Good morning , 

We've put together the top veterinary and animal headlines to make sure you're ready for the water cooler talk this week. Go ahead and make another coffee (you deserve it) and dive into:

💰 The AVMA Political Action Committee

👁️ The headlines that caught our eye

😀 Something to make you smile

Political donations take center stage

With all eyes this week on abortion rights in the U.S. following a leaked draft decision from the Supreme Court indicating that it intends to overturn Roe v. Wade,

Snout School

 brought to our attention the fact that the AVMA Political Action Committee (PAC) has

donated at least $104,000 to anti-abortion candidates since 2010

.  To be clear - the PAC did not donate 

because 

of the candidates' views on this issue.  However, it did not deter them from donating. 

This got us wondering,

how much does the AVMA PAC spend, and on what? 

What is the AVMA Political Action Committee?

For those not in the know, the AVMA PAC is a bipartisan political action committee started in 1978.  The PAC touts the following issues as their areas of concern:

• Appropriations/Federal Funding

• Animal Health and Welfare

• Conservation and the Environment

• Food Safety

• Pharmaceutical Issues

• Research

• Small Business

• Veterinary Education and Professional Issues

How does the PAC decide who to donate to?

According to information in the

PAC website

, available to AVMA members, the PAC has a series of questions it asks to determine how to prioritize donations.  

• Is the incumbent/candidate or his/her family member a veterinarian?

• Is the incumbent/candidate a pro-science and pro-veterinary medicine legislator?

• Does the incumbent/candidate represent a district/state with veterinary schools?

• Does the incumbent/candidate represent a district/state with a significant number of AVMA Members, and does the incumbent/candidate have a strong relationship with AVMA Members?

• Is the incumbent/candidate on key Congressional committees which consider legislation of importance to AVMA and are supportive of AVMA positions?

So how much do they spend?

About $350-400K per cycle (every two years).

Where does this money come from?

The PAC receives outside donations.  No member dues are used for political donations.

Who does the AVMA PAC donate to in my state?

If you are an AVMA member you can

find out with this handy map

.  The PAC has donated to approximately 55% Republican candidates and 45% Democrat candidates over time.

Or, if you'd like to dig in a bit deeper on where political contributions are made by the AVMA, or any group, 

Open Secrets

has tracked the PAC's contributions to federal candidates since 2000. 

What are the AVMA PAC current priorities?

There are a number of

issues currently being undertaken by the AVMA

.  From loan forgiveness to bills banning Xylitol, the AVMA PAC is working towards issues some veterinarians care about.  Are they doing enough to help the profession? In our opinion, probably not.  As we

wrote last week

, putting items on the agenda which will support the wellbeing of veterinarians is a must.

Speaking plainly about the issue at hand.

As far as we can tell there very few

 sitting republicans

on record as pro-choice.  So it would be essentially impossible for the AVMA PAC to remain bipartisan and refuse donations to those who do not support legal abortion. That said, as pro-choice individuals ourselves, it is disappointing to see that there are sizeable donations heading to anti-abortion candidates from a PAC supporting a profession of majority women. 

Whatever your views, knowledge is power and we hope that this has given you a sense of how the political process and PAC works.  If you want your voice to be heard, you can find your state's AVMA representative and give them a call.  

Find contact information here.

Quick links:

Specialist shortage opens door to larger industry role in training [VIN]

The neurocircuitry essential for animals to sense environmental cues of imminent danger [Phys.org]Nephrology and urology recognized as veterinary specialty organization [AVMA]

Portland vet writes books to break down stereotypes [KGW]

Fossils of Huge Sea Animals Found High in the Swiss Alps [VOA News]

Trivia

Can you match the animal to its correct collective noun?

Your weekly dopamine 

Excellent use of an excellent song... and let's just be happy this owner got proper medical care right away. 

Trivia Answer

Whoever is naming these deserves a raise. A tower of giraffes? Simply perfection. 

Let us know what you'd like to see in future editions of Weekend Rounds by replying to this email.