ICAWC 2014 - Workshop Shelter Quality Protocol Part 1 - Shanis Barnard
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Transcript of ICAWC 2014 - Workshop Shelter Quality Protocol Part 1 - Shanis Barnard
Introducing the Shelter Quality Protocol: a new tool for the welfare assessment of dogs housed in shelters
Shanis Barnard: s.barnard @izs.it
ICAWC Workshop _ Istanbul 6 October 2014
Why shelter dog welfare is at risk?
Lack of feasible and reliable tools to assess dog welfare in shelters
HAZARDS ADVERSE EFFECTS
Overpopulation
Direct consequences • on the animal health
and welfare (health and welfare impairments)
• on public health (zoonosis transmission, bite events)
Inadequate housing conditions
Social deprivation
Poor health surveillance
Absence of minimum requirement for shelters
Source: EFSA 2012
Risk assessment applied to Animal
Welfare
EFSA (2012) Scientific opinion: Statement on the use of animal-based measures to assess the welfare of animals.
affect an animal‘s welfare
might respond differently to
environmental inputs
factor with the potential to cause poor welfare
responses are the
consequences of the factors acting upon the animal
Negative consequences of hazards
(vs benefits)
EC (2012) European Union Strategy for the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2012-2015. Brussels OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) (2013) Guiding principles on animal welfare of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code.www.oie.int
• In the past, focus was on welfare inputs (e.g. minimum standard requirements for housing conditions)
• Recently, both the EC and the OIE recognised the potentials of assessing farm animal welfare through scientifically validated indicators based on animal welfare outcomes, properly reflecting the welfare conditions of animals
Animal-based measures
Largest initiative for the use of animal-based measures to assess the welfare of animals: Welfare Quality® project
Welfare Quality® protocols were successfully designed developing a standardised methodology to assess livestock
welfare
The Shelter Quality project
Financed by the Italian Ministry of Health
Aims: develop a dog welfare assessment protocol for long-term
shelters using animal-based indicators Identify risk factors for poor welfare by correlating the input
measures with welfare outcomes
WQ based their scientifically validated measures on 12
criteria grouped into four main principles
Our protocol was inspired from the Welfare Quality® assessment systems
Welfare Quality® projects were successfully designed and applied
to livestock animals
A Welfare Quality® approach
Good feeding
Good housing
Good health
Appropriate behaviour
Welfare Quality® principles
Summary of SQ protocol measures
Levels of assessment
• Shelter: the measures are recorded evaluating the shelter as a unit (e.g. QBA).
• Pen: the measures are recorded evaluating each pen as a unit and observing all the animals confined in it (irrespective of the number of animals) (e.g. space allowance)
• Animal: the measures are recorded evaluating each animal as a unit (e.g. BCS)
Measures scored at shelter level
10
• Shelter population size• Social housing• Exercise• Surgeries/pain control
• Mortality• Morbility• Feeding• Emotional State
Social housing
• Dogs are social animals and it has been demonstrated that isolation is detrimental for their welfare.
• Single housing should be avoided in shelters especially when dealing with long-term confinement.
• Isolation is accepted when needed for clinical or safety reasons.
Emotional State Profile
Playful \
Emotional state focus not so much on what an animal does, but on how it does it, that is, its dynamic style of interaction with the
environment
12 adjectives: playful, happy, friendly, confident, nervous, unsure, anxious, alert, boisterous, attention-seeking, quiet & relaxed.
125 mmMin. Max.
Visual Analogue Scales: is defined by its left ‘minimum’ and right ‘maximum’ point. Min. means that the expressive quality indicated by the term is entirely absent in any of the animals you have seen. Max. means that this expressive quality is dominant across all observed animals.
Measures scored at pen level
13
• Space allowance• Water supply• Bedding• Sharp edges• Panting/shivering/huddling
• Barking level• Abnormal behaviour• Evidence of pain• Diarrhoea
BeddingType of bedding (shelter, basket, other)
Adequacy
Presence of at least a bed per dog No harmful edges or ingestible parts bedding material dry and free from faeces
Sharp edges
Presence of sharp or harmful edges (Y/N)
Behavioural Observations
• Barking level > N° animals barking
What to record: After 1 minute observation record:
• Thermal comfort > N° animals
panting / shivering / huddling
• Abnormal Behaviours > Presence/absence active
repetitive / other compulsive behaviours
Measures scored at individual level
16
• Reaction to human• Body condition• Cleanliness
• Skin condition• Lameness• Coughing
Reaction to human
Fear and aggression are among the most common behavioural problems that impair interaction between dogs and human beings, thereby
representing a failure in communication between the two species.
Reaction toward human, short test situation
A. Stand still, ignore dog
B. Crouch, talk gently to dog
Dog response score to the short test
Skin condition
Indicator of poor welfare related to the enclosure but also to health problems Wounds Hair loss Swelling Ectoparasites
Cleanliness of the animalThe animal is
Clean Dirty/Wet
Test for feasibility and reliability of the
measures
31
12 1
Assessment of 29 shelters in 6 European countries Average assessment duration: 02:30h; Total animals assessed: 1308 Location:
3
10
Variation in shelter level prevalence of assessed animal-
based measures
Dependent variable Independent variable Regression coefficient P-value
Wounds
Swelling
Hair loss areas
Space allowance: adequateInadequate
Baseline0,64 0,003
Bedding: adequateinadequate
Baseline0,67 0,002
Sharp/harmful edges:absencepresence
Baseline1,11 0,002
Skin condition
Logistic regression analysis:
Cleanliness of the animal
Dependent variable Independent variable Regression coefficient P-value
Cleanliness Space allowance: adequateInadequate
Baseline0,85 0,0003
Bedding: adequateinadequate
Baseline0,61 0,01
Bedding type:none/daisclose shelterplastic basket
Baseline0,38-1,58
nsns
Recommendations of Directive 2010/63/UE on the protection of animals for scientific purposes
Body condition
Dependent variable Independent variable Regression coefficient P-value
Too heavy Space allowance: adequateinadequate
Baseline-1,09 0,059
Pen with run area:absencepresence
Baseline-0,66 ns
Feeding regimen:at libitumonce/daytwice/day
Baseline0,38-1,58
nsns
Results from Emotional State Profile
0 5 10 15 20 25 300.00
0.10
0.20
0.30
0.40
0.50
0.60
0.70
0.80
0.90
1.00
Shelters
ESP
inde
x
75%
25%
Practical application
• The protocol allows the identification of critical aspects in the shelter design or in dog management procedures.
• The Shelter Quality team is working to develop a standardised system to classify shelter on the basis of the welfare of the animals they host.
• Today, the protocol is a useful tool to collect relevant dog welfare measures and have an overview of the shelter condition and criticalities (Example: the Croatian experience).
Special thanks to…
Shanis Barnard: s.barnard @izs.it
Marta AmàtDeborah TempleLindsay MatthewsElisa Di FedeMarjiana VučinićKatarina RadisavljevicTomislav MikušTatjana ZajecAlexandra Hammond-Seaman
Scientific coordination: Paolo Dalla VillaNicola Ferri