You'd think that animals would have a friend in a veterinarian... That all animal doctors would be a Dolittle of sorts...
Sadly, it's not the case at all... According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the first of "Eight integrated principles for developing and evaluating animal welfare policies" is:
The responsible use of animals for human purposes, such as companionship, food, fiber, recreation, work, education, exhibition, and research conducted for the benefit of both humans and animals...
Do we need to go any further to the importance of "welfare", "science"... food and water, etc.?
It's already stated that the primary duty a vet has is to insure the "use of animals for human purposes"... As tasty sausages, burgers and nuggets, as furs, leather and woolen mittens, as circus amusements, rodeo toys, as greyhound racers, as zoo specimens, as Triple Crown contenders, as carriage pullers, as 4H spectacles, as hunting things, as dog, cat and pony show personalities... Oh yeah, and as guinea pigs -
But wait! Number 7 did intrigue me:
Animals shall be treated with respect and dignity throughout their lives and, when necessary, provided a humane death.
"Respect and dignity"? Not hardly in a zoo, sea-quarium or puppy mill. No dignity for a chimp wearing a wig and skates either.... And then there's the "food animals" that are crammed in cages all their lives, dehorned, castrated, raped, stolen babies... blah, blah, blah... we know all this. But according to the AVMA it's respectful and dignified enough... humm. Then there's that word I hear over and over again, when we all try to justify the use of animals - the word "necessary".
Four dictionaries give me this: necessary: 1) Absolutely essential 2) Unavoidable
Now, either the dictionaries are wrong... or the AVMA is. Indeed maybe our whole culture is under the wrong assumption?
It's not "absolutely essential" to use animals for any of the afore mentioned purposes - is it?
We certainly don't "need" to eat them... nor wear their skin, nor use them for transport, nor watch their bodies for entertainment, nor test them to see if nicotine is addictive or not...
But yet... we ask them to be our friends - and with friends like us - who needs enemies?
Don't be foe... be vegan!
