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Photo obtained by Animal Outlook via public records request from experiments killing birds by ventilation shutdown performed at the Prestage Department of Poultry Science at North Carolina State University.
Screenshot from video footage obtained by Direct Action Everywhere mid-March 2022 at Rembrandt Farms in Iowa. This bird was one of the 5.3 million on the farm who were to be killed. She was one of dozens who survived hours of ventilation shutdown. The depopulation at Rembrandt Farms took over 7 days to complete.
Ventilation shutdown+ (VSD+) is an extremely cruel method of killing pigs and birds during disaster or infectious disease situations. It is a method to be used in “constrained circumstances" only according to the AVMA Guidelines on Depopulation. It involves sealing up barns and/or pumping in heat and steam to kill the animals via heat stroke. Over 1,600 veterinarians have signed onto Veterinarians Against Ventilation Shutdown asking the AVMA to reclassify ventilation shutdown as a “Not Recommended” form of depopulation.
Millions of pigs were killed using this method in 2020, and tens of millions of birds were killed this year using this method.
Producers are making no effort to plan and implement AVMA “Preferred” methods of depopulation, instead relying on the cruel method of Ventilation Shutdown+ which causes animals to suffer and die of heat stroke over many hours.
Tell the American Veterinary Medical Association to reclassify Ventilation Shutdown+ as a “Not Recommended” form of Depopulation.
Letters sent to the AVMA:
May 24, 2022 - Animal Welfare Institute’s letter to the Panel on Depopulation.
May 5, 2022 - Our Honor’s Letter to the AVMA and the Panel on Depopulation.
April 14, 2022 - Animal Outlook’s letter to the AVMA and the Panel on Depopulation.
January 6, 2022 - Open Letter to the AVMA sent by ASPCA, HSUS, HSVMA, AWI, Our Honor, Veterinarians Against Ventilation Shutdown and Mighty Vet.
October 26, 2021 - Open letter to the AVMA and the Panel on Depopulation sent by Our Honor and signed by dozens of veterinarians, veterinary professionals and members of the public.
October 2021 - Animal Welfare Institute’s Letter to the AVMA and the Panel on Depopulation.
Winter 2020/2021 - Petition filed asking the AVMA to reclassify ventilation shutdown as a not recommended form of depopulation.
May 2020 - Veterinarians Against Ventilation Shutdown founded, over 1,500 veterinarians have signed on asking the AVMA the reclassify ventilation shutdown as a not recommended form of depopulation.
May 2020 - Over 100 veterinarians sign onto an open letter to the AVMA asking them to condemn the use of ventilation shutdown to kill pigs by Iowa Select Farms.
Journalist Marina Bolotnikova’s presentation to Vermont Law School on the industry’s use of ventilation shutdown.
Several organizations, including Our Honor have written to the AVMA over the past 2 years regarding VSD—they have not responded to Our Honor and many other groups.
Animal advocacy organizations have historically taken a leadership role in animal welfare issues while the AVMA has been resistant to change, but with its power and influence, the AVMA can make a huge difference in the lives of animals.
The AVMA has refused to talk to journalists and even their members. This stonewalling contradicts their core values of being ethical, inclusive, science-based, animal-focused and member-centric.
The lack of open, transparent communication prevents innovation, harms animals and the veterinary profession’s reputation as caring advocates for animals.
Sign onto our open letter to the AVMA asking them to join us in taking action to stop the future use of Ventilation Shutdown!