VN October 2021

Vetnuus | Oktober 2021 2 As veterinarians we have a particularly important role to play as the custodians of animal health, andmajor role players in animal welfare.We can have amajor positive impact on animal welfare through our treatment of our patients and education of our clients and breeders, as well as collaboration with Animal Welfare Organizations. For those of us in production animal, wildlife and equine practice, it is important to highlight to owners, managers, trainers and agents, that the welfare of the animals is paramount. We must not allow financial considerations todominate to thedetriment of animal welfare.We are in a unique position to point out that looking after the welfare of the animals will lead to optimum economic returns in the long run. We have renewed concerns regarding the welfare of small stock shipped to the Middle East for slaughter following revelations of shipped animals being loaded into vehicle boots in over 40 degree heat, rather than being transported to the abattoir as promised by the shipping companies in their secure closed loop claims! There have alsobeen tragedieswith capsizedanddelayed livestock transport vessels. The SAVA Board and AEWC will continue to engage with DALRRD, NSPCA and the LWCC tofight for healthandwelfare rights of our livestock aswell as control and restrict this practice asmuch as possible. We stressed this toNational DAH Dr Maja at the recent NAHF-DALRRD Liaison meeting during the discussions regarding the Shipping Protocols. We are all concerned about the health and welfare of the animals once they have left our shores. The Protocols must insist on an undertaking by the shipping company and country of destination to prevent the infringements and disasters mentioned above. SAVA and our Animal Ethics and Welfare Committee have nominated Dr Paul Reynolds to represent us on the Livestock Welfare Coordinating committee (LWCC) as a replacement for Dr Deryn Petty who has stepped down. We wish Paul well in this important position and thank Derryn for her service. SAVAMDGert Steyn, President-Elect Paul vanderMerwe and I attended virtual International Veterinary Officers Coalition (IVOC) 2021 meeting, hosted by the New Zealand Vet Association (NZVA) late night and early morning 1st and 2nd September. At least the Covid-19 pandemic has spurred great advances in virtual meetings. However, it will be great to see hopefully one another in person in Abu Dhabi. It is fascinating how the profession all over the world deals with similar issues, including a shortage of vets, challenges related to diversity, inclusiveness and equity and funding shortages as Faculties. What`s great about the International Veterinary Officers Coalition is we can share our viewsandsolutionstotheseandotherissuesliketheresponsetothePandemic andOne Health. TheCovid-19Pandemic has highlightedhowa zoonosis cangreatly impact the health andwelfare of people and animals. In September we focusedonRabies, another zoonosis which has amajor impact on health andwelfare, as we strive to attain the WHO, WMA and WVA goal of zero human deaths from canine mediatedrabiesintheworldby2030.IattendedtheNationalRabiesAwareness Meeting where I alerted the National Department to the rabies outbreak crisis in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Area of the Eastern Cape. We then facilitated the acquisition of 10 000 doses of Rabies Vaccine from the Allerton Emergency Bank. The East Cape & Karoo SAVA Branch has purchased over 10 000 doses for a rabies vaccine drive in Gelvandale and Motherwell. We are grateful to our SAVA-CVC Manager, Claudia Cloete and Boehringer-Ingelheim, for organizing a substantial discount on over 20 000 doses. I also attended the Rabies Webinar organized by the NICD in response to the EC Rabies crisis. Claudia, SAVA MD Gert Steyn and I successfully motivated at the National Rabies Awareness Workshop for Katya to be appointed co-ordinator of the National Rabies Awareness Campaign. Claudia was also appointed onto the core communication committee. We conducted numerous Rabies awareness interviews around World Rabies Day, including RSG, Mix FM, Pretoria FM, Radio Namakwaland and Kingfisher FM. These zoonoses have highlighted the importance of the One Health approach, which we will discuss more in our November edition. The recent resignation of 4 more SAVC councilors continues to cause concern within the profession. It is important for us to respect that the SAVC is an independent statutorybodyand that it isnot ourmandate tobecome involved in internal Council matters. We do however have a responsibility to act in the interests of our members, whomake up the bulk of the registrees. I have again engagedwiththeSAVCPresidentandRegistrartoofferoursupportandrequest that the SAVC communicates with the registrees regarding the situation in the interests of transparency, while maintaining the necessary confidentiality of certain Council information. We appreciate the efforts and dedication of our SAVA representative on the SAVC, Dr Brendan Tindall, as they navigate these turbulent waters. The call for nominations of replacement SAVC councilors has gone out.This is where the registrees canmake their voice heard. Recent SAVC elections have been poorly supported. Nevertheless, it is up to the members of the profession to nominate, and vote for, the candidates they believe will be best suited to serve on Council. I have engaged with the CVO to facilitate the prompt passage of changes to the SAVC regulations through the DALRRD process. Once they have been signed off by the Minister, this will allow digital voting at SAVC elections, which will hopefully dramatically increase registree voter turnout. October brings several important SAVA meetings, including our Board of Directors, AGM and Federal Council Meetings where we will discuss the above and many other important matters affecting the Association and the profession. Thank you to all those members who attend our meetings and serve on the Board, Groups, Branches and Committees. We must pray for wisdom, truth, peace and harmony to prevail in these turbulent times. v Yours in welfare, Leon From the President Greetings Colleagues, Leon de Bruyn Spring is in full swing with its renewal, rejuvenation and new life. Those of us of faith who believe that we humans have been given dominion over the Earth`s animals by our Lord, must also accept that with that comes the responsibility of caring for the health and welfare of these animals, whether domestic or wild. Whatever one`s belief, there is no doubt that the human population explosion over the last few hundred years, with accompanying urbanization, industrialization, large scale agriculture, habitat destruction, exploitation of natural resources along with pervasive pollution, have had a massive impact of animal welfare.