Policies

Anyone can view our policies and position statements along with background information that explains the reasons and scientific evidence for each policy.

AVA members can log in to access the full Policy Compendium which also includes veterinary guidelines.

You can search all policies and positions by entering a keyword in the search box on this page and filtering the results to only show policies by clicking 'policy' in the list on the left side.

Or you can browse by category. Click on the category icon to expand and collapse a list of the policies in that section.

These pages and the Policy Compendium were last updated in July 2011.

Policies
- Animal welfare principles and philosophy
  - Philosophy on animal welfare and the veterinarian
  - Animal abuse
  - Animal welfare societies
- Use of veterinary medicines
  - Responsible use of veterinary immunobiologicals in cats and dogs
  - Use of antimicrobial drugs in veterinary practice
  - Use of complementary and alternative veterinary medicine
  - Responsible use of veterinary medicines on farms
  - Code of practice for the use of prescription animal remedies (Schedule 4 substances) in the pig industry
  - Code of practice for the use of prescription animal remedies (Schedule 4 substances) in the poultry industry
  - Veterinary use of compounded pharmaceuticals
  - Acupuncture
- Surgical and other veterinary procedures
  - Surgical alteration to the natural state of animals
  - Pain and analgesia
  - Code for infection control
  - Use of projectile syringe equipment
  - Electroimmobilisation
  - Embryo transfer
  - Collection of semen from animals by electroejaculation
- Euthanasia
  - Guidelines for humane slaughter and euthanasia
  - Marine mammal euthanasia
  - Use of euthanasia drugs by lay operators
  - Euthanasia
  - Collection, euthanasia and destruction of the cane toad, Bufo marinus
- Identification of animals
  - Electronic identification of animals
  - Branding of horses
  - Identification of cattle
  - Domestic Animals Registries Inc
- Companion animals - general health and welfare issues
  - Companion animal welfare and responsible pet ownership
  - The benefits of pets and the human–animal bond
  - Health insurance for animals
  - Animal shelters and municipal pounds
  - Pet insurance
  - Native animals as pets
  - Feeding live mammals to snakes
- Companion animals - surgical and other veterinary procedures
  - Vaccination of dogs and cats
  - Desexing (surgical sterilisation)of companion animals
  - Provision of blood supplies for use in dogs and cats
  - Guidelines for dental treatment in dogs and cats
- Companion animals - dog behaviour
  - Socialisation of young pups, including in breeding establishments
  - Socially responsible companion animal ownership
  - Aggression in dogs
  - Use of behaviour-modifying collars on dogs
  - Breed-specific legislation
  - Importing dogs
- Companion animals - commercial activities
  - Dogs and cats in pet shops
  - Sale of companion animals at markets
  - Doggy day care
  - Commercial use of dog and cat pelts
  - Vaccination of rabbits and ferrets
- Horse health and welfare
  - Thermocautery of horses
  - Equine dentistry
  - Distal limb neurectomy
  - Artificial breeding of horses and related species
  - Castration of horses and donkeys
  - Equine competitive events (other than jump races and rodeos)
  - Equine jumping races
  - Racing of 2-year-old horses
  - Use of whips in horse racing
  - Use of horses in entertainment
  - Transport of horses
  - Keeping of horses in urban and peri-urban areas
  - Urine harvesting in mares
- Cattle health and welfare
  - Induction of parturition
  - Castration of calves
  - Tail docking of cattle
  - Cattle spaying
  - Dehorning of cattle
  - Fetal bovine serum collection
  - Welfare of vealer calves
  - Use of female cattle for pregnancy testing and artificial insemination schools
  - Feedlots
  - Off-cow rearing calves
- Pig health and welfare
  - Halothane testing of pigs
  - Sow housing
- Sheep and goat health and welfare
  - Pizzle dropping
  - Castration of adult rams
  - Electroejaculation of rams
  - Tail docking and castration of lambs and sheep
  - Sheep dentistry, including tooth trimming
  - Surgical mulesing
  - Embryo transfer in sheep and goats
  - Laparoscopic artificial insemination in sheep and goats
  - Ovine Johne’s disease
- Deer health and welfare
  - Farming of deer
- Poultry health and welfare
  - Beak trimming of commercial poultry
  - Commercial egg production systems
- Wild animal control
  - Control of native and introduced animals causing damage to agriculture or habitat
  - Control of feral cats
  - Control of feral horses
  - Control of wild rabbits
  - Kangaroo and wallaby population control
  - Harvesting and culling of native fauna
- Hunting and fishing
  - Hunting
  - Duck hunting
  - Fish welfare
- Miscellaneous welfare issues - animal export
  - Live animal export
  - Export of native birds
- Miscellaneous welfare issues - events involving animals
  - Circus animals
  - Rodeos
  - Exhibitions of animals
  - Zoological gardens
  - Welfare of cetaceans in captivity
  - Greyhound hurdle racing
- Miscellaneous welfare issues - animal research
  - Animal experimentation
  - Genetically modified organisms
  - Products from genetically manipulated organisms
- Miscellaneous welfare issues - other welfare issues
  - Livestock production
  - Genetic defects in domestic animals
  - Tethering
  - Humane slaughter
  - Collection of semen from animals by electroejaculation
- Environment and conservation
  - Quarantine and risk assessment
  - Sustainable use of pastoral land
  - Drought and drought management
  - Farming of native fauna
  - Use of waste products on agricultural land
- Professional practices for veterinarians
  - Veterinary referrals
  - In-house diagnostic pathology and pathology referrals
  - Retention of medical records and diagnostic images
  - Use of communication technologies in delivering veterinary services
  - House calls
  - Fee recovery and retention of animals for nonpayment
  - Advertising of prescription animal remedies (Schedule 4 remedies)
  - The provision of optimum veterinary services to the horse racing industry
  - Guidelines for veterinarians dealing with bats
  - Appropriate use of post-nominals
  - Dental Guidelines for small mammals
  - Veterinarians in the media
- Other services provided by veterinarians
  - Veterinary field investigations — maintaining biosafety
  - Veterinarians on animal ethics committees
  - Emergency animal management
- Education, accreditation and employment of veterinarians
  - Undergraduate education
  - Postgraduate education
  - Veterinary schools
  - Use of dogs for teaching in veterinary schools
  - Registration to practise as a veterinarian
  - Accreditation of private practitioners for government contracting
  - The diagnosis and treatment of animals by non-veterinarians
  - Employment of new veterinary graduates
  - Veterinary nursing
- Model codes of practice for the welfare of animals
  - Introduction
  - Model code of practice for the welfare of animals: cattle
  - Model code of practice for the welfare of animals: pigs