ANIMAL WELFARE

4th year DVM STUDENTS

OBJECTIVES

• Introduce the meaning of animal welfare and how it is done

• Discuss the importance of animal welfare• Show the proper care and management of

animals based on their needs• Show the safe way of dealing with animals

ANIMAL WELFARE

• Animal welfare means how an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives

• An animal in good state of welfare is – healthy, well nourished – Comfortable, safe– not suffering from unpleasant state such as pain,

fear, and distress– able to express natural behavior

ANIMAL WELFARE

• Good AW requires disease prevention and veterinary treatment, appropriate shelter, management, nutrition, humane handling and humane slaughter and killing

FIVE FREEDOMS

Use to assess welfare

• Freedom from hunger and thirst• Freedom from discomfort• Freedom from pain, injury and disease• Freedom from fear and distress• Freedom to express normal behavior

Farm Animal Welfare Council, 1992

FREEDOM FROM HUNGER AND THIRST

FREEDOM FROM DISCOMFORT

FREEDOM FROM PAIN, INJURY AND DISEASE

FREEDOM FROM PAIN, INJURY AND DISEASE

FREEDOM FROM PAIN AND DISTRESS

FREEDOM TO EXPRESS THEIR NATURAL BEHAVIOUR

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CARE ABOUT

ANIMALS

ANIMALS HAVE FEELINGS

• ‘Sentience’ is the capacity to have feelings

• These feelings are mental states such as sensations or emotions

…if a dog is sentient…

…and a plant is not…then what about…

?

ARE ANIMALS MORAL AGENTS?• Moral agent

– Responsible for own actions– Deciding whether an action is right or wrong– Altruism and protection of the vulnerable

ARE ANIMALS MORAL AGENTS?

Happy Dog

Frightened Dog

Aggressive Dog

Thank you for listening!

Thank you