® Ensuring Animal Welfare Weighing the Options and Understanding Choices Gail C. Golab, PhD, DVM,...
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Transcript of ® Ensuring Animal Welfare Weighing the Options and Understanding Choices Gail C. Golab, PhD, DVM,...
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Ensuring Animal Welfare
Weighing the Options and Understanding Choices
Gail C. Golab, PhD, DVM, MACVSc (Animal Welfare)Director, Animal Welfare Division
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So…we’re smart people.
How difficult can making recommendations on animal welfare really be?
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Example 1—Dog in Three Different Environments
Eats whatever’s on sale, frequent table scraps
Free roam of home, outside for walks Annual veterinary examination Toys available, occasional game of fetch “Only dog,” no social interaction with other
dogs
Controlled, nutritionally complete diet Confined to kennel, outside for walks Evaluation by caretaker each day, monthly
exam by veterinarian Toys available, daily training by familiar
caretakers Able to see and hear, but not interact with
other dogs
Home
Laboratory
Laboratory
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Dog in Three Different
Environments Donated diet Initial veterinary exam, daily
observation Communal housing, able to
interact with other dogs Human interactions variable and
inconsistent High mortality rate (euthanasia)
Shelter
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Which Environment is Most Welfare
Friendly?
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Example 2—Housing Laying Hens
Caged at 72 in2/hen, movement restricted
No nest box or litter for dust bathing Easy access to feed trough and
water Aggressive interactions infrequent,
cannibalism minimal Individual birds easily observed Eggs protected and easily collected
Floor-raised in barn Nest boxes, litter for dust bathing Evidence of aggression, cannibalism,
flighty (easily startled) Nest box gregariousness, floor laying Old bone breaks evident at end of lay
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Housing Laying Hens
Large space, freedom of movement Enclosures for sleeping and nesting Natural substrates, multiple
opportunities for expression of natural behaviors
Aggression and cannibalism moderate Exposed to elements, pests,
predators, and soil-borne disease
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Which Environment Is Most Welfare
Friendly?
Which would these people choose?Those in business to produce animals and their productsYour neighborAnimal protection activistsVeterinarians
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Why You Chose As You Did
(Why We Don’t All Think Alike)
Quantitative and qualitative comparisons to
wild or free-living counterparts
Function Feelings
Natural Behavior
1Adapted from Fraser D, Weary DM, Pajor EA, et al. A scientific conception of animal welfare that reflects ethical concerns. Anim Welf 1997;6:187-205.
Measures ofhealth, growthand productivity
Measures ofaffective states(pain, suffering,contentment)
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But…our choices are also conditioned by our experiences
● Those in the animal use industries● Members of the public ● Animal protection activists● Veterinarians
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Understanding Their Viewpoint—Experiences
Animal Use Industries After WWII
Production/use costs ↑ (esp wages) Prices ↓ (market forces)
Pressures on those involved in animal use → intensification
↑ efficiency, emphasis on business management
Specialization, few multiply-faceted operations, contract operators
Economy of scale/type Animal welfare important to success—what is
emphasized influenced by business goalsBut… Respond to consumer purchasing behavior
(desired attributes vs cost)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
10% 25%
% increase in product pricePerc
en
t R
esp
on
den
ts
Willingnessto pay
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Understanding Their Viewpoint—Experiences
Public
Urbanization Social shifts in family units Animals move from utility
[food/fiber/research] to companions Increase in disposable income Public vision of animals reflects CA
experience What is thought about as good welfare
has potential for direct conflict with views of animal use businesses
But… Concern for food and drug/device
availability and security/safety
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Understanding Their Viewpoint—Experiences
Animal Protection Activists Come from all walks of life with all kinds of experiences Many are not familiar with the animal use industries and
animal care practices Most driven by a genuine desire to do the right thing But…their organizations need to surviveTherefore… Have to create a platform and craft a message that
meets the needs of their supporters Resonate Not excessively complex
Supporters Those members of the public who are particularly interested in
animal issues Some who are not supportive of animal use
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Understanding Their Viewpoints—Experiences
Veterinarians
Companion animal—individual animal focus; care decisions framed by owner attachment and ability to pay, and generally not by market value; advanced procedures in demand
Equine—focus is mixture of pleasure and function; care decisions often framed by use; advanced procedures available, but return on investment can be an important consideration
Food Supply—herd focus; care decisions framed by goal of bringing product to market; advanced procedures limited by market value; procedural outsourcing
Different Practices = Different Focus
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Understanding Their Viewpoints--Experiences
Veterinarians Laboratory Animal—group focus; care decisions
affected by demands of research and regulation; advanced procedures limited by value to and affect on research programs
Public practice—multiple stakeholder demands and factors
Advocacy—animal industry or humane groups; expected to fully support the missions and aims of their particular group
And all these differences are compounded by… Age and gender effects
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So… Those in the animal use industries depend on the welfare of
their animals…but have to live with business practicalities. Members of the public want to protect animal welfare…but
aren’t always sure what that means. Animal protection activists either have passion about making
sure animals are used appropriately or passion about ensuring they are not used…and they have to make sure their message resonates with their donors.
Veterinarians may have different concepts about animal welfare…depending on how they and animal owners think about the animals they treat.
Who’s Right????
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Enter…Science 1964—Ruth Harrison authors Animal Machines,
which described modern intensive farming practices in Great Britain
“Life in the factory farm revolves entirely around profits, and animals are accessed purely for their ability to convert food into flesh or ‘saleable products.’”
Public/industry conflict Science proposed as solution (Brambell
Committee)
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Science—The Five Freedoms
Freedom from thirst, hunger, malnutrition Freedom from discomfort Freedom from pain, injury, disease Freedom to express normal behaviors Freedom from fear and distress2
1Brambell FWR. 1965. Report of the Technical Committee to Enquire into the Welfare of Animals Kept Under Intensive Livestock Husbandry Systems ed. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London.
2Webster J. 2005. Limping Towards Eden. Hoboken, NJ: WileyBlackwell.
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For Dog…
Home Laboratory Shelter
Nutrition — + +/—
Discomfort + — +/—
Injury/Disease + +/— ―
Behavior +/― + +
Fear/Distress + ― —
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For Laying Hens…
Cages Barns Free-range
Nutrition + +/— ―
Discomfort +/― + +/―
Injury/Disease + +/― ―
Behavior ― +/— +
Fear/Distress + ― —
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Science as Solution
The dream…all animal welfare decisions are science-based We want to look at inputs and outputs and arrive at
a scientific solution Biological function—is homeostasis maintained? Health—absence/presence of disease/injury Behavioral/social function
Adaptation Emotional states (e.g., distress, suffering) Cognition/awareness Choices
We know this is the best way to assure that the welfare of the animal is protected
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Science as Solution
The reality Animal welfare decisions are social decisions
Integration of culture, ethics, and science Science didn’t even really play a role until 1950s
Science isn’t black-and-white or value-free Science can be used to help resolve disputes (sometimes!) Science may not exist, may be used selectively, or be ignored Science is used by both sides in policy debates If societal perception is that something is ‘wrong’ then science
is unlikely to change that perception
Science can determine what type or level of risk exists Science cannot determine what type or level of risk is
acceptable (this is a social question)
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Improving Animal Welfare Decision-
Making Understand and accept that animal welfare
decisions are complex Social acceptability (the “smell” test) Science Sustainability
Recognize that presentation and interpretation of animal welfare questions and the related science is not value-free Be cognizant of your experts’ prejudices—and your own! Insist that ALL the information be brought to the table
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Improving Animal Welfare Decision-
Making Beware the quick fix
Most animal care systems have advantages and disadvantages
Various components of systems integrate If it seems too obvious or too simple, it probably
is!
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Trade-offs Relying too much on one type of measure can prejudice
decision-making Unintended consequences can result from standards/policy
based on a single criterion
Adapted from the LayWel Report
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Improving Animal Welfare Decision-
Making
Because the advantages and disadvantages of animal care systems and practices are qualitatively different, objectively ranking them for overall welfare can be extremely difficult.
How much mortality = how much behavioral freedom?
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Improving Animal Welfare Decision-
Making Consultative processes support animal
welfare best↑ stakeholder engagement = better decisions
Two approachesGold standard (Do it now!) Incremental improvement (We’ll get to where we
want to go, starting with this improvement) Improving animal welfare is a dynamic, not a
static, process
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Some Resources
AVMA animal welfare Web sectionwww.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/default.asp AVMA animal welfare policieswww.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/policies.asp Animal welfare backgrounderswww.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/backgrounders.asp Upcoming meetings/activitieswww.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/meetings.asp Additional resourceswww.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/related_links.asp
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Thank You For Your Time and Attention
Please Let Me Know What We Can Do
To Help You
The best public policy is made when you are listening to people who are going to be impacted. Then, once policy is determined, you call on them to help you sell it. --Elizabeth Dole