House passes bill that would ban unsafe horse transport
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Horse Transportation Safety Act in July as part of a broader transportation bill. The HTSA would ban the use of double-deck trailers for interstate horse transport.
Reps. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.; Peter King, R-N.Y.; Dina Titus, D-Nev.; and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., sponsored the HTSA, which was first introduced in 2008 and was approved as part of the Moving Forward Act by a vote of 233-188.
The HTSA is endorsed by the AVMA, the Animal Welfare Institute, The Humane Society of the United States, and the Humane Society VMA, among others.
“Horses deserve to be transported in as humane a manner as possible,” Cohen said in a statement. “Double-deck trailers do not provide adequate headroom for adult horses, and accidents involving double-deck trailers are a horrendous reminder that the practice is also dangerous to the driving public.”
The AVMA recommends trailers have at least a 7- to 8-foot head clearance for horses. Double-deck trailers typically have a head clearance of about 4-5 feet.
Study explores opioid-related veterinarian shopping in Appalachia
A small study found that eight of 14 veterinarians practicing in rural Appalachia had personally encountered veterinarian shopping, the use of deceit by clients to acquire animal medication for personal use. New laws have made it more difficult for people seeking opioids, so some drug seekers have turned to veterinary clinics as an avenue to obtain prescription opioids.
The study was published June 22 in BMC Veterinary Research. The project was a collaboration among Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee; the University of Arkansas; Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi; and the University of Mississippi.
Fourteen veterinarians from 14 different practices within the Appalachian footprint of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia were interviewed for the qualitative study. One of the veterinarians was unaware of the phenomenon of veterinarian shopping. Four had received training on prevention or management of veterinarian shopping.
Practitioners interviewed expressed a desire to communicate with veterinary colleagues, professionals in human medicine including pharmacists, and law enforcement regarding the use of prescription opioids by clients and pets. Some veterinarians expressed a need or desire to be able to track and control animal prescriptions through databases. Laws are currently in place across the nation to curb physician shopping. Some states require veterinarians to report dispensing of controlled substances through prescription drug monitoring programs.
The AVMA provides resources on how to navigate veterinary challenges posed by human opioid abuse.
Auxiliary scholarships open to applicants
The application period for the American Veterinary Medical Foundation’s Auxiliary to the AVMA Legacy Endowed Scholarship Program opens Sept. 1. Students can apply for $1,000 scholarships until Oct. 15 at the AVMF website.
Eligible students are any second- or third-year student attending an AVMA Council on Education–accredited veterinary college in the U.S. or attending veterinary college at the University of Guelph, St. George’s University, Ross University, the University of Edinburgh, the University of London, or the University of Glasgow. They must also be a Student AVMA member and a U.S. citizen.
The Auxiliary to the AVMA is an organization of family members of veterinarians and other friends of the profession. In 2013, the Auxiliary transferred $2 million to the AVMF to establish the scholarship fund. Last year, the AVMF awarded 35 scholarships through the program.
For more information, contact Patti Gillespie, AVMF senior manager of programs and operations, at 847-285-6709 or pgillespie
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