Dear Virginia Animal Owners,

Virginia Rabies Cases Surge to All-Time Highs - Virginia Veterinary Medical Association Advises Members to Refuse Vaccinations

The Virginia rabies public health crisis grows daily. Confirmed cases of rabies in Virginia for the first half of 2007 jumped seventeen (17) percent compared to 2006. Last year's incidents were the highest ever recorded by the Virginia Department of Health. Currently, an average of fourteen (14) cases are reported weekly, with other likely cases ignored due to testing costs. Rabies is always fatal, if not treated immediately. Over eleven-hundred (1,100) Virginians were treated for rabies contact in 2006, while exposure to rabid wildlife, cats and dogs continues to surge. For official state data and 2006-2007 rabies case press reports, see VA_RabiesData

Despite this public health crisis, the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association (VVMA) has advised its members that they should not give animals rabies vaccinations when their owners request their records be kept confidential. On July 1, 2007, state veterinarians began supplying county treasurers client and pet information for a new dog licensing procedure created by an extremely controversial 2006 General Assembly bill, Delegate Orrock's HB339.

In the pursuit of higher dog tag revenues, one million dog owning household's private information will be collected in an electronic database readily accessible by businesses, mass marketers and private activists. Veterinarians are not only being asked to serve as dog tag police and to violate their client's privacy, now their professional organization advises them to ignore common sense, jeopardize public health and violate veterinary medical ethics. http://www.vvma.org/rabies07.htm

Per the law, veterinarians are required to forward this information. Again, stress that their animal's breed information is kept confidential. If they still do not want the certificate forwarded, then you should not vaccinate the animal. It will be important to document the number of instances that this occurs.

This is an extremely misleading advice. *All* owner and dog data will be publicly disclosed. Only the breed of the dog will be held back, and that exemption expires on July 1, 2008. Will veterinarians report those clients not obtaining rabies shots, as this implies? This isn't part of the new law. VVMA knows that; its staff and officers helped draft and strongly supported HB339.

Animal owners wishing to protect their privacy risk a $250 misdemeanor fine by not purchasing a dog or cat license. Veterinarians that fail to supply a county treasurer with the detailed information in the attached guidelines jointly developed by the VVMA and Treasurers Association of Virginia may incur a civil penalty not to exceed $10. That same guideline also requests the electronic transmittal of client information not authorized by HB339.

This 2006 bill was hotly contested and passed by a single vote in the Senate Agriculture Committee. With its delayed implementation, Virginia's first-in-the-nation state "gotcha" database came as surprise to nearly all DVMs. A mere handful of VVMA members were aware of this bill and the association's role in its passage.

Rabies vaccinations may be secured out-of-state or legally self-administered. VVMA rank and file members and other professionals that wish to continue to protect their client's animals are prepared to ignore this extraordinary unethical and dangerous "don't vaccinate" suggestion. Certain Virginia DVMs who care about their clients and animals are willing vaccinate, not share client information and absorb a possible, but unlikely $10 expense. Others may charge an extra $10 for non-reported vaccinations. See Virginia's New Rabies Dog Licensing Database - Update & Recommendations

VVMA's advice increases this already dangerous situation. This irresponsible "don't rabies vaccinate" statement compounds a series of recent VVMA Richmond lobbying positions that harmed animals and their owners, while simultaneously degrading our relationship with our veterinarians. It should give pause to any animal owner using the services of VVMA's Officers and Directors below and, by extension, any Virginia veterinarian paying dues to this group. VVMA represents less than thirty (30) percent of all licensed DVMs. Two out of three Virginia DVMs don't support this management group or its agenda.

Virginia Veterinary Medical Association - Officers and Directors

President
Lauren Keating DVM keatadvm@rockbridge.net
Natural Bridge Hospital for Animals, Natural Bridge Station, VA 540-291-1444

President-Elect
Steven Karras DVM cavespringvet@hotmail.com
Cave Spring Veterinary Clinic, Roanoke, VA 540-989-8582

Vice-President
Thomas Massie DVM rhvppc@crosslink.net
Rose Hill Veterinary Practice, Washington, VA 540-987-1200

Secretary-Treasurer
Kelly Jo Gottschalk DVM Gotmarkelwell@aol.com
Wellesley Animal Hospital, Richmond, VA 804-364-7030

Immediate Past President
Richard Hartigan DVM richard.hartigan@pfizer.com
Fredericksburg, VA 540-786-5197

Legislative Chairman
Steve Escobar DVM fivebars@comcast.net
Springfield Veterinary Center, Glen Allen, VA 804-270-7274

Directors
Kent Adams DVM kadms1100@aol.com
Appalachian Veterinary Services, Riner, VA 540-731-1100

Kimberly Smith DVM smith35@cox.net
Appalachian Veterinary Services, Riner, VA 540-731-1100

Bruce Coston DVM coston@shentel.net
Seven Bands Vet Hospital, Woodstock, VA 540-459-8387

Audrey Curran DVM dracurran@vintonvethosp.com
Vinton Veterinary Hospital, Vinton, VA 540-342-7821

Edward Fallin DVM
Veterinary Referral LLC, Manakin-Sabot, VA 804-784-8722

Melinda Freckleton DVM mfldvm@earthlink.net
Catlett , VA 540-788-4994

Melinda Hawkins DVM ashby74@planetcomm.net
Ashby Animal Clinic, Harrisonburg, VA 540-433-9174

Samantha Judge DVM
White Oak Animal Hospital, Fredericksburg, VA 540-374-0462

Emily Kinnaird DVM ekinnaird@msn.com
Earlysville Animal Hospital, Earlysville, VA 434-973-9699

Robin Knopp DVM abbeyan1@aol.com
Abbey Animal Hospital, Virginia Beach, VA 757-471-1003

Stuart Morse DVM
Occoquan Animal Hospital, Woodbridge, VA 703-491-1400

Sarah Sheafor DVM sarah.sheafor@southpaws.com
SouthPaws Veterinary Referral Center, Fairfax, VA 703-752-9100

Cheryl Simpson-Freeman DVM cherbil@lynchburg.net
Appomattox, VA 434-352-0447

William Swecker, Jr. DVM William Swecker Jr DVM cvmwss@vt.edu
Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Blacksburg, VA 540-231-5999

Samuel Tate DVM state6@cox.net
Freed Veterinary Hospital, Hampton, VA 757-722-9877

William Tyrrell, Jr. DVM
Chesapeake Vet. Cardiology Assoc., Leesburg/Vienna 703-669-9311/703-281-7717

AVMA Delegate
Lisa Miller DVM kizmiller@comcast.net
Augusta/Valley Animal Hospital, Staunton, VA 540-851-1500

AVMA Alternate Delegate
Steven Lichiello DVM pslichiello@verizon.net
Ridgewood Animal Hospital, Forest, VA 804-525-2111

Ex-Officio Directors
Gerhardt Schurig DVM gschurig@vt.edu
Dean, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 540-231-7910

Julia Murphy DVM julia.murphy@vdh.virginia.gov
State Public Health Veterinarian, Richmond, VA 804-864-8113

Richard Wilkes DVM Richard.Wilkes@vdacs.virginia.gov
State Veterinarian, Richmond, VA 804-786-2483

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thoughtful, caring, fully competent veterinarians are a treasure. Most haven't the time or inclination to get involved in politics, animal or human. Two years ago VVMA's representatives flirted with supporting a Virginia pet mandatory spay neuter (MSN) General Assembly measure, but stopped when parties couldn't agree on a definition to exempt so-called "blue ribbon" breeders. The danger of politically infatuated veterinarians that want to impose their ideas on others is very real. The phenomena is also demonstrated by the current protracted and intense dispute in California, where the California Veterinary Medical Association sponsored an intrusive MSN bill for months, before a grass roots membership revolt forced its reversal this month. Veterinarians desert sterilization bill

VVMA isn't nearly as large and represents a smaller proportion of our state's veterinarians. Virginia animal owners need to inquire if their DVMs pay dues to and support VVMA's anti-pet owner agenda. Please patronize only those DVMs that support you, your pets and your sport. It's in your interest and protects your animals.

Sincerely,
Bob Kane, President
Virginia Hunting Dog Owners' Association
http://vhdoa.uplandbirddog.com/