ANIMAL WELFARE (1)

Question 1

history recap

Answer 1

1. Bible: donkey shall not have to plow by an ox
2. Thomas Wenworth (1635): first legislation (against plowing by the tail)
3. Jeans-Jacques Rousseau discourse on equality (how we treat them should be based on how they feel not reason ex. human babies)
4. 4 stages of cruelty (william Hogarth): baby behaviour to animals, leads to bad behaviour to others, leads to bad behaviour to yourself
5. Various contempary recreations (running of bulls, cock-fighting, etc.)

Question 1

setting the scence (1945)

Answer 1

-end of WWII
-intensification of animal production as a way to provide food security

Question 2

setting the scene (1965)

Answer 2

-Brambell committee (UK)
-conclude animals should be afforded the Five Freedoms

Question 3

setting the scene (1994)

Answer 3

-new approach (David Mellor) focusing on the POSITIVE experiences rather than only avoiding the bad ones
*five domains

Question 4

goals of animal production over the years

Answer 4

1. Subsistence
2. Consumption
3. Positive social, environmental and economic impact

Question 5

5 freedoms framework

Answer 5

1. Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition
2. Freedom from discomfort and exposure
3. Freedom from pain, injury and disease
4. Freedom from fear and distress
5. Freedom to express normal behaviour

Question 6

freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition

Answer 6

-readily access to fresh water
-diet to maintain full health and vigour

Question 7

freedom from discomfort and exposure

Answer 7

-appropriate environment (shelter and comfortable resting area)

Question 8

freedom from pain, injury and disease

Answer 8

-prevention or rapid diagnosis or treatment

Question 9

freedom from fear and distress

Answer 9

-ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering

Question 10

freedom to express normal behaviour

Answer 10

-provide sufficient space
-proper facilities
-company of animals own kind

Question 11

weaknesses of five freedoms

Answer 11

-as principles, they are unsound and illogical
-doesn’t provide a convincing basis for animal welfare assessment and management

Question 12

5 domains

Answer 12

1. Nutrition
2. Environment
3. Health
4. Behaviour
5. Mental state

Question 13

nutrition

Answer 13

-balanced and varied diet

Question 14

environment

Answer 14

-comfortable and pleasant

Question 15

health

Answer 15

-fit and uninjured

Question 16

behaviour

Answer 16

-calm, social, playful, pleased

Question 17

mental state

Answer 17

-able to express rewarding behaviour

Question 18

quality of life

Answer 18

1. A good life
2. A life worth living
3. A life not worth living

Question 19

definition of animal welfare

Answer 19

-physical and mental state of an animal in relation to the conditions in which it lives or dies

Question 20

good welfare

Answer 20

If it is:
-healthy
-comfortable
-well nourished
-safe
-able to express innate behaviour

If it is not:
-suffering from unpleasant states (pain, fear, discomfort)

Question 21

approaches to address animal welfare

Answer 21

1. Biological functioning approach
2. Natural living approach
3. A feelings based approach
   *should have all 3 elements

Question 22

biological functioning approach

Answer 22

-capable of normal growth and reproduction
-reasonably free form disease, injury, malnutrition and abnormalities of behaviuor and physiology

Question 23

natural living approach

Answer 23

-kept in reasonably natural environments
-allowed to develop and use their nature adaptation and capabilities

Question 24

feelings based approach

Answer 24

-affective states are key to quality of life
-high level of welfare=animals experience comfort, contentment and pleasure

Question 25

a wicked problem

Answer 25

-can’t be solved, only managed thorugh technology development and societal acceptance
-not “true and false”, but “better or worse”
-animal production: same environment can produce very different outcomes
-constraints and resources change over time
-stakeholders have radically different frames of reference about the problem

Question 26

natural welfare

Answer 26

-live in wild
-need to find food/water

Question 27

maximal welfare

Answer 27

-animals in our care
-food, diet, reasonable environment

Question 28

minimal welfare

Answer 28

-when maximizing economic output and reducing amount given/spent on animals

Question 29

desired/appropriate welfare

Answer 29

-between maximal and minimal welfare

Question 30

ethics

Answer 30

-guidelines from society (group)
Ex. code of practice, vet oath

Question 31

morals

Answer 31

-own personal decision
-influenced by own experience, culture and traditions

Question 32

animal ethics

Answer 32

-field of ethics
-deals with how and why we should take nonhuman animals into account in our moral decisions
Ex. duty to animals and duty to stakeholders

Question 33

Vet oath

Answer 33

“I will strive to promote animal health and welfare”
“prevent and relieve animal suffering”

Question 34

ethical dilemma

Answer 34

-decision-making problem between two or more possible courses of action, none of which is unambiguously preferable

Question 35

contractarian view

Answer 35

-human society works thanks to moral agreements between people
-animals can’t participate in these agreements, we may have indirect ethical obligations towards animals b/c they matter to other humans
Ex. consumers will care
*could be used to justify anything that someone agreees with (ex. slavery, inequalities)

Question 36

utilitarian view

Answer 36

-activities which have adverse impact on well-being of animals may be justified if they lead to net increase in well-being (for humans or animals)
Ex. animal research, killing animals for food if they were in good conditions
*linked to subjective cos-benefit analysis

Question 37

relational view

Answer 37

-our duties to animals depends on if they are close to us or not
*inconsistent, prejudicial and promote stereotypes

Question 38

animal rights view

Answer 38

-fixed ethical rules place limits on our treatment of animals, whatever the circumstances
Ex. not used as our slaves or for experiments
*inflexible, underplays consequences (pests), no guidance when managing conflicting rights (rights of predators vs. prey)

Question 39

respect for nature view

Answer 39

-we have a duty to protect not just animals but the species to which they belong, ecosystems and habitats
-leave animal the way evolution made them
*subjective definition of natural (was domestication unnatural?)