Where to Read AVSAB Position Statements on Animal Behavior

Updated

AVSAB position statements are published on avsab.org, and the site provides a direct entry point labeled "View Position Statements" on its homepage. They are written for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, graduate-level animal behaviorists, and anyone who needs the organization's professional stance on a behavior or welfare topic. Use them as a reference point for clinical practice, client discussions, or animal welfare debates — not as a substitute for individualized veterinary advice.

What the AVSAB website offers

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior describes itself as a community of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and graduate degree-level animal behaviorists dedicated to improving the lives of animals and people through an understanding of animal behavior. Its homepage groups the main resources into three actions:

  • Become a Member — for professional veterinarians, veterinary technicians, doctorate-level animal behaviorists, researchers, and students.
  • Find a Behavior Consultant — an online public directory the site describes as the largest online database of veterinarians with a focus in animal behavior.
  • View Position Statements — the section holding the society's formal positions on animal behavior topics.

The position statements sit alongside the public directory and membership information, so you do not need to navigate a member-only area to reach that entry point from the homepage.

Who should read them

Reader Typical use
Veterinarians Ground a behavior recommendation or welfare discussion in a professional body's stated position
Veterinary technicians Support client education and in-clinic handling decisions
Animal behaviorists and researchers Compare your approach with the society's framing
Students Learn how the profession formalizes positions on behavior topics
General public Understand where the veterinary behavior community stands

How to get there

  1. Go to avsab.org.
  2. On the homepage, locate the "View Position Statements" link among the primary calls to action.
  3. Open it to browse the statements.

The expected result is a list of the society's positions you can read directly. Because the site is in English, the statements are in English as well.

Related resources on the same site

If your question is practical rather than positional, two other homepage entries may fit better:

  • Find a Behavior Consultant — search the public directory if you need a veterinarian with a focus in animal behavior rather than a written position.
  • Membership — joining gives access to online forums, member and group interaction, job openings, research opportunities, and scholarships, according to the site. Members also receive a 30% discount on Dr. Katrin Jahn's "Psychoactive" veterinary psychopharmacology course, an RACE-approved course listed at 8.5 CE credits and covering neurotransmission, long-acting medications such as SSRIs, TCAs, MAOIs, and SNRIs, short-acting medications such as SARIs, gabapentinoids, alpha-2 agonists, and benzodiazepines, plus practical applications.

Practical notes

  • The homepage does not state a price for reading position statements, and nothing in the available material indicates whether any content is restricted to logged-in members. Treat access conditions as unconfirmed unless the page itself says otherwise.
  • Position statements reflect the society's professional view at the time of publication. For a specific patient or case, combine them with your own clinical judgment and current veterinary guidance.
  • If you cannot find a statement on your exact topic, the public consultant directory is the more appropriate next step for case-level questions.