1.WhatisAnimalWelfare?

Introduction

WelfarevRights

WelfarevConservation

WelfareDefined

FiveFreedoms

Needs

Sentience

AnimalWelfareScience

WelfareAssessment

WelfareandDeath

FurtherResources

Introduction

Humanunderstandingofanimals-especiallytheirsentience,needsandnatures-isdevelopingallthetime.Thephysicalstatesofpoorwelfarearemorereadilyaccessibleandunderstandable(particularlyforveterinarians,whoundertookmuchoftheearlyworkonwelfare).Butnewresearchleadsnaturallytogreaterunderstandingofmentalstatesandneedsandnatures.Thisisparticularlytrueofethologicalresearch,including"preferencetesting,whereanimals,preferencesaremeasuredandassessed.Thismaybewhyearlierdefinitionsofwelfarecentredonphysicalstates,whereasthelatestdefinitionshavereflectedthecomplex,multi-facetednatureofanimalwelfare.

WelfarevRights

Thedifferencebetweenanimalwelfareandanimalrightsisexplainedinthesessionon'EthicalandPhilosophicalTheories9.Inbrief,thiscanbeexplainedasbelow:-

Animalwelfaredenotesthedesiretopreventunnecessaryanimalsuffering(thatis,whilstnotcategoricallyopposedtotheuseofanimals,wantingtoensureagoodqualityoflifeandhumanedeath).

Animalrightsdenotesthephilosophicalbeliefthatanimalsshouldhaverights,includingtherighttolivetheirlivesfreeofhumanintervention(andultimatedeathatthehandsofhumans).Animalrightistsarephilosophicallyopposedtotheuseofanimalsbyhumans(althoughsomeaccept'symbiotic*relationships,suchascompanionanimalownership).

WelfarevConservation

Thekeydifferencebetweenconservationandanimalwelfareisthatconservationcaresaboutspecies(andextinction)whereasanimalwelfarecaresabouttheindividualanimal(anditssuffering).Animalwelfaristsbeliefthateachindividualanimalhasanintrinsicvalue,andshouldberespectedandprotected.Theyrecognisethatanimalshavebiologicallydeterminedinstincts,interestsandnatures,andcanexperiencepainandsuffer,andbelievethattheyshouldthereforebepermittedtolivetheirlivesfreefromavoidablesufferingatthehandsofhumans.

Itisnotdifficulttoseewhytheconservationmovementhasattractedsupportmorereadilythantheanimalwelfaremovement.Animalwelfarerequiresgreateraltruismand

陋fcnet

empathythanconservation.Careforconservationcanbegeneratedbyhuman-centredobjectives,suchasnotwantingspeciestobecomeextinctbecauseofthelossforfuturegenerations(ofhumans).Althoughmanypeoplenowrecognisethatanimalsfeelpainandsuffer,thiscomeslowerdownontheirlistofprioritiesforaction—andmayindeedchallengetheirownlifestyleandhabits.

WelfareDefined

Welfareisnotjustabsenceofcrueltyor"unnecessarysuffering\Itismuchmorecomplex.Itincludesthefollowingdifferentstates

PhysicalState

Traditionallydefinitionscentredonthephysicalstateofanimals.

“Isuggestthatananimalisinapoorstateofwelfareonlywhenphysiologicalsystemsaredisturbedtothepointthatsurvivalorreproductionisimpaired.'1McGlone,1993.

"Welfaredefinesthestateofananimalasregardsitsattemptstocopewithitsenvironment.HFraserandBroom,1990.

McGlonetakestheextremeviewthatwelfareisonlypoorwhensurvivalorreproductionisimpairedbyaphysicalproblem.Thisisasimplisticviewofwelfare,whichisoftenputforwardbythetradetominimisetheimpacttheyarehavingonthewelfareoftheanimalsundertheircare.

FraserandBroomrefertohowananimalcopeswithitsenvironment.Copingisessentiallyareflectionofthephysicalconditionoftheanimal,althoughmentalstatesmayhavecontributedtothiscondition.

MentalState

Mentalstatesplayanimportantroleinwelfare.Thesestatesarebecomingincreasinglyunderstoodandexplored,includingbyscientists.

”???neitherhealthnorlackofstressnorfitnessisnecessaryand/orsufficienttoconcludethatananimalhadgoodwelfare.Welfareisdependentuponwhatanimalsfeel.nDuncan,1993.

Naturalness

Thethirdstate—naturalness—referstotheabilityoftheanimaltofulfilitsnaturalneedsanddesires.Thefrustrationoftheseharmsitswelfare.Thisthirddimensionhasbeenrecentlyrecognisedandadded.

“Notonlywillwelfaremeancontrolofpainandsuffering,itwillalsonurturingandfulfilmentoftheanimals'nature,whichIcalltelos.HRollin,1993

Thedefinitionofanimalwelfareisoftendebated.However,thesethreestates,whicharegiveninthedefinitiongivenbyWSPAinits"ConceptsofAnimalWelfare9veterinarytrainingresource,providethemostcomprehensivetodate.Thisisdepictedpictoriallybelow:-

AnimalWelfareinContext

廖U

Thisclearlyshowsthethreedimensionsofwelfare,andtheinextricablerelationshipbetweenthese.

FiveFreedoms

The"fivefreedoms5,whichwereoriginallydevelopedbytheUK'sFarmAnimalWelfareCouncil(FAWC),providevaluableguidanceonanimalwelfare.Theyarenowinternationallyrecognised,andhavebeenadaptedslightlysincetheirformulation.Thecurrentformis:-

>Freedomfromhungerandthirst-readyaccesstowaterandadiettomaintainhealthandvigour

>Freedomfromdiscomfort-byprovidinganappropriateenvironmentincludingshelterandacomfortablerestingarea

>Freedomfrompain,injuryanddisease-bypreventionorrapiddiagnosisandtreatment

>Freedomtoexpressnormalbehaviour一byprovidingsufficientspace,properfacilitiesandcompanyoftheanimalsownkind

>Freedomfromfearanddistress-byensuringconditionsandtreatmentwhichavoidmentalsuffering

TheycoverallthreeofthestatesidentifiedbyWSPAabove.

Theyareidealstates,anditisrecognizedthatsomefreedomsmayconflictinasituationwhereanimalsarecaredforbymane.g.theconflictbetweentreatment(suchasveterinarytreatment)tocureillness/diseaseandfreedomfromfearanddistress(thatmaybecausedbythehandlingandprocedure).

Needs

Theterm'needs'isoftenusedindiscussionsonwelfare,asneedsarethethingsthatshouldbeprovidedtoensureananimal'swelfare.

Aneedis:'Arequirement,fundamentalinthebiologyoftheanimal,toobtainaparticularresourceorrespondtoaparticularenvironmentalorbodilystimulus.?Needsmayincludearangeofprovisionssuchasfood,water,comfort,avoidanceofinfectiousdiseaseand

environmentalenrichment.Foranimalsunderourcareitisahumanethicalresponsibilitytoprovidefortheirneeds.

Differentneedshavedifferentlevelsofimportancetoanimals.Observingeffectsafterwithdrawalofneedsprovidesanindicationoftheirrelativeimportance.

Sentience

Thereisnowwidespreadrecognitionofthecsentience,ofanimals,whichreinforcestheneedtoprotectwelfare.TheEuropeanUnionhasofficiallyrecognisedanimalstobe"SentientBeings'(1997).Sentienceimpliesthatanimals:-

Areawareoftheirownsurroundings

Haveanemotionaldimension

Areawareofwhatishappeningtothem

Havetheabilitytolearnfromexperience

Areawareofbodilysensations—pain,hunger,heat,coldetc.

Areawareoftheirrelationshipswithotheranimals

Havetheabilitytochosebetweendifferentanimals,objectsandsituations

AnimalWelfareScience

WSPA's"ConceptsinAnimalWelfare,isdesignedtoteachanimalwelfaretostudentsatveterinaryinstitutes.ItwaspreparedincollaborationwiththeUniversityofBristolveterinaryschool-oneoftheleadingcentresforanimalwelfarescience.Itincludeseverythinganactivistneedstoknowaboutwelfarescience.

Thesyllabusiscomposedof30interactivemodulesonCD-ROM.PrintedandaudiovisualresourcescomplementtheCD-ROMandupdateswillbeavailableviatheinternet(www.wspa-).

Theprinciplesin'Concepts'aresupportedbyprofessionalbodiessuchastheWorldVeterinaryAssociation,CommonwealthVeterinaryAssociation,WorldSmallAnimalVeterinaryAssociationandtheFederationofEuropeanCompanionAnimalVeterinaryAssociations.

WelfareAssessment

Animalwelfarehasdevelopedintoascienceinitsownrightandasaresultthereisagrowingamountofresearchintothissubject.Thisresearchisfundedbygovernments,corporationsandindustrybodies,welfaregroupsandotheragencies.Itisoftenusedasthebasisforthereformofanimalwelfarelegislation.Itisalsousedtoimproveconditionsfbranimalsrearedforfood,usedinresearch,keptincaptivityorascompanionanimals.

Threecomponentsareimportantforawelfareassessment:-

UsetheFiveFreedomsastheframework

Assesswelfareinputsandoutputs

>QuantifyproblemusingSeverity,DurationandNumberofanimalsaffected.

Inputsarethefactorsthataffectwelfare.

Outputsaretheactualimpactofthesefactorsonwelfare.

Examplesofthreetypesofwelfareinputsare:-

>Stockman-Empathy,Knowledge,Observationskills

>Environment-Housing,Bedding,Feedquality,Waterprovision

>Animal-Suitablebreed,ageandsexforthesystem.

Physiologicalmeasuresofwelfareinclude:-

Heartrate

Respiratoryrate

Adrenalhabituation

Bloodpressure

Catecholamines(adrenalineandnoradrenaline)

Enzymesandmetabolites

However,measuresofwelfareshouldbeappliedwithcaution.WSPA's"ConceptsofAnimalWelfare9referstodifferent'components,ofwelfare,ofwhichwelfarescienceisonei.e.

Welfarescience

Animalethics

Welfarelaw

Itisarguablethatlawissimplythepracticalapplicationofthecurrentstateofscienceandethicsinasociety,asacceptedbyconsumersand(ultimately)politicians.However,theimportantpointhereisthatscienceisnottheonlycriteriaforjudgingwelfare,asotherlesstangiblefactorsarealsoinvolved.Itis?therefore,importantthatthe'precautionaryprinciple'isapplied,andwherethereareanycasesofdoubt,thentheactiontakenshouldfavourtheanimals(justincasethealternativecoursewouldimpairwelfare).

WelfareandDeath

Welfareconcernsthe'quality'ofanimallife.Whereasdeathaffectsthe"quantity9ofanimallife.However,bothmaybethesubjectsofethicalconcernbyhumans.

Themannerofdeathisrelevanttoananimal'swelfaree.g.themethodofslaughterisimportant.Also,highdeathratescanindicatepoorwelfareconditions-Poorhusbandryconditionscancausediseaseanddeathandproductionpressuresandoverworkcanalsocauseearlydeath.

FurtherResources

咯WebSites

UFAW:UniversityLinks

http:〃

AnimalsandSociety

http:〃

"Thinktank'carryingouteducationandtraining,includingacourseon"AnimalsandSociety9thatexaminesthemoralandlegalstatusofanimalsincontemporarysociety.

InternationalSocietyforAppliedEthology

http:〃

AnimalBehaviourSocietyhttp:〃

TheLathamFoundation

http:〃

Books

AnimalWelfare:ACoolEyeTowardsEden

By:JohnWebster

Publisher:BlackwellScience(UK)

ISBN:0632039280

AnimalWelfare

By:MichaelC.ApplebyandBarryO.Hughes

Publisher:CABInternational

ISBN:0851991