INTRODUCTION TO ANIMAL
WELFARE
Jessica Walker
WHAT IS ANIMAL WELFARE
 Welfare is an individuals state as regards to its attempts to
cope with its environment (Broom 1986).
 ‘The state of complete mental and physical health where the
animal in is harmony with it’s environment’
(Hughes
1976)
ATTEMPTS TO COPE RELATE TO:



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Body repair systems.
Immunological defences.
Emergency physiological responses.
Variety of behavioural responses.
WHAT IS ANIMAL WELFARE?
3 Concepts




Physical health
Mental health (including how it feels)
Capability to act naturally
RELATIONSHIP BET WEEN THE THREE
CONCEPTS
THE ANIMAL WELFARE
ACT 1999
THE FIVE FREEDOMS

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

Freedom
Freedom
Freedom
Freedom
Freedom
from Hunger and Thirst
from Discomfort
from Pain
to express Normal Behaviour
from Fear and Distress
ANIMAL WELFARE
5 FREEDOMS
IN THE WILD…
Hunger and thirst
Scarce food / water
Thermal and physical
discomfort
Injury and disease
Poor weather
Normal behaviour
No veterinary
treatment
Killing of prey
Fear and distress
Predators
ANIMAL SCIENCE VS ANIMAL ETHICS VS
ANIMAL LAW
Welfare science considers effects of humans
on the animal from the animal’s point of view
Welfare ethics considers human actions
towards animals
Welfare legislation considers how humans
must treat animals
WHAT IS THE WELFARE OF THE
FOLLOWING CATS?
 A pet cat that has an infected
wound - owner s noticed a
problem two weeks ago but
failed to take the cat for
veterinar y treatment.
 A pet cat that has an infected
wound - the cat had been
missing for two weeks but when
it returned the owner s took it
for veterinar y treatment.
WELFARE OF ANIMALS VERSUS HUMAN
CARE
 Both cats have the same welfare status
- Welfare science shows no difference.
 Dif ferent human care
- Owners have different moral behaviour
- Ethics not science
HOW CAN WE ASSESS ANIMAL
WELFARE SCIENTIFICALLY?
 “Welfare defines the state of an animal as regards its
attempts to cope with its environment.” (Fraser & Broom,
1990).
WELFARE CONTINUUM:
Good
Poor
 Overall summary
of welfare status
ANIMAL WELFARE CRITERIA:
Poor
Good
WELFARE STATUS = FIVE FREEDOMS
Poor
Hunger / Thirst
Pain / Distress
Injury / Disease
Shelter
Normal behaviour
Overall
Good
MEASURES OF GOOD WELFARE


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Variety of normal behaviours are shown.
Extent to which strongly preferred behaviours can be shown.
Physiological indicators of pleasure.
Behavioural indicators of pleasure.
MEASURES OF POOR WELFARE
 Decreased life expectancy.
 Decreased ability to grow or breed.
 Body damage.
 Disease.
 Immunosuppression.
 Physiological attempts to cope.
 Behavioural attempts to cope.
 Self narcotisation.
 Extent of behavioural aversion shown.
 Extent of suppression of normal behaviour
 Extent to which normal physiological processes
and anatomical development are prevented.
ENRICHMENT AND ANIMAL WELFARE
 Attempt to solve this problem by designing
environmental enrichment that can…
 Reproduce good features of natural environment
 Eliminate negative features of natural
environment
 BUT… a very difficult balance to achieve
 Short term vs. long term welfare
 Legal considerations / restrictions
 Public perceptions (e.g. feeding live prey)
RESEARCH
Food hiding increases foraging in Asian
Elephants
Less stereotypic pacing in polar bears with
increased foraging opportunities
Laying Scent trails reduces apathy/immobility
in captive reptiles
Provision of suspended swings, barrels and
platforms encourages play in chimpanzees
Training sessions associated with reduced
performance of stereotypic behaviour in sea
lions
PART TWO: ASSESSING
WELFARE USING
BEHAVIOUR.
THE FIVE FREEDOMS





Freedom
Freedom
Freedom
Freedom
Freedom
from Hunger and Thirst
from Discomfort
from Pain
to express Normal Behaviour
from Fear and Distress
BEHAVIOURAL INDICATORS
- THE ‘NORMAL’ ANIMAL:
 Alertness
 Curiosity
 Range of activities
 Interaction with other members of the herd/flock
 Interaction with humans / Aversion to humans
 Play
THE “NORMAL” ANIMAL - ALERTNESS
THE “NORMAL” ANIMAL - CURIOUS
THE “NORMAL” ANIMAL - RANGE OF
ACTIVITIES
THE “NORMAL” ANIMAL - INTERACTION WITH
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP
THE “NORMAL” ANIMAL - INTERACTION WITH
HUMANS
THE “NORMAL” ANIMAL - PLAY
BEHAVIOURAL INDICATORS OF POOR
WELFARE:
1. Limited range of activity
2. Panting and/or sweating
3. Huddling or shivering
4. Depression
5. Abnormal fear or aggression towards humans
6. Stereotypies and other behavioural
abnormalities
RESTRICTION OF “NORMAL”
 Sow Stall
SUMMARY
 The animals behaviour can tell us
about their welfare.
 If the animals behaviour indicates poor
welfare we need to investigate causes
and possible solutions.
REFERENCES/ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
 World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA):
http://www.wspainternational.org/wspaswork/education/concepts -animalwelfare-modules.aspx
QUESTIONS?