Mission

Working to ensure optimal animal welfare at the leading edge of veterinary clinical practice through ethical decision making

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EthicsFirst is a group of veterinary and non-veterinary professionals who share common concerns about related areas of companion animal clinical practice in which boundaries are being pushed to extremes:

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• Use of unproven interventions

• Unregulated 'research' (including that to ostensibly advance One Health initiatives)

• Overdiagnosis and overtreatment

• Selective interpretation of "Recognised Veterinary Practice"

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We believe​ that

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• Independent and prospective ethical review should be a prerequisite for such extremes​

• Extremes should be critiqued rather than sensationalised and associated use of financial facilities (e.g., insurance, crowdfunding) should be examined

• The health and welfare of animals should always be prioritised in the course of ethical veterinary decision making

• The recommendation for euthanasia to end an animal's suffering should be restored as an ethical, legitimate, effective and appropriate option

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