Regulatory

Washington -- The U.S. Representatives in September heard the introduction of a bill to prohibit the interstate transport of animals used in wildlife penning.

Washington - Neither a short-term cash infusion or the $2.5 million in long-term funding promised for the support of the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) in this year's Farm Bill came through in time, so the resource used to keep contaminants out of the food supply for more than a quarter century began shutting down Oct. 1.

Nashville, Tenn. - Non-livestock animals meant to be euthanized now must be held for three days, and those euthanized with intracardial injections must be heavily sedated, under a new state law.

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. - California officials are at an impasse over how much education should be required to take the registered veterinary technician exam.

HONOLULU - Horses are protected pets under Hawaii's cruelty-to-animals statute.

Regulation of animal dietary supplements is in "disarray," according a new report.

Anyone selling veterinary prescription drugs in Fla. soon will need to buy a state permit.

HARRISBURG, PA. - Two bills involving treatment of dogs in commercial kennels passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and were sent to the state Senate.

PORTLAND, ORE. - As many areas face shortages of veterinary assistants and technicians, more state boards are debating how far they can go to extend care.

A debate has ensued over California's Prop 2, which would drastically alter animal agriculture.

Franklin, Tenn. - Mars Petcare US issued a voluntary recall today for products manufactured at its Everson, Penn. facility. The pet food is being recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella serotype Schwarzengrund, the company reports. This voluntary recall only affects the United States.

Nashville, Tenn. - Tennessee recently revised its rules regarding euthanasia of companion animals.

WASHINGTON -- President Bush signed the Higher Education Reauthorization Bill into law, paving the way for a veterinary grant program that would increase the number of veterinarians in public health practice and research.

North Grafton, Mass. - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) closed its investigation of a recent botulin toxin scare at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

As a California veterinarian, my clients expect the best possible care and advice for their pets and horses. However, my clients also ask me about other animal-welfare issues, and the public expects the state's premier veterinary organization, the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), to weigh in on important policy matters related to the welfare of animals.

The inconvenient truth isn't just a documentary about climate change. It's also the reality that many states and local governments are cracking down to protect their environmental well-being while their targets might not even know they are doing anything wrong.

Better parameters on what veterinarians consider suitable conditions for companion-animal domestic travel could be crafted at the next American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Veterinary Service meeting.

Opposing a proposed law that would mandate spaying or neutering, the Illinois Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA) says it hasn't worked in other cities and would kill an already successful program there.

Washington - The U.S. Senate earmarked funds to help veterinary students repay loans and ease the shortage of veterinarians in rural areas.

Raleigh, N.C. -- North Carolina has a new veterinary medical board member.

National Report - The Thoroughbred racing industry, now effectively on notice to bring about serious reforms or look for Congress to do so, appears to be taking strides in that direction.

Sacramento, Calif. - Municipalities won't be able to ban state-sanctioned medical practices if a proposed bill passes in California.

New Orleans - Whether even to discuss a ban on antimicrobials in livestock feed for growth promotion split the House of Delegates nearly in half at the annual American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) conference.

Impotent might be the best word to describe a law that would have required almost every cat and dog older than 4 months to be spayed or neutered before the measure was dramatically altered on the California Senate floor.

Washington - A bill was introduced into the U.S. Senate July 10 that would counteract a U.S. Department of Agriculture proposal to allow the importation of beef from a region in Argentina - a country that has not yet eradicated foot and mouth disease FMD).

Rockville, Md.- A new rule will go into effect this fall prohibiting the extra-label use of cephalosporin antimicrobial drugs in food animals.

Washington - Meaningful reform of the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry is on its way - and probably much sooner than many would have believed as little as six months ago.

Limited licensure is not exactly a revolutionary concept.