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The welfare of animals is a subject that challenges every one of us. We use animals for food, companionship, sport and clothing and even the welfare of wild animals is affected by human activities. We are increasingly questioning whether this is necessary, desirable and humane. This book provides a framework to make those difficult decisions

In their target article, Rowan et al (2022) make a welcome attempt to chart the development of Western progress over the past two hundred years toward formally recognizing that animals feel. They outline the heroic efforts of Compassion in World Farming to gain for animals the status of sentient beings rather than merely human property. A broader view exists, from human prehistory to the present day, in which animals have been (and still are) understood to be sentient by indigenous peoples as well as by some Eastern religions. Growing recognition in the West that animals feel represents a new age of enlightenment.

In their target article, Rowan et al (2022) make a welcome attempt to chart the development of Western progress over the past two hundred years toward formally recognizing that animals feel. They outline the heroic efforts of Compassion in World Farming to gain for animals the status of sentient beings rather than merely human property. A broader view exists, from human prehistory to the present day, in which animals have been (and still are) understood to be sentient by indigenous peoples as well as by some Eastern religions. Growing recognition in the West that animals feel represents a new age of enlightenment.

Sheep evolved from the mouflon as mountain animals, able to escape predation by leaping between rock ledges. Their defense was their agility. Humans brought them to the plains, where the agility was less useful, but their lack of aggression, speed or weaponry against predators made them a prime target to become one of man's meat providers. A perfect animal in many ways, with extraordinary perceptive powers and some remarkable cognitive skills, they are often treated with complete disregard for their welfare. Yet sheep themselves won't tell us this, for a sheep that alerted others to its weakness really would be stupid. Scientists must ask why we sometimes treat them as non-deserving of moral consideration when it comes to their use in agriculture.

Intro -- The Animal Trade -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Note -- 1: The History of Animal Trade -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Early Developments in Livestock Trade -- 1.3 Expansion of the Role of Livestock in the Ancient Civilization of the Inca Empire -- 1.4 European Livestock Trade from 1066 to the Modern Day -- 1.4.1 Animal production and trade in mediaeval times and the Middle Ages in England and continental Europe -- 1.4.2 Agricultural intensification in Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries -- 1.4.3 Animal trade in the 20th century -- The Second World War -- Post-war food supplies -- 1.5 Conclusions -- Note -- 2: Trade Policies for Animal Products -- 2.1 Development of Trade Policy -- 2.2 Trade Distortions, Subsidies and Security -- 2.3 Conclusions -- 3: Trade Wars, Sanctions and Discrimination -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Trade Disruption Because of Disease Risk -- 3.3 Import Bans on Cheap Chicken -- 3.4 Constraints on Trading in 'Iconic' Animals -- 3.4.1 Japanese whaling -- 3.4.2 The ivory trade -- 3.5 Territorial Disputes -- 3.6 Products with Moral Advantage -- 3.6.1 Mulesing and the Australian wool industry -- 3.6.2 Cosmetics testing on animals -- 3.6.3 Foie gras -- 3.6.4 Australia's live cattle export to Indonesia -- 3.7 A Trade War Driven by Political Ideology - Russia's Food War with the West -- 3.8 Conclusions -- 4: Trade in Meat -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 The Scale of the World's Meat Production and Consumption -- 4.3 Trade in Meat -- 4.4 Future Changes in the Meat Trade -- 4.4.1 The real cost of meat production -- 4.5 Animal Slaughter for Trade -- 4.6 Conclusions -- 5: Trade in Some Key Animal Products: Dairy, Wool and Fur -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Dairy Products -- 5.3 Wool -- 5.4 Fur -- 5.5 Conclusions -- 6: Trade in Live Farm Animals -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Types of Transport.

This handbook presents a much-needed and comprehensive exploration of the rapidly growing fields of animal welfare and law.

In recent years there has been increasing attention paid to our complex, multifaceted relationships with other animals, and in particular, the depth and breadth of various societal uses of animals. This has led to a reconsideration of their moral and social status, which has sometimes challenged the interests of those who use animals. In such a contested domain, sound evidence and reasoning become particularly important. Through firm commitment to such principles, this book explores the biological foundations for the moral consideration of animals and for evolving conceptualisations of animal welfare. It reviews in detail the welfare concerns associated with numerous forms of animal use. The inclusion of key recent developments such as climate change, pandemics, and antimicrobial resistance, ensures this text is among the most current in its field. The ethical implications of the various uses of animals by society are considered, and chapters provide important recommendations for reforms of practice, law, or policy. The status of animal law internationally, and in major world regions, is reviewed. Finally, the book considers human behavioural change and strategies for improving stakeholder communication and education.

The handbook is essential reading for students and scholars of animal welfare, animal law and animal ethics everywhere, and for policy-makers and other professionals working in the animal welfare sector.

SIMPLE SUMMARY: African lion cubs are used in South Africa in wildlife-interaction tourism (cub petting). The welfare impacts on the cubs are unclear. A workshop was held with 15 lion-experienced stakeholders who all indicated a range of welfare concerns for discussion and prioritisation. The leading welfare concern identified was the 'lack of governance and regulation' within the industry. Participants also agreed on nine non-negotiable practices that affect cubs' welfare. Some of these included ethical concerns, such as cubs exiting into the ranching industry (farming of lions for hunting) and the bone trade (lions being slaughtered for their bones, which are exported for lion bone wine) once petting age has passed. Current industry practices were then ranked and weighted for welfare importance through an online survey completed by 60 industry stakeholders. This survey identified the most important welfare concerns to be poor social grouping of cubs, an inability for cubs to choose their own environment and retreat from an interaction, a lack of trained and dedicated caretakers, and poor breeding practices. The survey results produced a user-friendly tool to score cubs' welfare in interaction facilities and also identified current practices that are lacking in welfare consideration. ABSTRACT: African lion (Panthera leo) cubs are extensively used in South Africa in wildlife-interaction tourist activities. Facilities provide close interaction opportunities, but the welfare impacts on the cubs are unclear. A workshop was held with 15 lion-experienced stakeholders, including government officials, nature conservationists, animal welfare organisations, lion breeders, lion handlers, an animal ethologist, wildlife veterinarian, wildlife rehabilitation specialist and an animal rights advocacy group representative. Individual representatives nominated a range of welfare concerns, and 15 were identified for discussion and prioritisation. The leading welfare concern was a lack of governance and regulation within the ...

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Sheltering of old, unproductive and abandoned cows in traditional cow shelters (gaushalas) is an ancient practice in India. Cows are venerated as mother goddesses by the Hindu majority population of the country and their slaughter is illegal in most states. Shelters are funded by the public, businesses, including corporate philanthropy, charitable societies, temple trusts and government. The manager of the shelter provides an interface between visitors, workers and cattle and is best able to understand the challenges of running shelters. The objective of this study was to collect and analyze information about the routine operations of the shelters and elicit managers' attitudes towards cows and cow welfare. We visited 54 shelters, which admitted cattle all year, vaccinated them against endemic diseases and dewormed them. Limited biosecurity measures and erratic waste disposal raise concerns about public health. All the managers felt that the welfare of cows in their respective shelters was important and should be improved, but they were less certain that their knowledge of animal welfare was adequate. There was more recognition of local community support than government support and both were acknowledged to be more moral than financial support. Engagement and training of shelter managers as vital stakeholders in welfare improvement processes will enhance the sustainability of these traditional institutions. ABSTRACT: Gaushala management is a specialized profession requiring particular skills relating to the management of cow shelters or gaushalas, which are traditional and ancient Indian institutions that shelter old, unproductive and abandoned cows, The 1800 registered cow shelters in India have managers who are important stakeholders in the management of cows in these unique institutions. It is important to survey the routine management of these shelters and attitudes of the managers towards cow welfare to identify the constraints and welfare issues. We visited 54 shelters in six states of ...

This handbook presents a much-needed and comprehensive exploration of the rapidly growing fields of animal welfare and law. In recent years there has been increasing attention paid to our complex, multifaceted relationships with other animals, and in particular, the depth and breadth of various societal uses of animals. This has led to a reconsideration of their moral and social status, which has sometimes challenged the interests of those who use animals. In such a contested domain, sound evidence and reasoning become particularly important. Through firm commitment to such principles, this book explores the biological foundations for the moral consideration of animals and for evolving conceptualisations of animal welfare. It reviews in detail the welfare concerns associated with numerous forms of animal use. The inclusion of key recent developments such as climate change, pandemics, and antimicrobial resistance, ensures this text is among the most current in its field. The ethical implications of the various uses of animals by society are considered, and chapters provide important recommendations for reforms of practice, law, or policy. The status of animal law internationally, and in major world regions, is reviewed. Finally, the book considers human behavioural change and strategies for improving stakeholder communication and education. The handbook is essential reading for students and scholars of animal welfare, animal law and animal ethics everywhere, and for policy-makers and other professionals working in the animal welfare sector.

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The thoroughbred racehorse has unique welfare issues, being highly trained for racing, as well as regularly transported to race meetings. Following their racing career, retirement often requires racehorses to adopt a new lifestyle, with inherent risks to their welfare. Currently, there is little information on the most serious welfare issues confronting racehorses. We initially sought the opinion of a panel of experts, which provided 14 key issues that were then explored in more detail in a survey of stakeholders in the industry. We found that the key issues were the quality of horsemanship, horses' health, educating horses to cope with the welfare challenges, and track and stable quality. Focusing on these issues will provide the best potential to improve welfare. ABSTRACT: Identifying key welfare issues for thoroughbred racehorses could lead to an improvement in standards. A lack of scientific information on the relative importance of key issues was addressed by soliciting the views of, first, welfare experts in the industry and, second, a broader group of stakeholders, who selected the best welfare options by adaptive conjoint analysis. The experts represented racehorse breeders, veterinarians, trainers, owners, government officials, salespeople, farriers, transporters, and horse re-trainers for post-racing activities. In a focus group meeting, the experts identified fourteen key welfare issues, each with two to four levels that related to common husbandry practices. Then, in an internet survey, 224 stakeholders ranked the issues using adaptive conjoint analysis, in declining importance, as: horsemanship > health and disease > education of the horse > track design and surface > ventilation > stabling > weaning > transport > nutrition > wastage > heat and humidity > whips > environment > gear. Relatively uniform responses to the survey by the different stakeholder groups suggested that there was a common view on what had the biggest impact on welfare. An ...

SIMPLE SUMMARY: For animal welfare scientists and advocates who operate in English, it may be assumed that animal welfare is not an area that receives attention within China; coupled with an awareness that China has not yet opted to enact animal welfare legislation, the reason for this assumption may also be in part due to the perceived lack of animal welfare literature coming from the country. Operating under the hypothesis that animal welfare literature emanating from China may have instead been published in Chinese, rather than English, this study reports the finding of a systematic search of Chinese animal welfare literature on Chinese databases. We searched for articles and research publications released in a recent 10-year period, specifically related to the welfare of the two most commonly farmed land-based animals in China; pigs and chickens, and identified 854 academic publications. In order to facilitate an understanding of Chinese scientific priorities in the field, we further categorised the identified literature into broader approximate categories of welfare freedoms (e.g., freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom to express natural behavior). The identification of a significant animal welfare literature represents an opportunity to increase collaboration with Chinese partners by identifying areas of mutual interest, and to share mutually beneficial knowledge more readily. This could be sustained by increasing the accessibility of Chinese literature to English speakers, and to English literature to Chinese speakers. ABSTRACT: Farm animal welfare in the People's Republic of China (henceforth, China) is not well represented in the international scientific literature. This may lead researchers, advocates and those with agricultural partnerships in China to assume that animal welfare is not a field of interest there. This study reports a literature review of published pig and poultry welfare research in China using Chinese scientific databases. We aimed to determine which areas of welfare research have ...

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The role of the socioeconomic status of dog owners in canine welfare concerns is not fully understood. We conducted a retrospective study of 107,597 canine welfare complaints attended by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) Queensland from 2008 to 2018. We explored the relationship between the owner's socioeconomic status and reported (rather than confirmed) complaints about welfare of dogs. The socioeconomic status of the owner was estimated from the postcode of where the alleged welfare issue occurred, using government statistics for Socio-Economic Indexes of different regions of Australia. Reported complaints were correlated with socioeconomic scores. There was a lower median socioeconomic score in our study group compared to the entire Queensland state, indicating that alleged canine welfare concerns were more likely to be reported in areas with inhabitants of low socioeconomic status. The status was also low if the complaint was about a crossbred rather than a purebred dog. Among the purebred dogs, complaints involving working dogs, terriers, and utility breeds were associated with the lowest socioeconomic scores. The following complaints were associated with low socioeconomic status: cruelty, insufficient food and/or water, a dog not being exercised, a dog being confined/tethered, failure to provide shelter or treatment, overcrowding, a dog being in poor condition or living in poor conditions. Increased status was observed in alleged cases of a dog being left in a hot car unattended. ABSTRACT: Human–dog relationships are an important contributor to the welfare of dogs, but little is known about the importance of socioeconomic status of the dogs' owners. We conducted a retrospective study of canine welfare complaints, using Australian government statistics on the socioeconomic status of the inhabitants at the location of the alleged welfare issue. The socioeconomic score of inhabitants at the relevant postcode was assumed to be that of the plaintiff. Our dataset ...

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Preslaughter stunning is a technical process by which animals are rendered unconscious prior to slaughter, as to avoid the pain and fear of being slaughtered. While it is a legislative requirement in some countries, it is not yet regularly practised in many countries. To better understand why this might be the case, this study conducted focus group sessions with leaders from the livestock industries in China, Vietnam, India, Thailand, Malaysia and Bangladesh. Leaders were asked to rate the willingness of livestock stakeholders to adopt preslaughter stunning, in addition to their suggested solutions for increasing the level of willingness, and their thoughts as to why they were or were not willing to adopt stunning. This data was analysed and presented within this manuscript. The findings were specific to each country, with similar themes shared across some of the countries. The findings of this study may aid in the development of programs that aim to increase the adoption of preslaughter stunning practices, with the purpose of improving animal welfare during slaughter. ABSTRACT: Preslaughter stunning; the induction of unconsciousness and insensibility of animals prior to slaughter, is an important process for the welfare of livestock. The application of stunning is required by legislation in some countries, and rarely practised in others. In order to effectively advocate the implementation of stunning in the regions that do not include the practice as standard, it is first important to understand attitudes towards stunning, barriers to implementing stunning, and stakeholder willingness to embrace the practice. To this purpose, 17 focus group sessions were held with leaders in livestock production in China, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India and Bangladesh. Leaders were asked to rate their perceived willingness of livestock stakeholders to embrace stunning, and their rationales were discussed. In addition to this, the leaders were asked to present ideas to improve the willingness of stakeholders ...