History and Basics Flashcards
What was the first sign of animal welfare?
in a book discussing ox and donkey. They shall not be yoked together as it will cause discomfort
First animal welfare legislation
Welfare issues were related to economics. Cheaper to have plows that pulled from tail but this is not good welfare.
Link between welfare of animals and the behaviours of humans
Bad behaviours towards animals often leads or indicates bad behaviour towards other humans
Philosophers opinion on animal welfare
How we should treat animals should not be based on reason but should be based on whether animals can feel
Ex. babies can’t reason but we still treat them right
First conviction of animal cruelty
Trial of Bill Burns 1838. Burns found beating donkey
Animal welfare and link with WWII
At the end of the war, poor economy so needed to increase food security which lead to intensified animal welfare
5 Freedoms
- Freedom from thirst, hunger, malnutrition
- freedom from discomfort and exposure
- Freedom from pain, injury, disease
- Freedom from fear and distress
- Freedom to express normal behaviour
Who created 5 freedoms for animals?
Brambell committee
5 domains
- Nutrition
- Environment
- Health
- Behaviour
- Mental State
**Focus on providing positive experience
Scale of good vs. bad life
Scale between a good life, a life worth living, and a life no worth living
Definition of animal welfare
The physical and mental state of an animal in relation to the conditions in which it lives and dies
What qualities are needed for an animal in a good state of welfare?
Healthy, comfortable, well-nourished, safe, able to express innate behaviour
*Takes into account both 5 freedoms and 5 domains
What are the 3 components used to address animal welfare?
- a biological functioning approach
- a natural living approach
- a feelings based approach
Biological functioning approach
Animals should be capable of normal growth and reproduction, and free from disease, injury, malnutrition, and abnormalities of behaviour and physiology
Natural Living approach
Animals should be kept in a reasonably (subjective) natural environment and be allowed to develop and use their natural adaptations and capabilities
ex. swine need things to chew in environment
Feelings based approach
Affective states of animals are key elements in quality of life. Must include animal comfort, contentment, and pleasure.
Ex. herd animals must be kept in a herd
Issues solving the animal welfare problem
- solutions are never right or wrong just better or worse
- no definite answer
- constraints and resources for solution change over time
- stakeholders have radically different frames of reference about the problem (Consumers vs. clinicians vs. farmers vs. scientists)
Animal welfare Graph- Maximum, natural, minimal welfare
Maximum welfare- best welfare; animal being cared for completely/fulfilled
Natural welfare- animal in natural environment, will be lower than max as animal will have to deal with meeting its needs by itself
Minimal welfare- poor. When trying to maximize animal’s economic output.
Desired appropriate welfare- in the middle of minimal and maximum welfare (usually slightly higher than natural welfare)
What is considered in personal views of animal welfare?
education, ethical values, economic level, traditions, experiences, professionalism
Ethics vs. morals
Ethics- guidance for a group/profession. For survival of society.
Morals- personal decision of what is right and wrong. For the survival of the individual.
Animal ethics
Field of ethics that looks at why we should take non-human animals into account in our moral decisions
Ethical Dilemma
A decision making problem between 2 or more possible courses of action, none of which are ambiguously preferred.
Different Views
- Contractarian
- Utilitarian
- Relational
- Animal Rights
- Respect for Nature
Contractarian View
Human society works thanks to moral agreements between people, and although animals cannot participate in these agreements we have indirect ethical obligations towards animals because they matter to humans
Utilitarian View
Activities which have an adverse impact on the well-being of animals may be justified if they lead to a net increase in well-being (for humans or other animals)
Issue for contractarian view
could be used to justify anything that someone agrees to (ex. inequalities)
Issue for utilitarian view
Linked to subjective cost-benefit analysis
Relational view
Our duties to animal depend on whether they are close or not
ex. treat dogs better than cow
ex. No duties to pests
Issue with relational view
Inconsistent, prejudicial, promotes sterotypes
Animal Rights view
Fixed ethical rules limits our treatments of animals no matter what
ex. animals should not be used for human benefit
Issue with animal rights view
Inflexible, underplays consequences (pests), no guidance when managing conflicting rights (predators vs. prey)
Respect for Nature View
We have a duty to protect not just individual animals, but all the species to which they belong– ecosystems and habitats
Issue with respect for nature view
Subjective definition of natural.
Ex. Was domestication natural?
