Ensuring Animal Welfare Weighing the Options and Understanding Choices

1. Ensuring Animal WelfareWeighing the Options and Understanding Choices Gail C. Golab, PhD, DVM, MACVSc (Animal Welfare) Director, Animal Welfare Division

2. So…we’re smart people. How difficult can making recommendations on animal welfare really be?

3. 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

4. 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

5. Which Environment is Most Welfare Friendly?

6. 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

7. 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

8. Which Environment Is Most Welfare Friendly? • Which would these people choose? • Those in business to produce animals and their products • Your neighbor • Animal protection activists • Veterinarians

9. Why You Chose As You Did(Why We Don’t All Think Alike) Function Feelings Measures of affective states (pain, suffering, contentment) Measures of health, growth and productivity 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. Quantitative and qualitative comparisons to wild or free-living counterparts

10. But…our choices are also conditioned by our experiences • Those in the animal use industries • Members of the public • Animal protection activists • Veterinarians

11. Understanding Their Viewpoint—ExperiencesAnimal 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 goals But… Respond to consumer purchasing behavior (desired attributes vs cost) Willingness to pay Percent Respondents % increase in product price

12. Understanding Their Viewpoint—ExperiencesPublic 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

13. Understanding Their Viewpoint—ExperiencesAnimal 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 survive Therefore… 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

14. Understanding Their Viewpoints—ExperiencesVeterinarians 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

15. Understanding Their Viewpoints--ExperiencesVeterinarians 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

16. 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????

17. 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)

18. 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.

19. For Dog…

20. For Laying Hens…

21. Science 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

22. 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)

23. 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

24. 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!

25. 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

26. 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?

27. Improving Animal Welfare Decision-Making Consultative processes support animal welfare best ↑ stakeholder engagement = better decisions Two approaches Gold 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

28. Some Resources AVMA animal welfare Web section www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/default.asp AVMA animal welfare policies www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/policies.asp Animal welfare backgrounders www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/backgrounders.asp Upcoming meetings/activities www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/meetings.asp Additional resources www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/related_links.asp

29. 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