At the upcoming AVMA House of Delegates (HOD) meeting taking place in August 2012, the AVMA Council on Public Health and Regulatory Veterinary Medicine will vote on a proposed policy regarding raw or undercooked animal-source protein diets for pets. According to the AVMA website “The AVMA cannot, and will not, regulate what pet owners choose to feed their pets. If you already feed raw food to your pet, that’s your choice. This proposed policy is about mitigating public health risks, not about restricting or banning any products”. Unfortunately, anyone that belongs to or has considered joining The Delta Society knows firsthand that the implementation of such a policy will have negative repercussions for those that choose to feed a raw diet.

The article goes on to say that “Our policies are intended to present the scientific facts,… [that] these infections can sicken pets and pet owners alike, and can be life-threatening; unless a raw protein product has been subjected to a process that eliminates pathogens that can make pets and people ill, it poses a significant public health risk to both pets and pet owners”.

This statement is blatantly misleading as it implies that non-raw diets including commercially prepared kibble are safe. It ignores that fact that non-raw diets cannot be guaranteed any safer that raw, as evidenced by the recent outbreak of salmonella poisoning linked to contaminated dry dog food. According to the CDC, that outbreak has sickened 47 people in 20 U.S. states and two people in Canada (with likely as many more unreported cases).

The article entitled: “The Facts on AVMA’s Proposed Policy on Raw Pet Food Diets” can be found here: http://atwork.avma.org/2012/07/18/the-facts-on-avmas-proposed-policy-on-raw-pet-food-diets/

Please sign this petition to support the right of educated and responsible pet owners to choose how they will feed their pets.