Delegates nix efforts to tighten AVMA purse strings

The American Veterinary Medical Association's House of Delegates (HOD) defeated three resolutions designed to control the Executive Board's ancillary spending, especially when it comes to charitable giving.

Fighting over the pot of gold: Delegates torpedoed three resolutions designed to control philanthropic spending at AVMA's July meeting in Honolulu. Above, attendees gather for the opening session.

The decisions came during the HOD meeting at AVMA's annual convention in Honolulu. Brought by California, Oregon and Wisconsin veterinary medical associations, the resolutions responded to Executive Board actions to grant $500,000 in 2005 to Heifer International following Asia's tsunami and $500,000 for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. While the first resolution asked AVMA to determine its status as a charitable organization and, if so, create a philanthropic policy, the second sought to establish rules to protect the association's cash reserves from benevolent overspending. A third resolution attempted to limit non-budgeted spending at 5 percent of the association's annual budget.

"This establishes a guideline for the Executive Board, that's all this amounts to," California Delegate Dr. George Bishop says while trying to convince the House to vote in the resolutions' favor. Oregon Delegate Dr. DuWayne Penfold added that a survey of state association members suggest philanthropic giving should rank high on AVMA's agenda: "We think it's more appropriate that the charitable arm be AVMF (American Veterinary Medical Foundation."

But the resolutions, as written, saddled Executive Board members with too many restrictions, critics contend, pointing out that non-budgeted monies were used to purchase the group's Washington building and fund AVMA's Schaumburg, Ill., office remodel as well as start the group's communications and animal welfare divisions.

It takes a three-fourths majority of the Executive Board to OK off-budget expenditures. "The Executive Board has fiduciary responsibility and lots of controls," Executive Board member Dr. Jacky Horner says.

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Also on the HOD chopping block was an anti-foie gras production statement, submitted by petition for its third year.

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The tug-o-war between welfare proponents who contend the force feeding of ducks and geese to fatten their livers is cruel and veterinarians downplaying alleged brutality tied to the practice came to a head with Delegate Dr. James Harris' impassioned speech before House members. Representing the Association of Avian Veterinarians, he asks his colleagues to assess veterinary medicine's role in agriculture welfare, serving animals as well as humans.

"Let us not give in to the vocal, emotional, unrealistic small segment of society that is against a particular (agricultural) practice," he says. "We as a profession are kind to the animal species we share this planet with, which we keep, feed, breed, kill and eat. There is nothing wrong with this. We continuously address animal welfare. There is no question that we have contributed to the best care possible for the animals we are dependent on for sustenance. We cannot, and must not, give an inch on our role."

Following House member applause, delegates advocating the resolution's passage noted the public's negative perception that AVMA favors the mechanical forced feeding of birds to create gourmet foodstuffs. "I think this is a perception problem for animal welfare at AVMA," Florida Delegate Ernest Godfrey says. "The issue folks is we are producing a disease, and we as veterinarians should not do that," California Alternate Delegate Richard Sullivan adds.

Leadership meeting formalized

Garnering almost as much debate as foie gras, a resolution to add a business session to the HOD's annual leadership conference in January was passed. Beginning in 2008, the group plans to formalize the meeting to allow members to make official actions more than just once a year, during the AVMA convention. The idea surfaced after Executive Board members made the decision to spend $500,000 on tsunami aid without consulting HOD, but critics contend the move might deter from the meeting's causal nature.

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"We're talking about creating a mandatory second meeting every single year," New Jersey Alternate Delegate Mark Helfat says. "It sort of rubs me the wrong way. The January meeting is for leadership. I do not want to detract from that. We can talk about anything we want without being tied down to a formal meeting."

Others say the leadership conference is almost needless without a voting session. "I felt frustrated at last January's meeting; I felt it was wasted time," Delegate Sullivan says.

Bylaws rewrite

That's not the case for three years of work to redraft the association's bylaws into a streamlined document, which HOD members voted to cement.

The rewrite, conducted by a task force of AVMA members, abandons the association's constitution to establish bylaws governing the group's rule-making bodies and procedures. It also outlines responsibilities of the Executive Board and HOD.

"There's always been this struggle between the powers that be," Alabama Delegate Dr. William DeWitt says in his promotion of the document. "We're a little suspicious of the Board, and they're probably a little suspicious of us, but the bottom line is we're all in this together. The House is always going to have the last word. With that in mind, let's not throw away the work that's been done."

AVMA pressures APHIS for training

Little discussion ensued concerning the passage of a resolution urging the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to implement improved training programs for veterinarians.

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The APHIS education process should be revised and modernized, the resolution says, to allow for the periodic re-accreditation of veterinarians on public health and safety.

Quick thinking

Finally, a handful of HOD members overshadowed an activist-backed resolution on animal welfare by writing and adopting a last-minute document of their own.

Pushed by Farm Sanctuary, the controversial resolution asked AVMA to declare animal welfare a higher priority than economic considerations tied to the animal industry. The issue was referred to the AVMA Animal Welfare Committee because defeating or passing it put the association in an awkward position, critics contend. "It's almost like saying, 'Do you still beat your wife—yes or no?'" Florida Alternate Delegate Dr. Larry Dee says.

Written and submitted by the AVMA Allied Caucus, the replacement resolution resolves that the AVMA "affirms the responsible use of animals for human purposes." It goes on to cite principles of the Veterinarian's Oath, adding, "To successfully executive these principles, veterinarians must protect the welfare of animals while simultaneously meeting societal needs."

The resolution outlines what veterinarians do for the benefit of people and pets, says Dr. Daniel Aja, resolution author and caucus member. "We faced this resolution head on and came up with a positive solution," he says.