|
|
News: World Small Animal Veterinary Association supports Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare
Posted by: JimEdwards on Apr 25, 2008 - 03:06 PM
animalwelfare
|
Source:
 The President of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), commended the recent call by the BVA President Nick Blayney for veterinarians worldwide to sign up to Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare and the support of the BVA for the Declaration. Dr Romberg said that the WSAVA, which represents over 77 veterinary association and 77,000 veterinarians, had supported the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare from the outset and supported its adoption by the United Nations.
On World Veterinary Day (WVD), which is held annually on the last Saturday of April and this week (Saturday 26 April) around the world, veterinarians will be celebrating the profession’s diversity and its contributions to human and animal health and welfare and many of the WSAVA’s member associations are included in these activities.
Dr Romberg wholeheartedly supports BVA President Nick Blayney in encouraging the development of effective animal welfare legislation around the world. While law enforcement is important, education on aspects of animal welfare are the key to changing personal belief systems. Dr Romberg said that much animal cruelty was because of simple ignorance on the part of animal owners. The veterinary profession can play a vital role in overcoming this lack of education.
The WSAVA has been a leader in the promotion of welfare for pet animals and in 2001 adopted a Convention for the Protection of Companion Animals which has now been ratified by sixty-six of its member veterinary associations. The WSAVA also supports and is a member of the International Companion Animal Management (ICAM) Coalition which has developed a programme for the humane control of stray and unwanted animals.
The WSAVA also supports the work of the OIE which has adopted animal welfare as one of its key roles. However, the OIE is inevitably heavily involved with food and farm animals, and the WSAVA would like to see the animal welfare legislation extended to cover all animals, including farm animals, companion animals and wild animals.
|
|
|
