A follow-up to a post I did a month ago…
In my estimation, the very worst we humans do to animals is lock them in tiny spaces – cages, crates, etc. – spaces so small they are unable to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, or fully extend their limbs. It is, by definition, torture. And the animals who have it the worst, because their “useful” life is the longest, are the moms, especially sows and hens.
As I wrote earlier this month, by nullifying welfare improvements for pigs (and other animals) that had been approved by large, bipartisan, citizen majorities in states like California and Massachusetts, the so-called Save Our Bacon Act (SOB) would, if enacted, bring back/entrench unspeakable horrors to untold millions. That act passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate.
Before the House passed SOB, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) sent a letter to the agriculture committee that read:
“Dear Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member Craig:
“The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is the nation’s leading representative of the veterinary profession, speaking for more than 111,000 veterinarians nationwide. Informed by its members’ unique scientific training and knowledge, the AVMA offers strong support for Section 12006 [i.e., SOB] of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which protects veterinarians’ freedom and flexibility to provide the best care for farm animals.
“In a 2018 ballot initiative, California voters passed Prop 12, which prohibits sales of animal products in their state that do not comply with specific livestock housing requirements, whether those products are produced in California or elsewhere. Because no one husbandry style is appropriate for all circumstances, regulations aimed at improving animal welfare should be based upon scientific evidence and the professional judgement of veterinarians. The requirements in Prop 12 are not scientifically based
and have not been objectively demonstrated to reliably and consistently improve animal welfare.
“In addition, allowing one state to dictate husbandry requirements to other states not only interferes with interstate commerce, but opens the door for future governance of all states by an individual state. This kind of legislation will create a patchwork of regulations that are often not scientifically based, could impact biosecurity, and would be cost prohibitive and cumbersome for veterinarians and their producer clients to navigate. Ensuring good animal health and welfare requires a veterinarian to have the freedom and authority to recommend the best course of action for each unique situation.
“Veterinarians have scientific training and expertise that allows them to provide the best possible care for animals living in a range of housing types. AVMA is opposed to Prop 12, which restricts veterinarians’ flexibility to provide the best care possible based on animals’ specific needs. We are grateful to the House Committee on Agriculture for the inclusion of Section 12006 in the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which provides a solution to Prop 12 and protects veterinarians’ ability to maximize
animal health and welfare.”
To remind, Cal’s Prop 12 improved on 2008’s Prop 2 (must be able to turn around freely, etc.) by giving “breeding pigs and their immediate offspring [at least] 24 square feet of usable floor space per pig.” That is what the AVMA – “a diverse and passionate group of professionals, all striving to improve the health and well-being of animals” – is against. Abhorrent doesn’t quite capture it.
And this was not the first time the AVMA has weighed in on “pork production,” having also sent a letter against Prop 12 in 2024. While the language is much the same, the ’24 letter had this added nugget: “The arbitrary housing requirements in Prop 12…may unintentionally cause harm.” Yes, that’s right, affording a 500-pound pig a lousy 24 square feet of space (as opposed to the two-foot-wide cage the AVMA champions) “may unintentionally cause harm.”
In the end, these letters, especially all the money talk, could just as easily have been written by the National Pork Producers Council; in fact, the Council proudly touts the AVMA’s support on its website. Vets and torturers – one big, happy family. For shame.
(If you haven’t already done so, please contact your U.S. senator. At the moment, there is no more pressing animal matter.)
Keep in mind that most veterinary clinics are bought out by “private equity” companies and then the financial pillaging and plundering begins all the way to bankruptcy for the businesses they buy out. Plus, they don’t care one bit about Animal Welfare. Private equity companies want veterinarians to sell services and products that clients don’t need plus charge higher prices for everything.
These greedy people of “private equity” who pillage and plunder all kinds of businesses cause everyone to suffer, both animals and humans.