VAFAW Statement About
2026 AVMA Guidelines for the Depopulation of Animals
On January 30, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) released its 2026 edition of the Guidelines for the Depopulation of Animals, professional recommendations that strongly influence federal policy for animal depopulation. During a comment period on a draft of the Guidelines, VAFAW submitted a letter on behalf of 868 veterinarians and veterinary students, over 500 of whom were AVMA members. The letter, heavily referenced with evidence from the scientific literature, requested reclassification of three poor-welfare depopulation methods to discourage their use: (1) the heatstroke-based method, ventilation shutdown plus; (2) airway-occluding water-based foam, and (3) manual blunt force trauma.
The new guidelines failed to incorporate any of these recommendations, specifying no reasons for their rejection. VAFAW also submitted dozens of technical comments, many of which flagged erroneous or missing information or provided peer-reviewed research that had been overlooked during the revision process. Most of these appear to have been disregarded without explanation.
“We appreciate the depopulation panel's efforts; however, VAFAW remains concerned about the Guidelines’ content and development process,” said Gwendolen Reyes-Illg, DVM, MA, VAFAW President and Co-Executive Director. “Errors, omissions, transparency issues, and stakeholder exclusion inexorably compromise the document’s legitimacy. We especially worry about the Guidelines’ failure to accurately describe the animal welfare impacts of heatstroke and airway occlusion methods, and the potential of the Guidelines to contribute to their continued or increased use. VAFAW advises against unconditionally adopting the AVMA Guidelines into policy.”
VAFAW was pleased to see that newer, higher-welfare depopulation methods, such as nitrogen whole house gassing and high-expansion nitrogen foam, have been recognized as Tier 1 (preferred) methods for poultry in the Guidelines; crucially, the poultry chapter also provides detailed information on the preparedness steps required to ensure such methods can be rapidly deployed. VAFAW supports the Guidelines’ assertion that “[a]nimals designated for depopulation should be killed using methods that minimize pain and distress and result in rapid loss of consciousness and brain function.” However, the updated Guidelines fail to provide a framework for assessing animal welfare at the time of killing, exclude crucial information about the animal welfare impacts of many methods described, and sanction the use of methods that cause significant pain and/or distress for a prolonged period.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) invited veterinarians and veterinary students to submit comments on a draft version of its revised Guidelines for the Depopulation of Animals.
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A sign-on letter submitted by 868 veterinarians and veterinary students from 44 states and 36 veterinary colleges identifies key priorities for improving animal welfare. Of those who signed the letter, 504 are members of the AVMA. ​The comment letter, along with the names and other relevant information (including license and AVMA numbers) of the signers, has been submitted through the AVMA's portal for accepting comments on its draft Guidelines for the Depopulation of Animals.
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Want More Background Information?​​
Listen to VAFAW leaders, Dr. Gwendy Reyes-Illg and Jeff Hill, in this podcast hosted by the Colorado State University Animal-Human Policy Center, “When Emergency Becomes Policy: Rethinking Mass Depopulation in Animal Agriculture.”