The Greedy Vets Club has hit a new low with their latest hysterical screed to Alabama's veterinary community. Apparently, God supports their efforts to shut down the state's low-cost spay & neuter clinics, although the question of "who would Jesus spay" remains open.
If your vet is Dr. Buddy Bruce, ask yourself why. And, fellow Democrats, you might also want to ask State Senator Billy Beasley why he voted against HB-141 (the bill to allow the non-profit, low-cost spay/neuter clinics to continue to operate) in committee last week. I did, but have yet to receive a response. Senator Beasley was the only Democrat on the committee to vote NO. The bill passed on an 8-4 vote and now goes to the Senate floor, where opponents are desperate to stop it.
So much so that they released a letter over the weekend urging vets to oppose the clinics. A few choice tidbits include:
"Its (sic) time to stand up for what is right! The following comes from the book of Proverbs 12:10 - A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."
Wow. That sounds like these vets are all up in the business of animal welfare & safety, right? oops... never mind... here are the last two paragraphs of the letter (the poor grammar is the writer's, not ours):
Your local Humane Society is a 501c3 business and can have a Spay/Neuter clinic if HB141 passes along with any other 501c3 that would desire to do so.
Remember, failure to act today may result in the Greater Birmingham Humane Society's Mobile Bus being parked in the parking lot across from your office, don't believe me, well here it is.
Locate your state senator here at the Alabama Legislature Home page and ask him/her to support HB141 when it comes to the floor (probably this week) AND ask him/her to vote to invoke cloture (require an up or down vote on the bill) should opponents try to filibuster.
You might also ask your vet if he/she is a member of the Alabama Veterinary Practice Owner's Association (ALVPOA). Dr. Bruce is the president.
They worked hard to kill the bill last year, sending out this letter to vets:
Every veterinarian in the state of Alabama who values what this profession is, who wants to see it continue to be a proud profession with high standards, and who wishes to pass on a legacy of a quality private practice to a child, or a colleague, needs to contact their senator TODAY and ask them to support Senator Paul Bussman in stopping HB188.
It is imperative that you do this this morning!
All evidence indicates that SB 25 will get stuck in committee. We must kill HB188 in the senate today to stop this attack on our profession.
Are these the people you want caring for your animals?
Here's an excellent talking point for your conversation with your senator. From a blog comment last year:
In recent months the ALVPOA has begun promoting the dillusional scenario fed to them by Dr. Ronald Welch and Dr. Robert Pitman of the Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners in which the existance of low-cost, non-profit spay/neuter clinics will lead to the demise of the veterinary profession in Alabama.
However, Pitman and Welch's dillusional fantasies appear dependent on ignoring the fact that low-cost, non-profit spay/neuter clinics have been operating in Alabama since 2007 and that all four of Alabama's non-profit spay/neuter clinics were issued premise permits by the ASBVME that allowed them to begin operating and that every veterinarian that performs veterinary services in these clinics is licensed by the ASBVME.
If non-profit spay/neuter clinics pose the threat to the veterinary profession that the ASBVME and the ALVPOA allege, then one would think evidence of this prophesied destruction of the veterinary profession would have become evident by now.
I would challenge Dr. Pitman, Dr. Welch and the ALVPOA to provide evidence of even ONE for-profit, full-service veterinary practice that has closed as a result of the operation of a non-profit spay/neuter clinic in this state. To the contrary, there is evidence that there has been an increase in the number of for-profit, full-service veterinary clinics operating in Alabama since 2007, when the first non-profit spay/neuter clinic began operating.