Schipperke Club of America, Inc.

Schipperke
Club of America,
Inc.
Donna Kenly, President
PO Box 2760; Elizabeth, CO 80107
303-646-8499 - .markkenly@aol.com.
September 8,2009
Gail Golab, PhD, DVM
Division Director, Animal Welfare Division
American Veterinary Medical Association
1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100
Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360
RE:
Schipperke Club of America Opposition to Revised Ear Cropping and Tail
Docking Policy
Dear Dr. Golab:
On behalf of the members of the Schipperke Club of America (SCA) and its Board of Directors,
we join our many fellow breed clubs in registering our strong opposition to and disappointment
with the AVMA's decision to create the November 2008 version of the Ear Cropping and Tail
Docking Policy (the Policy). Issuing a revision that appears to lack any scientific support or
citation and without seeking the input of, or involvement from, major stakeholders such as the
American Kennel Club and breed parent clubs, merely weakens the AVMA's credibility and
undermines important relationships.
The SCA believes that docking tails and removing dewclaws within 3-5 days of whelp is
generally safe, and we strongly support the involvement of veterinarians in such actions.
However, the SCA shares the concerns voiced by the other breed clubs, particularly those of
the English Cocker Spaniel Club of America (ECSCA) as outlined in their letter to you of June
26, 2009. The AVMA's apparent disregard for the data indicating that crop/dock prohibitions do
not prevent canine injuries, but instead seem to increase them disturbs the SCA. This is of
particular concern to the SCA as we deem canine health to be so important as to include it in
our Code of Ethics and require our members to pledge to uphold that Code. By issuing the
Policy without the offer of scientific support the AVMA undoubtedly will drive crop/dock
practices, now undertaken safely and humanely by veterinarians, underground. This is hardly
the way for the AVMA to provide for animal health and welfare.
Mindful of Prof. Dr. R. Fritsch's comments (.http://www.cdb.org/vets/fritsch.htm.1).
the SCA
understands the AVMA likely has scientific data on which it based its 2008 revision. The SCA,
on behalf of all breed clubs who advocate for and protect their breeds and the right to crop/dock,
is interested in seeing the supporting scientific data on which the AVAMA based its 2008
revision. The SCA strongly encourages the AVMA make such data publicly available on its
website.
While the 1999 version of the Policy specifically stated: "Therefore veterinarians should counsel
dog owners about these matters before agreeing to perform these surgeries", the inflexible 2008
policy eliminates local veterinarians from the equation, interposes the AVMA directly into the
relationship between dog owners and their veterinarians. Human medicine spent the last
1
This weblink is corrected from an apparent typographical error in the ECSCA letter.
Gail Golab, PhD, DVM
September 1, 2009
Page 2 of2
decade or more moving towards an interactive and educated patient-physician model with better
patient education and the AVMA now charts an opposite course. Not only is canine health not
well served by driving crop/dock underground, canine health wilt generally suffer even more by
removing qualified veterinary medical providers from the picture.
Statements indicating the Policy is founded on the AVMA's interest in minimizing the risk from
anesthesia for elective surgeries (such as crop/dock) is not only a counterproductive argument,
but may lead people to presume certain other agendas are involved. The risk from anesthesia
and surgical complications exists for other elective surgical procedures as well, yet no one
expects the AVMA to manifest a position banning elective spay/neuter or other invasive surgical
procedures, or dental cleanings. Couching the crop/dock argument as a surgical risk to justify
the Policy, while ignoring the risk of anesthesia for other elective procedures, could be
perceived as a lack of consistent support for animal health and welfare.
Despite the removal of language from the 1999 Policy encouraging discussions between
veterinarians and dog owners, the SCA trusts your member veterinarians will balk at the
AVMA's unashamed and blatant attempt to interfere with patient relationships. The SCA also
trusts that local veterinarians who care for our beloved canines will continue their efforts to
counsel and educate dog owners in lieu of removing them from any discussion and decision
about their dogs as the AVMA now seems to require.
Donna Kenly, President
on behalf of the Officers and Board of Directors
of the Schipperke Club of America
Olga J. Joanow, Vice President
Melissa Chonos, Treasurer
Mark Antonucci, Director
Diane Harris, Director
Ursula Hutton, Director
Hope Johnson, Director
Lee Ann Stusnick, Recording Secretary
Beverly Henry, Corresponding Secretary
Frances Keyes, Director
Johnnie Maschhoff, Director
Barbara Murray, Director
Maryann Simanek, Director
Betty Jo Patrick, AKC Delegate
cc:
AVMA Board of Directors
AVMA State Delegates
DVM Magazine
Dennis Sprung, AKC President & CEO
James P. Crowley, AKC Executive Secretary
Patricia Laurans, AKC Parent Club Committee Chair