AR-News: AVMA Responds Falsely to New York Times Ad

[UPC News]

United Poultry Concerns PO Box 150 Machipongo, VA 23405
Phone: 757-678-7875 Fax: 757-678-5070 www.upc-online.org

For Immediate Release
June 28, 2004
Contact: Karen Davis 757-678-7875

AVMA Responds Falsely to New York Times Ad

“No one identifying themselves as an investigator from the AVMA has been in
touch with me or Lt. Gagliardo regarding this case.” – John Carlson,
Regional Director, County of San Diego Department of Animal Services
(Confirmed by United Poultry Concerns January 27 & June 28, 2004)

On June 21 The New York Times ran a full-page ad on A17 sponsored by Animal
Rights International, PETA, United Poultry Concerns, and the Association of
Veterinarians for Animal Rights. Titled “Has anyone betrayed more animals
than the American Veterinary Medical Association?” the ad cites the AVMA’s
defense of barren metal cages for pregnant sows, veal crates for calves,
forced molting of hens for up to 14 days without food, and the retention of
Dr. Gregg Cutler on its Animal Welfare Committee despite irrefutable
evidence that Cutler authorized throwing thousands of live chickens into
woodchipping machinery in San Diego County, CA in February 2003.

Even though United Egg Producers is urging its members to “change their
molting practices to the non-feed withdrawal method [of forced molting] as
quickly as possible,” the AVMA “sees molt induction as a necessary practice
to reduce the number of hens required to meet the nation’s demand for eggs”
and “advocates for research into alternatives to feed withdrawal to induce
molts.”

Gregg Cutler, who supports the forced molting of hens by starving them, was
part of a team of California veterinarians and poultry producers who
developed a document that includes written instructions on how to dispose of
“spent hens” by throwing them alive into woodchippers.

On February 20, 2003, Cutler told San Diego County Animal Services Lt. Mary
Kay Gagliardo that he “authorized the use of the wood chipper to depopulate
the spent hens on the [Ward] egg ranches” and that throwing them alive into
a wood chipper was ‘quick” and “painless.” He told the Los Angeles Times
(11/22/03) that feeding chickens into a wood chipper “seemed like it was
instantaneous and there was no suffering.” He told DVM Magazine (1/04): “My
only regret is speaking as a scientist to county representatives and
consumer media who misconstrued my openmindedness for new alternatives to
euthanasia during a crisis.”

In the press release, the AVMA, though claiming it doesn’t support the use
of wood chippers to kill “spent” hens, states: “The California Veterinary
Medical Board and the AVMA’s Judicial Council investigated the allegations
against the AVMA member [Cutler] referenced in the ad. After reviewing
several letters of complaint, copies of investigative reports from the
County of San Diego Department of Animal Services and the USDA, a response
from the veterinarian [Cutler] and supporting documentation, notes from an
industry conference call, and statements from other individuals involved in
that conference call, both bodies concluded there was insufficient evidence
to support these allegations.”

This entire whitewash merely confirms and adds to our New York Times
advertisement claim that the AVMA is BEHOLDEN TO INDUSTRY, NOT MEDICINE, NOT
ANIMALS, NOT ANIMAL WELL-BEING.

To view The New York Times Ad, “Has anyone betrayed more animals than the
American Veterinary Medical Association,” June 21, 2004:
http://www.upc-online.org/avma?AVMAad.pdf

To View the AVMA press release, “Animal Welfare as a Priority,” June 23,
2004:
http://www.avma.org/press/releases/040623_animal_welfare_priority.asp

To learn more about the AVMA and the wood-chipper incident including media
coverage: http://www/upc-online.org/avma/

What Can I Do?
You may write to the New York Times at letters at nytimes.com

You may contact the AVMA by writing to
Jack O. Walther, DVM, President
AVMA
Waltherdvm at aol.com

You may contact Bonnie Beaver, DVM, President Elect
AVMA
Bbeaver at cvm.tamu.edu

Susan M. Geranen, Executive Officer
CA Veterinary Medical Board
Vmb at dca.ca.gov

United Poultry Concerns is a nonprofit organization that promotes the
compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl. www.upc-online.org