Lawmakers Urged to Support Dog Importation and Rural Veterinary Shortage Legislation

Veterinarian advocates will urge congressional offices to support and cosponsor the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act and include the Healthy Dog Importation Act in the new farm bill during the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) annual legislative fly-in on Feb. 6. 

More than 140 veterinary professionals will meet with senators, representatives and their staffs to discuss the importance of legislation that will help increase the availability of veterinary services in rural areas and protect against the spread of diseases that pose a threat to animal and public health.
 
“We need to do more to attract and retain veterinarians in rural and underserved areas, and the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act will go a long way to address those needs,” Rena Carlson, DVM, AVMA president said in a release. “Strengthening dog importation standards by including the Healthy Dog Importation Act in the next Farm Bill is another big focus, and both of these bills are essential to protecting the nation’s animal health infrastructure.” 
 
AVMA endorses the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act that would end federal taxation on the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, allowing more veterinarians to participate in a program that offers up to $25,000 a year for student loan repayment in exchange for service in USDA-designated Veterinarian Shortage Situations, AMVA said in a release.

"This would make the tax treatment of the awards the same as the equivalent program for physicians. Ending the federal tax would also allow the USDA to provide an additional award for every three awards currently made under the VMLRP without any supplemental appropriations," the organization wrote.
 
Under the Healthy Dog Importation Act, USDA and other federal agencies would receive the necessary resources to monitor and safeguard the health of dogs being brought into the U.S. while ensuring they do not endanger animal and human health, AVMA noted. 
 
“Including the Healthy Dog Importation Act in the new Farm Bill would decrease the chances of future disease outbreaks from the more than 1.2 million dogs imported into the U.S. each year,” Carlson concluded.
 
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