The American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) currently recognizes 22 specialty organizations comprising 40 veterinary specialties. More than 11,000 veterinarians, several of which are AASV members, have been awarded diplomate status in one or more of these organizations. While AASV members may be most familiar with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners Swine Health Management or the American College of Veterinary Preventative Medicine, the American College of Animal Welfare (ACAW) became provisionally recognized by ABVS in 2012.
The ACAW offers veterinarians advanced animal welfare training, education, and board certification to ensure they continue to lead in advancing animal welfare knowledge for the benefit of the public and the profession. Veterinarians interested in seeking board certification in ACAW must identify an ACAW Diplomate mentor and develop a rigorous program of study to complete the training requirements. Additional credentialing requirements include publication and examination.
The comprehensive training covers on 9 key areas:
- The concepts and history of animal welfare including the Five Freedoms, the 3R’s (reduction, replacement, and refinement), and society’s changing perceptions toward animals.
- Ethical issues associated with animal use with emphasis on philosophical principles, cultural, societal, and religious perspectives affecting animals, quality of life, population management, emerging animal technologies, and society uses of animals and alternatives.
- Designing and conducting scientific research to assess animal welfare using measures of health, physiology, and behavior.
- The elements of animal environments that can influence their welfare including housing and habitat, environmental complexity, social dynamics, and husbandry practices.
- The role of the veterinary profession in promoting animal welfare through care and use recommendations, participation in the legislative, regulatory, and policy-setting process, and educating stakeholder groups, the media, and the public.
- The individual veterinarian’s role in promoting animal welfare through disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention; recognition, assessment, prevention, and management of pain, stress, and distress; euthanasia procedures; and disaster and emergency preparedness and response.
- The impacts of human/animal/environment interactions on animal welfare with focus on animal abuse or neglect, environmental changes, and training of animal caretakers.
- The international, federal, state, and local laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines related to the care and use of animals.
- Overarching and species-specific contemporary animal welfare issues for companion animals, poultry, hooved stock, equids, laboratory animals, and zoo animals. Candidates must also have knowledge of at least 2 of the 6 additional classes: aquatic animals, aquaculture and fisheries, wildlife/exotic animals, animals in entertainment and exhibition, animals in education, and working and assistance animals.
Veterinarians who attain this advanced level of training in all aspects of animal welfare science and ethics are uniquely positioned to provide the public, general veterinary practitioners, and other stakeholders with accurate information and expertise concerning animal welfare. Swine veterinarians should consider pursuing board certification to serve as leaders in the domestic and global discussions of swine welfare. Because the ACAW curriculum is diverse in scope, it is essential that the diplomate body of the college be equally as diverse. As of December 2018, there are 53 board-certified diplomates in ACAW, of which at least 5 are AASV members (Drs John Deen, Tom Parsons, Hans Coetzee, Meghann Pierdon, and Monique Pairis-Garcia).
The AASV Foundation recognizes the importance of having ACAW board-certified swine veterinarians and offers a scholarship program for AASV members. The scholarship provides annual reimbursements for actual expenses related to the ACAW program with a $20,000 maximum reimbursement. An additional incentive payment of $10,000 will be paid upon successful and timely completion of the ACAW Board Certification. Veterinarians with at least 5 years of continuous AASV membership are eligible for the scholarship. For more information about scholarship eligibility and the application process, visit aasv.org/foundation/ACAW_Scholarship.php. Visit acaw.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=86378&module_id=274610 for complete details on becoming a diplomate of ACAW.
Sherrie Webb, MSc
Director of Swine Welfare