PLEASE NOTE: AAAOR AGM — Saturday, April 28th

Time: 7:30 pm    Place: Sheraton Red Deer Hotel, 3310-50 Ave, Red Deer — Sanremo Room

Go to the News & Events page for more information on the AGM.

 

AAAOR

“Dedicated to Promoting Optimum Animal Welfare and Supporting Responsible Choice in Animal Health Care”.

In 2002 a complaint was lodged with the AVMA (since changed to ABVMA) against Louis Pequin, an equine dentist. The AVMA took the stance that Pequin was illegally practicing veterinary medicine, and so took the case to court … and lost. They lost in the Court of Queen’s Bench, they lost in the Court of Appeals, and the AVMA’s application to the Supreme Court was also denied. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled:

“The statutes creating these professional monopolies, sanctioned by law, access to which is controlled and which protect their members in good standing who meet the required conditions against any competition, must however be strictly applied. Anything which is not clearly prohibited may be done with impunity by anyone not a member of these closed associations.”

In 2006 the ABVMA began the process of lobbying the provincial government to make amendments to their definition of veterinary medicine in the Veterinary Profession Act (VPA) regarding “Scope of Practice”. The definition of veterinary medicine that the ABVMA had proposed would have been more extensive than all other provinces, and was intended to be a leading model of high standards of veterinary care in Canada. However, as the proposed definition read, it would have also severely limited the choices of Animal Owner’s when it came to the care of their animals, and the livelihoods of all people involved in providing non-veterinary animal health care.

In a response to this ABVMA action, the AAAOR, a not for profit organization, was created. It was comprised by a vast array of individuals including Animal Owner’s, practitioners of Alternative/Complimentary Therapies, some members of the ABVMA and a lawyer. The AAAOR was created to provide a platform which would support Alberta Animal Owner’s and Their Rights.

We would like to make it VERY clear at this time, that the AAAOR, is NOT against Veterinarians. We respect them as a vital and integral part of animal health care. We offer the question, “Why can’t practitioners work with the vets, instead of under them?” We believe that animal health care should be a co-operative and co-creative experience, with the Animal Owner having the final and ultimate decision on what the most appropriate and effective care is for their animal as well as who is to provide that service.

We  are hoping that the statement made on page 9 of the 2004 AVMA Annual Report, which says, ”Ours is a profession where the public is poorly equipped to assess expertise and it is [the AVMA’s] job to judge it for them” is no longer applicable.  Hopefully current veterinarians view the majority of Alberta animal owners as capable of make good decisions regarding the health care of their animals.

The AAAOR currently supports AACET, the Alberta Association of Complimentary Equine Therapy who are working with many practitioners towards organization, structuring and standardization of the Complimentary Therapies industry in AB. Although we do not believe a Veterinary monopoly will be in anyone’s best interests, we do believe guidelines and regulations are absolutely necessary to protect the animals, the public and the practitioners.

Please take the time to become a member of AAAOR, which is free for individual members.  Have your voice heard and help to inform others of this potential threat to our freedom of choice.

A  Facebook page has also been created under “Alberta Association for Animal Owner’s Rights” as another platform for the public/our member’s to receive information and become involved. If you are on Facebook please search the above mentioned name and click on the “like” box. You can also pass the Facebook Page info along by clicking the “share” link at the bottom left side of the page.

Thank you for your support and dedication to protecting your rights as Animal Owner’s!!