterinarians to AVMA: Focus on members
10/28/2013
Debate to alter mission statement slated for January
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Veterinarians grapple with end to GHLIT health insurance
8/16/2013
GHLIT opens private exchange to all AVMA members
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Veterinarian targets shortage of women among profession’s leaders
8/7/2013
Men top hierarchy, yet women are majority
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Veterinary group pumps new blood into leadership
4/22/2013
Ethics society chooses Petco doctor as president
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Task force to alter AVMA governance regroups after backlash
1/16/2013
House delegates could be asked to vote on their own demise
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Veterinary prescription problems aired with regulators
1/12/2013
Pharmacy boards urge veterinarians to file complaints
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AVMA delegates to scrutinize veterinary homeopathy
1/3/2013
Debarking, stem cell policies among several up for debate
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GHLIT health insurance for veterinarians to end by 2014
12/26/2012
Obamacare killed association-based plans, officials say
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Government orders veterinary-school accreditor to correct problems
12/14/2012
Veterinarians air criticisms before education panel
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AVMA’s role as education accreditor scrutinized
12/11/2012
USDE addresses critics as scheduled review of COE draws near
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British veterinarians welcome advertising ban on antimicrobials
10/16/2012
Efforts made to curb antimicrobial resistance
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Welfare college receives provisional recognition
8/16/2012
Veterinarians eager to watch specialty group evolve
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AVMA proposed stance on raw diets draws critics
8/2/2012
Group stresses that policy — not law — is up for consideration today
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Veterinarians brainstorm to change AVMA governance
7/20/2012
Efforts to enhance democracy reflect ongoing transformation
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Helping Pets Fund closes
7/19/2012
AAHA cites decline in donations
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Ohio Veterinary Medical Association building burns
6/1/2012
Flames destroy more than half of structure
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Challenges face proposal to create welfare specialty
5/1/2012
Appeal to overturn COE's rejection of the group underway
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California veterinarians ready to testify against lay dentistry
4/16/2012
Scope-of-practice battle wages over teeth cleaning
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AVMA issues email fraud alert
4/6/2012
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Private university in Arizona plans new veterinary school
3/8/2012
Midwestern University cites shortage of rural practitioners
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AAVMC leadership change puts Osburn at helm
10/21/2011
Dr. Marguerite Pappaioanou resigns to pursue work in public health
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AVMA challenges Wal-Mart’s push to make veterinarians script out
10/5/2011
Fairness to Pet Owners Act sits at controversy's center
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St. George’s veterinary school receives U.S. accreditation
9/23/2011
Roughly 90 percent of program's graduates draw from North America
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AVMA asked to acknowledge court ruling in compounding brochure
9/20/2011
Some celebrate while others downplay ruling's significance
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GAO calls for better data on antibiotic use in livestock
9/13/2011
Federal auditor finds little progress in past decade
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North Carolina veterinarians brace for Hurricane Irene
8/26/2011
NCVMA collects names of volunteers
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AVMA mulls governance overhaul
7/26/2011
Calls to upend entrenched bureaucracy surface at House session
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AVMA task force to review merits of foreign accreditation
7/20/2011
Resolution stripped of economic language on advice of AVMA lawyer
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Veterinarians challenge authority of AVMA Executive Board to make policy
6/16/2011
Calls for change prompted by controversial revision to Veterinarian's Oath
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Antibiotics: spinning the data from Denmark
5/27/2011
Antibiotics do little to enhance growth, yet producers still use them
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Antibiotics: precaution vs. proof
5/26/2011
Weighing risk to public health from antibiotics used in livestock
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FDA: Food-animal antibiotic consumption dwarfs human medical use
5/25/2011
New data reveal flaws in figures presented by AVMA, industry
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Scrutiny of livestock antibiotic use pressures veterinary profession
5/24/2011
AVMA negotiates shifting regulatory landscape
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Resolutions ask AVMA to explore foreign accreditation, globalization efforts
5/20/2011
Members seek greater transparency into AVMA's international activities
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Report: unprecedented change in store for AVMA, profession
4/28/2011
'Continuous improvement' prescribed for nation's largest veterinary association
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AVMA terminates online CE venture
4/22/2011
AVMA Ed to close by Dec. 31
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PLIT rolls back workers' comp advice for relief veterinarians
3/29/2011
Broker Hub International issues clarification
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New blood challenges seasoned official for AVMA Executive Board seat
3/16/2011
Veterinarians urged to get ballots to AVMA headquarters by April 1
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NAVMEC addresses great challenges facing veterinary profession
3/8/2011
Economist's call for change goes beyond NAVMEC recommendations
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AVMA raises dues as membership numbers climb
1/25/2011
Incremental increases to generate $4 million in three years
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AVMA seeks members’ opinions on ‘critical initiatives’
1/19/2011
Critic says it is a start, but more conversation needed
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GHLIT ends endorsement of Pets Best while severing ties with Aetna
1/14/2011
Deal dies quietly as GHLIT exits pet health insurance arena
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AVMA delegates reject bid to add transparency to governing processes
1/11/2011
Delegates expressed fears of retribution by public on controversial issues
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Decision to alter Veterinarian's Oath strikes discord
1/6/2011
Faction of AVMA members report feeling disenfranchised
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Proposed welfare specialty college bends to veterinarians' concerns
12/16/2010
AVMA welfare principles no longer a point of contention
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California veterinarians target unlicensed care
12/14/2010
Conflict between profession, lay practitioners intensifies
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AVMA seeks third-party audit of accreditation program
12/10/2010
Voluntary review meant to allay scrutiny, concerns raised by veterinarians
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Texas veterinarians author legislation to bridle lay dentists
12/3/2010
Judge's order prompts end to regulatory crackdown on unlicensed teeth floating
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AVMA condemns activists targeting UC Davis researchers
12/1/2010
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AVMA solicits public input on model veterinary practice act
11/11/2010
Comment period begins in January
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NAS veterinary workforce study nears release
10/28/2010
Stakeholders expect report to shed light on supply and demand in America
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Calif. spay/neuter program breeds skepticism among veterinarians
9/23/2010
State attempts to tackle pet overpopulation by selling specialty license plates
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Veterinary regulators poised to define parameters of lay dentistry
9/9/2010
Stakeholders across America watch as Texas takes on controversial issue
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Texas veterinarians mull reviving bid to examine AVMA’s role in global accreditation
8/19/2010
Those calling for audit face accusations of racism; issue clouded by politics, some contend
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Proposed animal welfare college challenged by veterinarians
8/5/2010
Critics lambast mandate to sign AVMA welfare principles
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Veterinarians challenge AVMA’s governance in quest to be heard
7/30/2010
‘1 Member, 1 Vote’ drive kicks off at annual convention in Atlanta
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Foreign-school accreditation clash continues in JAVMA
7/21/2010
Editorial letters express concern in July 15 edition
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What's happening with accreditation of foreign health professional schools?
7/13/2010
Veterinarians in heated debate; dentists pushed to test water; physicians eye from a distance
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Veterinarians question AVMA's role in international accreditation
7/13/2010
Texas resolution calls for self-study
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Veterinarians to AVMA: Talk to us
7/6/2010
In VIN survey, group rates low on communication, high on leadership
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Western U receives full accreditation
3/5/2010
COE grants three-year window
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Accreditation under fire in veterinary medicine
2/26/2010
Concerns surface with the accreditation bids of two controversial programs
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Osburn resigns from Banfield board of directors
2/13/2010
UC Davis dean cites potential conflict of interest as impetus for decision
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AVMA seeks to deter news investigation
1/21/2010
Alleges reporter misappropriated confidential documents
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Pets Best flap revives debate about merits of pet insurance
12/15/2009
DVMs concerned Aetna policy portends a future similar to human health insurance issues
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PAC pits school against school for donations
8/27/2009
Competition designed to spur fundraising surge
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Activists go after stores selling dogs from puppy mills
7/27/2009
Movement to stamp out large commercial breeders gains traction
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Leaders ask California DVMs to watch for local ordinances
7/22/2009
New law safeguards veterinary practice, but opens window for bans
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Survey: Rescue organizations turning away 38 percent of unwanted horses
7/15/2009
Economic downturn highlight, exacerbates ongoing problem
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Prop 2 rattles Calif., prompts welfare council
7/15/2009
Advisory group receives mixed reaction
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AVMA town hall meeting skims tough issues facing profession
7/12/2009
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AVMA debates profession's role concerning antimicrobials in livestock
7/11/2009
Resolution gets pushed aside for further review
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New AVMA president-elect calls diversifying profession a major priority
7/11/2009
Kornegay sails into top elected seat following uncontested presidential race
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MARKETLink proceeds help fuel AAHA PR campaign
7/1/2009
National groups freeze dues hikes
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Funding woes kill Fresno lab, haunt DVM program
6/26/2009
Calif. budget crisis wreaks havoc on veterinary medical education
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AVMA, GHLIT respond to VIN survey
5/7/2009
Neither group directly addresses objections to GHLIT-Pets Best partnership
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'Swine influenza' name sickens U.S. pork markets
4/29/2009
AVMA issues statement; efforts underway to rename virus
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Dr. Janis Audin dies
4/23/2009
Longtime JAVMA head leaves legacy, official says
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Veterinarians must comply with Red Flags Rule by May 1
4/22/2009
Most practice owners already meet requirements, AVMA official says
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HSUS to take Prop 2-like action to Ohio
4/6/2009
Veterinarians gear up for talks to thwart high-stakes conflict with activists
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Veterinary charity highlighted by economic woes
3/30/2009
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Survey shows veterinarians wary of AVMA GHLIT-Pets Best deal
3/23/2009
AVMA, GHLIT promise to respond soon
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AVMA portfolio in the red
2/24/2009
Economy batters association’s investments; dues increase looms
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Off the table?
2/12/2009
Calif. sales tax on veterinary services loses steam
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Veterinary Behaviorists Question Dominance Theory in Dogs
2/5/2009
Position Irks Some Trainers
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AVMA announces new strategy for annual meeting
1/22/2009
Are conferences in trouble?
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Consulting firm releases user guide that avows pet insurance merits
1/21/2009
AVMA issues policy shift as criticisms of GHLIT-Pets Best partnership ensue
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About-face by Florida regulators eases permit policy for DVMs
1/14/2009
Refunds are on the agenda, FVMA says
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MVMA pushes animal protection legislation
1/14/2009
Measure directs courts to consider pets when issuing domestic violence protective orders
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Application deadline nears to certify for exotic mammal specialty
12/16/2008
New group focuses on ferrets, rabbits and other small pets
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FDA puts cephalosporin ban in abeyance
12/11/2008
Veterinary medicine credited by some for pushing last-minute change
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AVMA unveils online CE
12/8/2008
Leadership confident state regulators will accept association-branded education
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AVMA investments take hit, treasurer says
10/21/2008
Market turmoil impacts veterinary medicine’s largest association
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AVMA leaders think like you do, survey reveals
10/17/2008
Group seeks to remain relevant to membership
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Internships, residencies skyrocket in popularity, AVMA says
10/17/2008
40 percent of 2008's graduating class to seek advanced training, report shows
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AVMA falls short of $1 million goal for PAC
10/9/2008
Campaign for contributions underway
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AVMA addresses Congress on antimicrobial resistance
9/26/2008
Delegates to challenge national association’s stance in January
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Colorado to release welfare principles
9/25/2008
Association awaits leadership’s approval
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Mexican university seeks AVMA accreditation
9/22/2008
COE nod could usher Mexican veterinarians into the United States
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AVMA condemns alleged abuse at swine operation
9/17/2008
Undercover PETA video shows animals kicked, beaten and inhumanely slaughtered
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NJVMA wins NPI exemption for veterinarians
9/9/2008
State backtracks on law designed to track Medicare/Medicaid fraud
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AVMA to release economic data
9/9/2008
Biennial economic survey, starting salaries report set for publication
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AVMA launches Web-based TV channel
9/3/2008
AVMAtv provides public information about veterinary medicine
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CVMA mum as AVMA moves in on Prop 2
8/27/2008
Association sits quietly as AVMA adopts a contradictory stance on ballot state initiative
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HSVMA to launch insurance options, recruitment campaign
8/25/2008
Membership drive markets group as a welfare-friendly alternative to AVMA
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GHLIT tackles latest PR flap concerning Pets Best deal
8/22/2008
Promotional e-mail advertises AVMA’s endorsement of insurance agency
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AVMA wants YOU!
8/20/2008
Volunteer opportunities abound; leaders welcome nominations
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Senate to consider bill prompted by declaw ban
8/18/2008
Measure protects medical procedures from local meddling, CVMA says
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AAEP wants veterinarians to inspect shows for welfare violations
8/8/2008
Group issues white paper suggesting ways to end ‘soring’
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Disgruntled CVMA members spin off with new group
8/5/2008
Association's support of Proposition 2 divides California veterinarians
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GHLIT-pet insurance partnership raises red flags
7/28/2008
Competitors question ethics, legality of Trust’s newfound relationship
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No dues increase — this time, AVMA reports
7/21/2008
$29.6 million budget detailed during annual convention
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GHLIT rate increases slow
7/3/2008
Premiums jump 1.1 percent, compared to a 12.8-percent hike in November
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UPDATE: FDA bans cephalosporin drugs in food animals
7/3/2008
Federal regulators issue change amid concerns about antimicrobial resistance
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On the record
The VIN News Service recently conducted a Q&A session with the American Veterinary Medical Association and its indemnity arm, the Group Health and Life Insurance Trust (AVMA-GHLIT). The discussion explores the controversial partnership that’s emerged between GHLIT and Pets Best Insurance, a private entity.
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AAHA enters $10 million tentative deal to sell MARKETLink
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Associations & Organizations
Veterinarians leading campaign encourage shelters to share tactics
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December 31, 2014
By: Edie Lau
For The VIN News Service
 Photo by Sarah Carey
Dr. Julie Levy is co-founder of the University of Florida Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program. She holds Bingo, a kitten who was neutered during a program “day of service” at a local animal shelter. Shelter medicine experts Dr. Julie Levy of the University of Florida and Dr. Kate Hurley of the University of California, Davis, are leading a new campaign called the Million Cat Challenge. The project’s goal is saving lives by improving the techniques shelters use to accept, house and adopt out cats. In an email conversation with the VIN News Service, Levy explains the project genesis and approach.
How did the project originate?
A few years ago, Kate came across a campaign to reduce mistakes resulting in death and harm in human hospitals. At an industry conference, hospital administrators were challenged to save 100,000 patient lives over 18 months. Participating hospitals volunteered to implement one or more proven tactics and to share their data openly. Results were dramatic, and eventually led to saving millions of patients from harm due to medical mistakes.
Kate tried a similar approach during a meeting with a handful of shelter managers. At the end of her talk, she asked how many fewer cats would be euthanized at their shelters because of what they’d discussed — the answer was over 1,000. We tried the same thing after speaking to an audience of more than 1,000 shelter managers and staff at the Humane Society of the United States Expo in 2013. This time, shelters said they could save over 10,000 cats with the tools they’d learned about.
When we got home from Expo, our email boxes were full from people who were desperate to help cats in their shelters. They were hungry for new opportunities to change how their shelters managed cats.
We thought a national campaign mimicking the Five Million Lives Saved campaign would work for shelters, and the Million Cat Challenge was born.
What is the essential problem the Million Cat Challenge is trying to address?
Many shelters are struggling to meet the needs of cats in their care and of cats in their communities. While euthanasia rates for dogs are plummeting in much of North America, cats are not seeing the same gains.
Shelters frequently lack the facilities and expertise to keep cats healthy and stress-free, and there frequently is an imbalance between the number of cats entering shelters and the number of adopters or rescuers who can take them out. Cats often can be served best by solutions outside of shelters, and shelter facilities and policies can be modified to assure the best outcomes for cats that come into their care.
This project gives us an opportunity to see what is working best for cats in shelters and to share successful tactics with shelters across North America.
Looking at the five initiatives you advocate to meet the goal, you’re asking shelters to make fundamental changes in how they take in, care for, and adopt out cats. For each of the initiatives, will you briefly explain what the conventional approach is, and the changes you’d like to see?
1. Alternatives to intake: In many shelters, especially those that are operated by municipalities, there's a belief that the doors must be open at all times to all animals.
The reality is, many of those animals can be better served with another option. For example, many families give up their beloved pets because they're struggling financially or are facing a housing situation where they cannot keep their pets. It would be far preferable to support these pet owners in keeping their pets through provision of veterinary services, pet food banks, and pet-friendly housing options than to take these pets away from the families that love them.
Similarly, for the large population of community cats that are thriving in their neighborhoods, their outcomes would be better if given birth control and vaccinations than impounded in a shelter with a high euthanasia rate.
2. Managed intake: Uncontrolled intake often leads to a mismatch between a shelter's daily resources and the needs of the animals that are coming in.
Shelters are finding that creating an appointment system for non-emergency intake of animals allows for a smoother process and ensures that animals are coming in when the shelter is prepared for them, and not endangering their lives or the lives of animals already in the shelter.
Can you elaborate on that? How does drop-off without an appointment endanger the life of the incoming animal or those of shelter inhabitants?
By exposure to shelter diseases, as well as the severe health problems that can result from stress – this is particularly acute for cats. Managing your intake ... can allow a pet to be vaccinated, return home and come back into the shelter after his or her immune system has responded to the vaccines. This protects that pet from diseases that may be present in the shelter but not in the home.
And the rest of the initiatives?
3. Capacity for care: Conventionally, a shelter has viewed its capacity as the number of cages in the shelter, but this has failed to account for staffing needs, veterinary care, space requirements and even the number of adopters visiting the shelter. This can lead to an overcrowded shelter with high disease rates and poor welfare, all of which lead to prolonged stays in the shelter and increased euthanasia rates.
Determining the capacity for humane care helps shelters understand their overall capacity and how to leverage their resources to move animals through the shelter system as quickly and safely as possible. This leads to healthier and happier populations, increased adoptions, better relationships with the community and, paradoxically, the ability to save more animals over time.
4. Removing barriers to adoption: Traditionally, many shelters have felt understandably protective of the animals they've saved, and have implemented rigorous screening protocols and high adoption fees with the goals of assuring optimal adoption placements.
Over the past several years, shelters have questioned how effective those tactics are, and have learned that trusting the public and replacing long, intrusive applications and high adoption fees with conversations and discounted or free-adoption promotions has resulted in more adopters coming to shelters, (and) without the consequences they once feared.
A series of rigorous studies following up on pet adoptions has demonstrated that this approach increases the number of pet adopters without compromising the well-being of the pets. The studies include:
The Million Cat Challenge site gives an overview of the topic, as well.
5. Return to field: Traditionally, feral cats that were brought to shelters were held for a few days and then euthanized because they were not candidates for adoption.
Increasingly, shelters instead are sterilizing and vaccinating healthy stray cats who are in good condition, and returning them to the neighborhoods where they were thriving.
This benefits the community by reducing nuisance behavior exhibited by unneutered cats, and fills a niche previously occupied with an intact, unvaccinated cat with one who is healthy, vaccinated and cannot reproduce.
Communities that have instituted this approach experienced a decrease in complaints related to free-roaming cats, and shelters have recognized an immediate decrease in euthanasia rates as well.
The return-to-field initiative I imagine will be controversial. How do you balance the concerns about feral and outside cats preying on birds and other wildlife with the desire to save cats’ lives?
As we learn more, we increasingly recognize this is a false dilemma. We care about birds and other wildlife, and we care about cats. Through scientifically-based approaches, careful monitoring of data and outcomes, and engaging the community in our efforts, we don't have to choose between them. We can design programs that result in positive outcomes for both. As a recent study documented, fertility control can reduce the population of free-roaming cats.
That's one of our goals with this project, to over time reduce the population of feral cats and thus ease predation stress on sensitive species that may be sharing the same environment.
It’s important to recognize that animal shelters for decades have been collecting and euthanizing millions of cats a year, but populations have not been controlled. Return-to-field programs seek to involve residents in a proactive solution that protects cats, communities and wildlife.
Why is the focus on cats rather than dogs, or both? In what ways is the problem of unwanted cats different from unwanted dogs?
This project is focused on cats because they are at much higher risk of euthanasia than dogs are. In many parts of the country, there is a shortage of dogs available for adoption in shelters, but this is not the case for cats. And while euthanasia rates for dogs are decreasing in many parts of the country, they're often increasing for cats.
Cats also are unique in their ability to reproduce and survive outside of homes, which has created a large population of free-roaming community cats that requires a unique approach.
How many cats die every year in the United States and Canada because they’re unwanted? How solid is that number? How many shelter/rescue cats are adopted every year in the two countries?
These types of questions are always tough to answer because in the U.S. there's no single, comprehensive tracking system for the numbers of animals coming into animal shelters, or what happens to them.
But we do have some data from a wide variety of sources, including Maddie's Fund, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Pet Products Association and others. While none of those has identical numbers, the overall trends are consistent across those sources of data.
For our purposes, we're using the shelter intake figure of 3.4 million cats annually, of which more than half are euthanized.
For Canada, the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies just released some new numbers this month. This was 2013 data that reflected numbers from 90 shelters. They've been gathering this data since 1993, when only 28 percent of shelter cats were adopted, and around 60 percent were euthanized that year. In 2013, those numbers are much better. Around 53 percent of the cats coming into those Canadian shelters are adopted, and 37 percent are euthanized. (The other 10 percent remained in the shelter or died of other causes.)
Who may participate in the campaign?
Our Challengers are animal shelters that admit cats and have a brick-and-mortar location. We also utilize support and mentoring from veterinarians and successful shelters that may not be Challengers because they've already reduced intake and euthanasia dramatically, and thus don't have enough room to add to the count. However, that's exactly why they are so important to this mentoring-based program, because they have developed proven tools and strategies that will help those who are still working toward the goal.
We also are enrolling supporting organizations, including veterinary clinics, spay/neuter and trap-neuter-release programs, rescue groups and other animal-welfare organizations.
When did your count toward one million cats begin, and how do you know whether a given cat counts toward the goal?
The goal of the Million Cat Challenge is to save the lives of one million cats in North America over a five-year period that began Jan. 1, 2014. (Only shelters in the United States and Canada are participating currently, but those in Mexico are welcome.) Lives saved will be counted by two methods: reduction in euthanasia and increase in live release.
At enrollment, data is collected for the baseline year (2012) along with estimates for the current calendar year. At the beginning of each year, participating shelters report actual values for the previous calendar year and update their estimates for the new year.
Our methodology is explained in more detail on our website.
How many shelters are participating to date? How many are possible?
As of Dec. 23, 113 animal shelters have enrolled, with others currently in the data-verifying process. They represent 111,845 additional cats' lives saved over the baseline year of 2012.
The total number of animal shelters in the U.S. is estimated to be around 13,600. This includes private shelters both with and without animal-control contracts, and municipal animal control shelters.
We do not have that number for Canada, but the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies is aware of 172 humane societies or SPCAs that shelter animals. This does not include municipal shelters.
What does the project cost? Who is paying?
For shelters, there is no cost to participate in the campaign. It's a community of shelter workers and shelter veterinarians who have come together to share winning strategies.
The opportunity for Kate and me to devote most of our time to this, and for creating the online community and resource website, is made possible by an educational grant of nearly $1.8 million from Maddie's Fund, $30,000 from the Paul and Lea Levine Foundation and support from individual donors.
What is the role for private-practice veterinarians and the public?
We are receiving offers of support and help from private practices all over the country. That makes sense, because many veterinarians in private practice are already volunteering doing spay/neuter, running adoption programs out of their clinics, working or volunteering in shelters and doing animal rescue themselves.
At our university shelter-medicine programs, our direct link to animal shelters is usually via the veterinary services department, which is working on disease control, rehabilitation and preventive care. Successful implementation of the Million Cat Challenge is going to depend on veterinarians working in shelters, as well as their colleagues in communities who are helping shelters and rescue groups.
There's also a public-health component as regards free-roaming cats. Having a greater proportion of community cats being managed and vaccinated and ending their cycle of reproduction is a step forward in reducing zoonotic disease and other threats to public health. Our colleagues in practice are playing a key role in serving community cats and the residents who care for them, helping to keep cats out of shelters in the first place.
We're also excited to include innovations in collaboration with private practice veterinarians as part of the strategies our participants can utilize. For example, (there is) a pilot program in Portland, Oregon, called the CATalyst Connection, where the cats adopted from the Portland Humane Society are set up for their first veterinary visit with a private practice veterinarian in the community at the point of adoption.
They transfer the pet's medical records to the veterinarian at the same time, so there's an immediate start to the lifelong care of that pet and a relationship with the veterinarian.
While only animal shelters will be contributing their animal intake and disposition statistics as we count toward one million cats saved, we know they cannot accomplish this audacious goal alone. The shelters will need the support of veterinarians, rescue groups, spay/neuter clinics, industry, consultants, municipalities, charitable foundations and more to get to the finish line.
For community members, we hope they'll follow the Challenge on social media, sign up for our newsletter, and let the shelters in their communities know about the Challenge and its five initiatives. What happens after one million cats are counted?
We'll have a big party!
We actually suspect we'll hit our one million goal before the end of five years. One million is a large number, but it doesn't reflect anything close to all the cats who are entering shelters and being euthanized each year.
The 5 Million Lives Challenge had a similar experience, where it was so successful it exceeded their original goals many-fold. We hope to have the same experience with the Million Cat Challenge. We have certainly had a very enthusiastic response from shelters that are eager to change their approach to cats.
One of the reasons we're so optimistic is that the tools for saving cats are coming from the staff members and veterinarians in the shelters themselves. This is very much of an information-sharing and mentoring project. We expect we'll learn about more tools that haven't been reported yet that can be shared with the shelter community, and grow our numbers even more. The end game is that cats won't be euthanized for animal control anymore, but only to end suffering.
VIN News Service commentaries are opinion pieces presenting insights, personal experiences and/or perspectives on topical issues by members of the veterinary community. To submit a commentary for consideration, email news@vin.com.
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