AVMA urges veterinarians to support National Animal Identification System

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Tom McPheron
Office: 847-285-6781
Cell: 773-494-5419
e-mail: tmcpheron@avma.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 18, 2008




AVMA urges veterinarians to support National Animal Identification System

Schaumburg, Ill.
— The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is showing its strong support for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) by urging veterinarians to actively participate in the system and utilize the new Veterinarian's Toolkit.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (USDA-APHIS) Veterinarian's Toolkit is an online resource developed by veterinarians for veterinarians. It provides a myriad of information including a detailed guide to how NAIS works and resources to help communicate its importance and benefits to producers.

"The AVMA fully supports a national livestock identification system. This toolkit will help ensure that both veterinarians and producers are on the same page when it comes to protecting our nation's livestock," says Dr. Ron DeHaven, Chief Executive Officer of the AVMA. "We're asking veterinarians, particularly those working with livestock, to become involved in the NAIS program, to register their own hospitals in addition to their premises and animals, and also to encourage their clients to register their animals and premises. No one carries more credibility with animal owners than veterinarians."

A Veterinarian's Toolkit includes factsheets and "conversation-starter tips" to help veterinarians inform their clients about the NAIS and why it is so vitally important to our national security. The online toolkit will be updated by USDA-APHIS and provides links to other relevant resources.

The NAIS is designed to help producers and animal health officials respond quickly and effectively to animal health events in the United States. NAIS utilizes premises registration, animal identification, and animal tracing to locate animals that may have been exposed to disease and remove from suspicion animals that are not a threat.

"The NAIS is an essential tool for tracking down all animals impacted by a disease outbreak," Dr. DeHaven explains. "A disaster is not the time to start planning, and we can't afford to wait until the next disease outbreak to participate in this critical national identification program."

For more information about the NAIS, visit www.usda.gov/nais. For more information about the AVMA and its programs, please visit www.avma.org.

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The AVMA and its more than 76,000 member veterinarians are engaged in a wide variety of activities dedicated to advancing the science and art of animal, human and public health. Visit the AVMA Web site at www.avma.org for more information.