AVA Policy Advisory Council - update

Policy Advisory Council Work Summary 2022 - May 2023

In the last annual Policy Cycle, the following policies were ratified. Sincere thanks to all Policy Councilors and AVA members who contributed – we couldn’t do it without you!

UPDATED POLICIES:

• Cattle spaying
• Use of whips on horses at competitive events
• Climate change and animal health, welfare and production (ava.com.au)
• Use of behaviour-modifying collars on dogs (ava.com.au)
• Surgical sterilisation of dogs and cats (ava.com.au)
• Management of cats in Australia (ava.com.au)
• Commercial layer hen housing systems
• Live animal export
• Hendra Virus
• Promotion of Ineffective Therapies
• Waterfowl hunting

NEW POLICIES:

• Cytotoxic drug safety
• Use of punishment and negative reinforcement in dog training
• Brachycephalic dog breeding
• Heat stress in the horse
• Animal welfare and human wellbeing – vulnerability of clients and veterinary staff
• Medication of dogs and cats for air transport (ava.com.au)
• Surgical artificial insemination in dogs
• Australian National Centres for Disease Control (Australian CDC)
• Disbudding of goat kids

 TECHNICAL UPDATES were also made to the following policies:

• Caprine arthritis-encephalitis
• Vaccination of rabbits and ferrets (re RHDV2)
• Humane slaughter of livestock

Member consultation January and February 2023:

The following policies went to member comment in the lead up to the PAC annual meeting in May:

• Control of feral horses and other Equidae (update)
• Welfare of animals in zoos, aquaria, sanctuaries, and animal parks (update)
• Sustainability: implications for animal production, companion animals and veterinary practice (new)
• Welfare of animals used in rodeos (update)
• Employment of new veterinary graduates (update)
• Use of animals for teaching in veterinary schools (update)
• Unpaid veterinary services performed for public good (new)
• Genetic defects in domestic animals (update)
• Thermocautery (firing) of horses and racing greyhounds (update)

Member comments were incorporated into the above, for presentation at the PAC meeting.  More will follow on the outcomes of this meeting.

With sincere thanks to all the Policy Councillors and members who have contributed to this work – we couldn’t do it without you!