The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), established in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 76,000 veterinarians working in private and corporate practice, government, industry, academia, and uniformed services.  The mission of the Association is to improve animal and human health and advance the veterinary medical profession.  To do so, AVMA fosters the science and art of veterinary medicine, including its relationship to public health, biological science, and agriculture.  Structured to work for its members, the AVMA acts as a collective voice for its membership and for the profession.

Laboratory animal medicine is a AVMA-recognized specialty and veterinarians who are ACLAM board certified as well as those who practice in the field are eligible for Association membership and participation in its professional activities.

Among many statements of principle and animal welfare policy that define the veterinarian’s role, the following are informative regarding the role of veterinarians in biomedical research: 

Veterinarian’s Oath  (pdf)

AVMA Animal Welfare Principles (pdf)

Laboratory animal medicine practitioners are not only guided by AVMA’s positions on animal euthanasia, federal agency rules or guidance documents rely on the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia as the definitive reference on humane methods.  Full text is available here.