Veterinary Association for Farm Animal Welfare

Background and Agenda

The Veterinary Association for Farm Animal Welfare’s agenda appears to align more with radical animal rights activism than mainstream veterinary science.

VAFAW has supported California Prop 12, a policy that bans supermarkets from selling pork and eggs from farms that use conventional, veterinarian-approved animal husbandry practices. Prop 12 is opposed by mainstream veterinary organizations. 

The American Veterinary Medical Association says, “The arbitrary housing requirements in Prop 12 do not objectively improve animal welfare and may unintentionally cause harm.” The American Association of Swine Veterinarians has also come out against Prop 12.

Funding

Public tax records show VAFAW received $45,000 from Humane America Animal Foundation. Humane America Animal Foundation funds vegan advocacy and animal rights groups including Vegan Outreach, The Humane League, and ProVeg International. As of this writing, this is the only known funding source of VAFAW. 

Personnel

Co-executive director Cameron Krier Massey is a lawyer and lobbyist, not a veterinarian. She also runs the government relations firm scoutGR and lobbies for the Texas Hospital Association. 

Gwendolen Reyes-Illg is on the board of Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, which is a division of Humane World for Animals. Humane World was a main financier of Prop 12 and advocates veganism and policies that attack livestock farmers.