HEALTH - Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Opposes Declawing of Cats

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) has updated its policy on declawing cats to clearly oppose the procedure.

The CVMA changed the position statement’s title to Domestic Felid Partial Digital Amputation (Onychectomy or Declawing) to better reflect the nature of the procedure, and explicitly states that it “opposes elective and non-therapeutic Partial Digital Amputation (PDA), commonly known as declawing or onychectomy, of domestic cats.”

Dr. Troy Bourque, CVMA President, said in a release, “Much research has become available since we last examined this position statement and it is evident that felines suffer needlessly when undergoing this surgery as an elective measure. Furthermore, behavioural research has advanced to allow veterinarians in this field to help clients modify unwanted scratching behavior without the completion of an Onychectomy.”

Animal welfare organizations have long held policies condemning declawing for elective or non-therapeutic reasons and have promoted behaviour modification to address scratching issues.

The new CVMA policy recognizes scratching as a normal cat behaviour and nails are used by cats to assist with balance, climbing, and self-defence.

The policy goes on to say, “surgical amputation of the third phalynx of the digit alters the expression of normal behaviours in cats, causes avoidable short-term acute pain, and has the potential to cause chronic pain and negative long-term orthopedic consequences.”

Does this new policy mean the surgery is banned in Canada?

No. It is up to veterinary regulators in each province to decide whether to ban the procedure.

Some provinces in Canada ban elective and non-therapeutic surgeries such as docking and cropping in dogs, and only time will tell if that happens for declawing.

Declawing is banned in the U.K., Europe, Australia and several California cities, and New Jersey is considering a law that would ban the practice unless a vet deems the operation medically necessary.

For now, Canadian Veterinarians “have the right to refuse to perform non-therapeutic Partial Digital Amputation surgery. If alternatives fail to alleviate undesirable scratching behaviours, veterinarians have the right and responsibility to use professional judgement for a humane and ethical outcome.”

HR - A Professional Conduct Policy for Today's Online World

In today’s modern world of electronic communication, where words and actions spread like wildfire and can have a negative impact on organizations and individuals just as quickly, many businesses have beefed up their professional conduct policy to include activities outside the office and online.

A recent open letter published online by a Yelp customer service agent complaining about not earning a living wage which resulted in her firing, to a Toronto man fired by Hydro One for yelling obscenities at a television reporter, show this type of policy in action.

According to the HR Council, a professional conduct policy should:

• Be designed with consideration for your organization's values, the clients you work with and the service you provide
• Be driven by the fact that your organization's reputation and work environment are based on the actions and behaviours of your employees
• Provide guidelines for acceptable behaviour
• Emphasize use of good judgment
• Require compliance with all applicable legislation
• Provide examples of prohibited actions or behaviour that are regarded as misconduct (and it may specify the consequences of violations), but state that these are examples only and not all inclusive
• Refer to other related policies (for example: handling of confidential information, harassment, and conflict of interest).

Online activities can be included in the conduct policy or be part of a larger social media policy. However, the social media policy should be referred to in the professional conduct policy.

To help you develop a comprehensive professional conduct or social media policy, it’s no surprise there are a lot of great resources (even with free templates) available online.

Canada Changes Pet Food Importation Policy

As of September 1st, 2015 the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) stopped issuing import permits for US pet food, treats, and chews that do not contain bovine ingredients. The affected products now need to have a health/export certificate that has been issued by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

For the time period between September 1st, 2015 to June 30th, 2016, APHIS will issue health/export certificates for the necessary products. These certificates will be based upon a notarized affidavit from manufacturers. Beginning July 1st, 2016, APHIS will issue certificates based upon their own inspections.

APHIS certificates will not be restricted to single shipments but all applicable shipments within seven days. President and CEO of the Pet Food Institute, Cathleen Enright, PhD, said, “The pet food industry is grateful for the effort by APHIS and CFIA to find a timely, workable process that meets Canada’s new import requirements without disrupting the supply of safe, nutritious food for Canada’s cats and dogs.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Policy and Practice: The Ongoing Struggle to Enforce Animal Welfare Regulation and Implement Animal Welfare Law in China | ALN

When it comes to animal protection, China’s government has instituted a raft of local regulations that in print could serve as a model for many nations. However, what’s in print isn’t always in practice.

Twenty-five years ago, in a tightly-controlled isolated China, there was no notion of or reference to animal welfare. Live animals were routinely fed to circus, safari park, and zoo carnivores. Taking care of animals was not only outside the realm of science; it was a menial job. Those who cared for pets, farm, and military animals, trained incidentally as part of a vocational agricultural program and used home-grown approximations of anaesthetics for accidents or emergencies.

Thanks to a confluence of trends including a growing market economy, since then external and Chinese animal protection groups have been able to establish a footing. With the bold support of China’s nationally prominent and local scientists, these animal protection groups have been working within China on two fronts: introducing the idea that animals feel pain and reinforcing the message that inflicting pain is tantamount to abuse. Furthermore welfare organizations have been teaching local groups to be proactive in supporting proposals for local regulation and national animal welfare law.

Read the full article by Helen Kelly and Anthony James at www.alnmag.com