An Apology from the CVMA

January 23, 2025

Dear Members and Fellow Veterinary Professionals,

I extend my sincere apologies on behalf of the CVMA Council and staff to the entire veterinary community for the social media post we shared on January 16 and the subsequent response on January 18.

The fact that these statements were partisan in nature caused disappointment, hurt, extreme anxiety, confusion, and were invalidating for many CVMA members and members of the profession. CVMA Council takes full responsibility for the impact these statements have had, and realizes the inappropriateness of CVMA's public statements aligning, or appearing to align, the organization with any one political party. 

CVMA Council and staff will now review the CVMA's policies and procedures to ensure future communications regarding the CVMA's ongoing advocacy work and engagement with political leaders remain non-partisan. Our government relations efforts have been across all political parties, and we regret that these statements have called this into question. 

We recognize that wellness, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within our profession must be considered in all CVMA actions and communications. We emphasize that the CVMA stands firmly against any policies, rhetoric, or actions that harm or marginalize the rights and dignity of our members and veterinary professionals. 

We have removed the original post and response from the CVMA website and all CVMA social media platforms. Over the coming weeks, we will focus on reflecting and reviewing how this misstep happened. We commit to providing a timely and transparent update to our membership.

Moving forward, with the Council’s guidance and approval, we will create a process to ensure our core values are reflected in our advocacy and government relations communications.

We hear your concerns and unreservedly apologize for our mistake. We will make determined efforts to do better and regain your trust.

I invite you to reach out to me at cvmapresident@cvma-acmv.org if you would like to discuss this matter further.

Sincerely,
Tim Arthur, DVM
CVMA President