NZVA veterinary team

Seeking a balance

In representing our members, the veterinary profession and the animals in our care, the NZVA veterinary team has a key role in lifting our reputation and voice on animal welfare issues.

GIVEN THE HUGE variety of work that veterinary professionals undertake – whether they’re rural veterinarians or those working with companion animals, industry and government – it’s fair to say we collectively represent a huge repository of knowledge and expertise in this country.

With such diverse experience and expertise, it’s no surprise that we don’t always agree. For the NZVA veterinary team this can make things challenging, especially when we’re developing agreed positions or deciding on advocacy positions and priorities.

In previous columns we’ve outlined how we consult and how the Member Advisory Group (MAG) and others contribute to the process. At its inaugural meeting, the MAG decided that a key priority for the NZVA should be enhancing our reputation and voice on animal welfare issues. Its collective view was that if veterinarians don’t advocate on animal welfare, someone else will fill the void.

When it comes to animal health and welfare, veterinarians have a unique qualification and skill set. Others with interests in animal welfare vary greatly, from activists who don’t share our science-based approach, or even agree that humane animal use is appropriate, to those advocating for outcomes different from our own. It’s therefore critical that the veterinary advocacy voice is heard in all the right places, with a robust and science-based approach underpinning our positioning and rationale.

If we had to sum up our approach in one word, it would be ‘balance’. We try to balance the needs of our members with our commitment to animal welfare science when taking a position on any animal welfare issue. This balance is relevant to all industry groups involved with animals, but, as we noted in a previous column, veterinarians have the additional responsibility enshrined in our Code of Professional Conduct – to “protect animal welfare and alleviate animal suffering”.

If we’re to consolidate and enhance our reputation as qualified and trusted animal health and welfare experts, it’s important that the NZVA advocates publicly and makes our views known in a range of forums. This includes offering solutions, as a failure to do so could lead to undesirable outcomes for animals, our members and the veterinary profession.

A good example is our advocacy work to change the way fireworks are regulated in this country. Currently, fireworks can be sold to anyone for private use, and despite a limited sales period during the year they can be stockpiled and lit at any time of the day or night. This presents an ongoing threat of psychological and/or physical harm to firework-anxious animals.

The veterinarians treating these animals can also be affected, particularly if they are, for example, called out in the middle of the night. The stress and sleep loss caused by dealing with this sort of situation can have significant effects on their wellbeing. There’s also a greater risk of professional complaints in this type of work. To resolve the animal and human welfare risks, we advocate a ban on private sales.

There are many other examples of the NZVA’s work in advocating for legislative or regulatory reform to support better member and animal welfare. These include, to name a few, changes to animal welfare regulations (such as those relating to transport, disbudding, bobby calves, equine dentistry and tail docking), the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997 and advertising guidelines, and the radiation code of practice and guidelines.

Once we achieve our advocacy goals, either we cease our work in the area (for example, tail docking in dogs) or we support our members with guidance to enable them to comply easily with any new rules (for example, disbudding guidelines).

Our understanding of animal welfare science, and society’s views and expectations, continues to evolve and contribute to incremental improvements that enhance animal welfare. The veterinary voice is a critical part of this, and a huge part of what the NZVA veterinary team does on your behalf and for the animals for whom you care.