AVMA weighs in on California livestock housing referendum

An upcoming California referendum on mandatory changes to livestock confinement practices has the AVMA concerned the proposal could compromise animal welfare by requiring producers to adopt systems that don't account for all aspects of humane treatment.

Although reluctant to involve the AVMA in state politics, preferring instead to address veterinary and animal-related issues at the national level, Association leaders believe the referendum, sponsored by national organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States, warranted a response because it is part of a larger, state-by-state campaign targeting food animal production.

The referendum, known as the Standards for Confining Farm Animals, or Proposition 2, has roiled the nation's largest state veterinary association. The California VMA's support for Proposition 2 caused small numbers of CVMA members—including the chair of the CVMA agriculture committee—and unaffiliated large animal veterinarians to form an organization opposed to the proposal. This new group, the Association of California Veterinarians, intends on speaking for veterinarians on matters pertaining to California's animal agriculture industry.

In April, a coalition of humane organizations gathered more than the necessary 433,971 signatures to put Proposition 2 on the California ballot this November. The measure would require that, effective 2015, egg-laying hens, veal calves, and pregnant sows have enough room to lie down, stand, turn around, and fully extend their limbs (see JAVMA, May, 1, 2008, page 1279).

Referendums are a way of bringing legislation directly to the public for a vote. Many states allow such forms of "direct democracy" as do a number of city governments. So far, referendums on livestock housing have been successful in at least two states. Sow gestation stalls were banned in Florida by voters in 2002 (effective 2008); four years later, veal calf and gestation stalls were prohibited in Arizona (effective 2012).
Notably, California is not a major veal producer. Moreover, gestation stalls are already being phased out by the state's largest pork producer. The state's poultry industry would feel the effects of Proposition 2 most, as California is home to more than 19 million egg-laying hens and is the fifth largest egg-producing state in the country.

After nearly yearlong deliberations over Proposition 2, the California VMA board of governors passed a resolution supporting the proposal, finding it consistent with the association's "Eight Principles of Animal Care and Use," which describe veterinarians' commitment to animals. For instance, Principle 5 states: "Animals should be provided with water, nutrition, and an environment appropriate to their care and use, with consideration for their safety, health, and species-specific biological needs and behavioral natures."

The CVMA did temper its endorsement of Proposition 2 with a few caveats. "While the CVMA supports the concept that animals should be allowed to turn around, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs when confined," the statement reads, "we also believe that issues such as public health, biosecurity, and good farming practices must be considered.

"The CVMA firmly believes that any modifications of the current system should be made in consultation with California's food animal veterinarians, the leading authorities on the health and well being of production animals," the statement concluded.

Still, the association's endorsement of Proposition 2 "angered, frustrated, and disappointed" some CVMA members, who say the decision is neither science-based nor recommended by food animal veterinarians within the CVMA nor supported by groups such as the American Association of Avian Pathologists, explained Dr. Michael S. Karle, chair of the CVMA agriculture committee. As a result, they have established the Association of California Veterinarians, with Dr. Karle as president, to express their opposition to the referendum.

The ACV promotes itself as backing science-based standards, practices, and policies that enable state livestock and poultry producers to provide "a wholesome, safe, nutritious, and affordable food supply." The group's goal is to become the principal veterinary organization on issues affecting California's animal agriculture industry. Dr. Karle estimates the number of ACV members at around 20 and "growing every day."

The CVMA agriculture committee recommended nonsupport of Proposition 2 while the CVMA House of Delegates voted in favor of the association, taking a neutral position on the measure.

"It was a complete shock when the board of governors came out in support of Prop 2," said Dr. Karle, a bovine practitioner working primarily with dairy cattle. "We have to answer to our clients every day on these kinds of issues, and for CVMA to take a support position on this is basically like us abandoning our clients."

Despite the dispute, CVMA President William A. Grant believes the association is acting in the best interests of the animals and in accordance with its Eight Principles. "I feel good about the decision we made, and we have until 2015 to have this implemented," Dr. Grant said. He pointed out that advances in food animal housing are already leading some producers to switch to more open housing systems.

"People are concerned about the slippery slope," Dr. Grant said about fears that Proposition 2 is just the beginning of a legislative assault on food animal production in California. "I don't see a slippery slope at this point," he said.

A small animal practitioner, Dr. Grant regrets the discord within the CVMA but said he respects the dissenting members' opinion. In fact, Dr. Grant has "a lot of faith" in Dr. Karle, who he reappointed chair of the agriculture committee when he took office. "If this is something they want to do, that's fine," Dr. Grant said. "I do think that anytime we fragment our members, it's a mistake. Our strength is in our unity." The San Diego County VMA has also endorsed Proposition 2, he added.

Dr. Karle and the other CVMA members recognize there are advantages of retaining their affiliation with the association, such as insurance benefits, and have no plans of renouncing their memberships.

Seeing the Proposition 2 debate as a California matter, Dr. Grant formally requested in a letter sent to the AVMA that the organization not comment on the proposal. But in a statement issued Aug. 26, the AVMA said it welcomed the effort to improve animal welfare but worried Proposition 2 "ignored critical aspects of animal welfare" and, if enacted, could threaten the well-being of the very animals it means to protect. (Read the AVMA statement in its entirety on this page. For more information, visit www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/california_proposition2.asp).

"Proposition 2 would clearly provide greater freedom of movement, but would likely compromise several of the other factors necessary to ensure the overall welfare of the animals, especially with regard to protection from disease and injury," the statement reads.

The AVMA Executive Board approved the comments during a special teleconference convened Aug. 18. While reluctant to involve the Association in state politics, AVMA leaders believed they needed to air their concerns over parts of Proposition 2. Namely, they think the proposal fails to account for all aspects of animal welfare, according to Dr. Ron DeHaven, AVMA CEO and executive vice president.

Additionally, the measure's wording is vague, they say, so that when regulations implementing the law are written, they may preclude certain housing systems with the potential to enhance animal welfare. "Legally, the language may be clear," Dr. DeHaven said. "Scientifically, it is not."

"We are not taking a position on Proposition 2," Dr. DeHaven explained. "But we are concerned that there could be unintended consequences that will negatively impact the welfare of affected animals. We want our members in California and the public to consider these potential consequences when they make their decision on how to vote."

Dr. Karle was "elated" by the AVMA's response. "I was very pleased, and we came to the same conclusions for the same reasons," he said.

Portions of the AVMA statement agree with what the CVMA has said about Proposition 2, according to Dr. Grant. But he does take issue with the charge that the association is ignoring animal welfare. Moreover, the AVMA, Dr. Grant said, is contradicting itself, considering how the AVMA House of Delegates just recently passed a resolution calling on the veal calf industry to adopt less-confining housing systems (see JAVMA, Sept. 1, 2008, page 689).

Dr. Grant is confident the state veterinary association can weather the controversy through professional unity. "My feeling ... is we're veterinarians: we can analyze these issues and, hopefully, we can come to terms in agreement within our organization," he said. "That's what we have done before, and we're hoping to do again."

– R. Scott Nolen

A Brand Built by Quality

A Brand Built by Quality
Kentucky’s equine economic cluster has multibillion-dollar annual impact
By Kara Keeton

Kentucky is known as the horse capital of the world, it might be argued, because it is home to “the greatest two minutes in sports,” the Kentucky Derby. It might also be argued that Kentucky is on the map when it comes to horses because the Bluegrass is where champions such as Man O’ War and Secretariat were bred and born.

Being home to the Kentucky Derby and birthplace of famous four-legged athletes no doubt has laid the foundation for the state’s worldwide horse fame, but as the equine industry has grown in the commonwealth it is much more than the steeds in the field that have cemented Kentucky’s role as horse capital of the world.

It is a rich infrastructure of tops-in-their-field businesses supporting the horse farms and racing industry that makes Kentucky, specifically the Bluegrass region, known worldwide. Beyond the bragging rights, there are big bucks involved – multiple billions of dollars a year spilling into virtually every aspect of the state economy.

An equine cluster
The focal point of the equine industry may be the beautiful Thoroughbreds, Saddlebreds, Quarter Horses and many other equine breeds found in Kentucky’s fields and barns. Yet horses are only the beginning when looking at the total impact of the state’s equine industry.

“There is no question that the horse industry in the state spins off other businesses. You have equine feed, hay, tack shops, transportation, and that is just a few of the many businesses that support the industry,” said Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear.

Dr. Lori Garkovich, of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, has been studying the far-reaching impact of Kentucky’s equine industry. Her research shows that industry has developed into an equine economic cluster as it evolved.

“A cluster occurs when there is a geographic concentration of firms and institutions whose activities are interconnected and interdependent within a sector,” Garkovich explained. “That is what has happened in the equine industry in Kentucky, especially in Lexington and the surrounding area.”

Garkovich’s research justifies the existence of an equine economic cluster in the Bluegrass. It’s a concept many have long recognized as they watched the industry over the years.

“What we have seen over time is that as the number of horses and farms grew, so did the infrastructure in the industry to support the growth,” explained Nicole Pieratt, owner of Sallee Horse Vans Inc. based in Lexington. “At Sallee, we provide transportation for horses to tracks and farms across the country and into Canada, but Kentucky is the hub of our industry.”

The equine infrastructure
As the commonwealth’s unique equine infrastructure has grown, so has its recognition beyond the state’s borders. Today, Kentucky is home to equine world leaders ranging from specialty feeds and equipment suppliers to distinctive providers of veterinary, legal, financial, insurance and other services.

“We are very unique within the feed industry, as we are an ultra-premium manufacturer of horse feeds,” said Lee Hall, vice president of Hallway Feeds, based in Lexington. “We are making products that are fueling and feeding what is arguably the best Thoroughbred breeding stock in the world and very many of the best racing horses in the world. Would this be possible if we were located anywhere else in the world? I don’t think so.”

What makes the infrastructure around Kentucky’s equine industry unique and known worldwide, Hall went on to explain, is its quality. The horse owners demand quality products and care for their animals and farms, and businesses that provide the quality that is demanded have flourished.

Dr. Andy Clark, CEO of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, echoed Hall’s statements. Horse owners want the highest quality care for their animals, he said, and equine veterinarians in the state have responded to their needs.

“There is nowhere else in the world where you can find the level of equine veterinary care you will find in Lexington and the surrounding area,” said Dr. Clark. “There are two equine MRI machines within seven miles of each other and dozens of digital X-ray machines, but this level of quality care should be here since we are the center of the horse business.”

That quality level has propelled some of those businesses that began by providing services locally to now reach far beyond Kentucky and the United States to the international equine industry.

Gustav slams into shore as Category 2 hurricane

A weakened tropical storm Gustav is starting to fade as it moves through Louisiana.

Gustav, with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometres per hour, was downgraded to a tropical storm late Tuesday evening, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. At 11 p.m. ET, it was 30 kilometres southwest of Alexandria, Louisiana.

With its current movement, Gustav is expected to move across Louisiana and reach into eastern Texas by Tuesday.

According to reports from ABC News, water was splashing over the Industrial Canal floodwall in New Orleans, creating ankle-deep flood areas. But city officials were optimistic the main levees would hold and major flooding would be averted.

"We are seeing some overtopping waves," said Col. Jeff Bedey, commander of the Army Corps of Engineers' hurricane protection office.

"We are cautiously optimistic and confident that we won't see catastrophic wall failure."

Despite the downgrade, Gustav had still packed gusting winds of more than 175 km/h when it struck shore in Cocodrie, southwest of New Orleans.

"It has been downgraded but that does not mean we are out of the woods. This is still a storm to be reckoned with," said CTV's Marcia MacMillan, reporting from New Orleans.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal echoed that sentiment at a news conference Monday afternoon. He warned that the worst is not over with the possibility of more rain, tornadoes, tidal surges and additional flooding in the forecast.

Earlier, forecasters had feared the storm could make landfall as a devastating Category 4 system.

MacMillan said forecasters were expecting the storm to dump about 50 centimetres of rain on the region. Three years ago the devastating Hurricane Katrina hit east of New Orleans, leaving over 1,600 dead and thousands homeless.

Gustav has only been linked to one death in the U.S., when a woman was killed in a collision driving from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. But before making landfall, the hurricane had already been blamed for at least 94 deaths in the Caribbean.

Much of southern Louisiana was deserted ahead of the storm. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin issued a mandatory evacuation, and according to officials roughly 2 million residents had fled the city and other at-risk areas by Monday morning.

About 10,000 people decided to ride out the storm in New Orleans while about 100,000 remained in their homes along the coast.

MacMillan said some damage could already be seen Monday morning as strong winds knocked down signs and electricity was temporarily cut off in the city's French Quarter. However, she said officials were mainly concerned about flooding.

"After Katrina they did want to learn a lot of lessons and they have in terms of the evacuation and in terms of the organization and preparedness, but those levees are still vulnerable," she said.

"The levees can only take a storm surge of eight feet. We're looking at a potential storm surge of 20 feet with this storm so that's the real concern, that they're still vulnerable, they're not fortified, they're not strong enough."

New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley spoke to MacMillan in the French Quarter on Monday afternoon and told her that, from what he has seen, the damage in the city was limited to downed trees and debris, with no serious damage to houses.

"Compared to Katrina, this is absolutely a great day for us," he said.

U.S. president George Bush on Monday said he was satisfied with officials' efforts to prepare for Gustav.

"All in all what I look for is to determine whether assets are in place to help, whether or not there is coordination and whether or not there is preparation for recovery, and to that end I feel good about this event," Bush said, speaking in Texas where many of the evacuees have been taken.

Bush also congratulated those who have followed the evacuation orders and left their homes, and thanked the states that have welcomed the evacuees.

Ghost town

MacMillan said New Orleans was a virtual ghost town Monday, that is, until the eye passed over the city.

"For the last 24 hours we have not seen anyone in the French Quarter, but now we're seeing more than just police and National Guard on the streets," said MacMillan.

"(Officials) still want people to stay inside; the death, damage and destruction come after the storms. It's not always the wind, it's the aftermath. They want people to stay tight."

In New Orleans proper, about 50 per cent of the city, an estimated 100,000 customers, are without power. MacMillan said officials are not sure when the power will be restored as they are waiting for the other half of the storm to come in.

About 400 km to the west, the Texas town of Beaumont was battening down in advance of Gustav's arrival.

Capt. Brad Penisson of the Beaumont Fire Department told CTV Newsnet that evacuation efforts prior to Gustav were much smoother when compared to when Hurricane Rita hit them in 2005.

"We were better organized this time, we learned some lessons the hard way during Hurricane Rita and we were better prepared, better organized with our evacuation efforts," Penisson said.