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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

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t R

esp

on

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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

ggolab@avma.org

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