Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare

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The Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare ( TVT ) is a non-profit association founded in 1985 with headquarters in Frankfurt am Main , which is committed to the consistent and professional implementation of animal welfare .

history

On November 30, 1985, about 150 interested veterinarians founded the Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare in Wiesbaden as the "Animal Welfare Association of Veterinarians with the task of practicing competent, effective and targeted animal welfare". The background to this was the criticism repeatedly expressed by animal welfare organizations in previous years about the lack of commitment of the veterinary profession in the field of animal welfare, which went so far that veterinarians were portrayed not only as indifferent but as opponents of animal welfare. Several members of the Presidium and the management of the Federal Association of Practicing Veterinarians were significantly involved in the establishment of the association, other veterinary associations such as the German Veterinary Society and the German Veterinary Association were opposed to the project.

The first publication of the TVT was an opinion of the working group "Minimum Requirements for Livestock Husbandry", adopted on September 20, 1986 and addressed to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture , in which the approval of the Federal Government to the EC directive on battery keeping of laying hens was criticized. In December 1986 the association was asked by the federal states of Bavaria, Hesse and Hamburg to nominate members for the expert commissions to be formed in the federal states in accordance with Section 15 of the Animal Welfare Act .

By the year 2000 the membership had risen to about 800.

activity

The association advises the public, veterinarians, veterinary authorities, animal owners and animal welfare organizations. It supports research projects in the field of animal welfare and has political influence on legislative proposals on this topic. Members of the TVT are involved as experts in all legislative processes at federal and state level that have aspects relevant to animal welfare. In addition, the TVT promotes animal welfare by preparing expert reports, specialist lectures and publications. Since many of the positions elaborated by members of the DVT in teams are not published by the association, but appear as publications by individual scientists in the veterinary literature, the influence of the DVT is significantly greater than is evident from the literature. Only veterinarians or veterinary students can become members. The chairman is Thomas Blaha , professor of epidemiology at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover . The office is located in Bramsche .

In the Codex veterinarius published in 1998, the members of the association commit themselves to an active commitment to animal welfare and to compliance with ethical principles for veterinary action. The interests of humans are not generally valued higher than those of animals; rather, respect for life and the use of animals should be weighed against each other. With regard to every use or keeping of animals, the demand is made that, in addition to freedom from pain and suffering, the animals' right to well-being as required in Section 1 of the Animal Welfare Act is guaranteed.

The TVT bases its work on scientific knowledge and tries to objectify the dispute between animal rights activists and lobbyists. In order to remain credible to both sides, the TVT rejects financial support from associations and companies with animal welfare-related interests. The TVT deliberately distinguishes itself from other animal welfare organizations in order to avoid weakening its positions based on veterinary expertise.

Working groups

In the first year of its existence, working groups were set up within the association according to subject areas or specific focal points, in which competent veterinarians worked together. The number and designation of the working groups have changed, originally five working groups were set up, today there are eleven working groups, each with its own focus. The animal welfare issues dealt with by the working groups in 2014 were livestock husbandry , small animals , stunning and slaughtering , animal experiments , trade and transport , wild animals and hunting , circus and zoo , specialist pet trade and pet keeping , animal welfare ethics , the use of animals for social purposes and horses .

In the working groups, leaflets for veterinarians and animal keepers are developed, in which scientific findings on animal welfare-relevant problem areas in the corresponding areas are processed according to the latest scientific findings. Around 170 leaflets in 13 different categories are now available online. Although the technical work is carried out in the working groups, the TVT always appears as a unit to the public.

literature

  • Sabine Kalinke: The Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare eV (TVT) and its influence on animal welfare in the Federal Republic of Germany , dissertation, University of Leipzig, Leipzig 2000, online , accessed on May 4, 2014.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Susanne Volz: The political network in farm animal husbandry policy. Actors, structures and opportunities to influence , diploma thesis, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 2007, p. 52, online PDF, 294 KBhttp: //vorlage_digitalisat.test/1%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fnbn-resolving.de%2Furn%3Anbn%3Ade%3Absz%3A352-opus-2169~GB%3D~IA%3D~MDZ%3D%0A~ SZ% 3D ~ double-sided% 3D ~ LT% 3DOnline% 20PDF% 2C% 20294% 26nbsp% 3BKB ~ PUR% 3D , accessed on May 5, 2014.
  2. ↑ a b c Sabine Kalinke: The Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare eV (TVT) and its influence on animal welfare in the Federal Republic of Germany , 2001, p. 1.
  3. ↑ Sabine Kalinke: The Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare eV (TVT) and its influence on animal welfare in the Federal Republic of Germany , 2001, p. 6.
  4. ↑ a b c Sabine Kalinke: The Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare eV (TVT) and its influence on animal welfare in the Federal Republic of Germany , 2001, p. 89.
  5. ↑ a b Sabine Kalinke: The Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare eV (TVT) and its influence on animal welfare in the Federal Republic of Germany , 2001, p. 13.
  6. ↑ a b Sabine Kalinke: The Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare eV (TVT) and its influence on animal welfare in the Federal Republic of Germany , 2001, p. 90.
  7. ↑ a b Sabine Kalinke: The Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare eV (TVT) and its influence on animal welfare in the Federal Republic of Germany , 2001, p. 93.
  8. ↑ Sabine Kalinke: The Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare eV (TVT) and its influence on animal welfare in the Federal Republic of Germany , 2001, p. 91.
  9. ^ Codex veterinarius
  10. ↑ Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare: Working groups of the Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare e. V. , online , accessed May 4, 2014.
  11. ↑ http://www.tierschutz-tvt.de/merkblaetter.html