Related blog post: http://vegtalk.blogspot.com/20.....orces.html.

This certainly is a nail in the coffin for me. No RAVS, I will get surgical experiences elsewhere.

Beware, the AHA may well be pushing the “Asilomar Accords” which they’ve been promoting since 2004. This is different from Winograd’s solution. Check out the chapter beginning on page 145 of Winograd’s book to see what [as of mid 2007]the AHA was up to.

As for the various groups, you BET it’s confusing. And that’s no accident. Advocacy groups want to be all things to all people, because the more you sway, the more will pay.

In any case, I guess we can infer that if 11K veterinarians support them, then 69K don’t?

Sorry, while the intent might be good, I would have much preferred to have heard that this new organization was to be for the development of a collateral organization that would document DVM records, alerts, and create an “early warning system” so that DVM’s will never again be in the dark in the event of an epidemic.

Let’s not forget that PETA is not for animal welfare, but rather their mission is geared towards animal rights.

ASPCA: http://www.aspca.org

Humane Society of the United States: http://www.hsus.org/

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals: http://www.peta.org/

And there’s the American Humane Association, which is interesting because its original purpose for formation was better treatment of CHILDREN and ANIMALS. (Still part of the program, although probably animal-related efforts are better known, and surely the word “humane” these days means “animals” to most people.)

The ASPCA (or the “A” as it’s called) is the oldest. AHA next. HSUS is a relative newcomer, but arguably now along with PETA (and even more recently formed group) is the most influencial of the lot.

We recommend reading deeply into the Web sites and annual tax filings of any charity or advocacy group, to ensure your donations are being spent wisely (programs over excutive salaries) and in line with your beliefs. Advocacy groups (and not just animal-related ones) often try to show different faces to different audiences, to maximize the donations.