Aust Vet J Vol 78, No 10, October 2000 673

News Extra

AVA and welfare

IWISH to congratulate ourincoming President Dr Ian

Denney on the excellent choiceof topic for what is one of hisfirst presentations from thepresidential seat (August AVJ,p517). Animal welfare and theAVA’s role in this arena certainlydeserve a high profile. I supportand concur with many of theconsiderations expressed. TheViewpoint column is certainlyinspiring and rises to thechallenges that I am told werepresented to the profession at aplenary session at the AVAconference. Animal welfareshould be a major concern toveterinarians. Veterinarians andtheir association should be theleaders in this field. What is, however, missing inthe Viewpoint are themechanics and the day-to-daypracticalities of achieving thisrole. Current AVA allocation inpersonal, financial resourcesand systems of operation areunlikely to lead us to achievethe aspired leadership position.Critical evaluation is needed –with goals and timetables set inplace. Commitment to, and employ-ment of, a permanent full timeAnimal Welfare Officer, aresearch co-ordinator or anAVA animal welfare advocate ismandatory if we are to achievesuccess. Setting up an efficient,effective, open and meaningfulsystem of communication on awide range of animal welfareissues within and betweenDivisions, Branches and SpecialInterests Groups must be one ofthe first priorities for the newappointee. Members’ involve-ment on a wide spectrum oftopics must be established in anopen and constructive atmos-phere. Sharing responsibilitiesbetween Divisions and theNational office on an equalbasis is essential. Developing a capacity todeliver, at a short notice, publiccomment on any animalwelfare issue arising at local,state or national level is

mandatory for the achievementof Dr Denney’s vision. Manypolicies and position papers arealready developed andpublished in the AVACompendium. Based on thesepolicies, opinions must bedelivered while the issues arestill at the center of thecommunity concerns andattention. The establishment of aneffective multi-level structure ofspokespersons on animalwelfare on a State and nationallevel is crucial. Proactive andreactive roles must be clearlydefined and pursued. There is a huge amount ofconcern, care and commitmentto animal welfare byveterinarians in Australia – yetthe greater part of this has littleAVA affiliation or involvement. Several years ago the NationalAVA had an employedcoordinator for animal welfarematters. As an active participantin the animal welfare arenawithin and outside the AVA Ifound that during this periodanimal welfare issues were dealtwith more effectively andproductively than anything thathad gone before, or hashappened since.While I am not aiming tocriticise the current arrange-ments or the people involved, Istrongly believe that broadchanges are required in the waywe deliberate, formulate trans-late communicate and educatewithin our organisation. Thisapplies to all of AVA’s levels aswell as our involvement withother organisations and thecommunity. Dr Denney, I share youraspirations and beliefs butchallenge you and the AVABoard to review thearrangement structures andresources allocated to achievethis position and to lead ourprofession and the communityin all aspects of care, welfareand concern for our animals.

Dr Onn Ben-David Caulfield South, Vic

AVA, ACAC and PIAS

HAS anyone bothered tocontact the Australian

Companion Animal Council(ACAC), via the address,telephone number or fax listedon their glossy old masterspropaganda March 2000publication, The Power of Pets’?I did, and found the contactdetails to be one and the sameas the Australian VeterinaryAssociation (AVA) to which weall pay our subscriptions; someof which presumably goestoward maintenance of theoffice.Unfortunately, on 13 July2000, the AVA telephonist hadno idea who or what the ACACwas. On consulting someone inthe office she returned with theadvice to contact: SueChaseling, Petcare Information and AdvisoryService (PIAS), 51 DarlingStreet, East Balmain 2041, e-mail: petsyd@petnet.com.au. Is this the same Susan MareeChaseling, director of theorganisation – prominent in thePetPEP enterprise – callingitself Delta Society AustraliaLtd, I wondered? (A person of influence, is she avet?)What’s more, didn’t StuartLittlemore QC broadcast hisview that: ‘the Pet CareInformation and AdvisoryService, which it seems fair tosay, is nothing more than afront for the multi-national petfood manufacturer Mars,through its Australiansubsidiary Uncle Bens’?I asked for an explanation as towhy the AVA office is used as anaddress for the ACAC whichnow seems to be a front forPIAS.Because the ACAC movearound a lot, that’s why they usethe AVA address, came the replyon 24 July 2000. They arecurrently in Balmain, andbefore that they weresomewhere else, said my AVAinformant.But, I protested, the ACAC is

not PIAS – not according to thelist of contributors at the frontof the booklet it isn’t. “Tell me,”I said, “should the Minister forLocal Government, having seenthis glossy brochure, telephone formore information what wouldyou tell him?” We would directhim to ACAC in Balmain, saidmy informant.At this stage I becameconcerned that the AVA may bein the business of lending itsname and office space andsending out brochurespurporting to know everythingor almost everything there is toknow about the pet industrybut when it comes to who orwhat or where the ACAC is noone seems to know, except thatit is necessary to contact PIAS.These are just some of theconcerns that Breck and I have discussed and believe should beput to the membership to see ifanyone can shed any light onthe goings on at AVA House.PS: This message and anycorrespondence arising shouldbe available for generaldistribution.

Dr Tom LonsdaleSouth Windsor, NSW

Tom “obsessed”

IS this the same Tom Lonsdalewho is so obsessed with his

RMB theory that he isconducting a vendetta against acertain petfood companythrough his membership of theAVA and through hismembership of the RCVS ?Give me a break, Tom! Don’tthrow so many stones in thatglass house of yours!We can all see through yourpublic spirited “free speech”angst.

Dr Bob BradleyNunawading, Vic

No intrigue

REGARDING theAustralian Companion

Animal Council (ACAC): whata shame.You, Tom Lonsdale, let yourpreconceptions paint such ascandalous picture of intrigue

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