History and Basics

Question 1

What was the first sign of animal welfare?

Answer 1

in a book discussing ox and donkey. They shall not be yoked together as it will cause discomfort

Question 2

First animal welfare legislation

Answer 2

Welfare issues were related to economics. Cheaper to have plows that pulled from tail but this is not good welfare.

Question 3

Link between welfare of animals and the behaviours of humans

Answer 3

Bad behaviours towards animals often leads or indicates bad behaviour towards other humans

Question 4

Philosophers opinion on animal welfare

Answer 4

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

Question 5

First conviction of animal cruelty

Answer 5

Trial of Bill Burns 1838. Burns found beating donkey

Question 6

Animal welfare and link with WWII

Answer 6

At the end of the war, poor economy so needed to increase food security which lead to intensified animal welfare

Question 7

5 Freedoms

Answer 7

• 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

Question 8

Who created 5 freedoms for animals?

Answer 8

Brambell committee

Question 9

5 domains

Answer 9

• Nutrition
• Environment
• Health
• Behaviour
• Mental State

**Focus on providing positive experience

Question 10

Scale of good vs. bad life

Answer 10

Scale between a good life, a life worth living, and a life no worth living

Question 11

Definition of animal welfare

Answer 11

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

Question 12

What qualities are needed for an animal in a good state of welfare?

Answer 12

Healthy, comfortable, well-nourished, safe, able to express innate behaviour

*Takes into account both 5 freedoms and 5 domains

Question 13

What are the 3 components used to address animal welfare?

Answer 13

1. a biological functioning approach
2. a natural living approach
3. a feelings based approach

Question 14

Biological functioning approach

Answer 14

Animals should be capable of normal growth and reproduction, and free from disease, injury, malnutrition, and abnormalities of behaviour and physiology

Question 15

Natural Living approach

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Feelings based approach

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Issues solving the animal welfare problem

Answer 17

• 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)

Question 18

Animal welfare Graph- Maximum, natural, minimal welfare

Answer 18

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)

Question 19

What is considered in personal views of animal welfare?

Answer 19

education, ethical values, economic level, traditions, experiences, professionalism

Question 20

Ethics vs. morals

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

Animal ethics

Answer 21

Field of ethics that looks at why we should take non-human animals into account in our moral decisions

Question 22

Ethical Dilemma

Answer 22

A decision making problem between 2 or more possible courses of action, none of which are ambiguously preferred.

Question 23

Different Views

Answer 23

• Contractarian
• Utilitarian
• Relational
• Animal Rights
• Respect for Nature

Question 24

Contractarian View

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Utilitarian View

Answer 25

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)

Question 26

Issue for contractarian view

Answer 26

could be used to justify anything that someone agrees to (ex. inequalities)

Question 27

Issue for utilitarian view

Answer 27

Linked to subjective cost-benefit analysis

Question 28

Relational view

Answer 28

Our duties to animal depend on whether they are close or not

ex. treat dogs better than cow
ex. No duties to pests

Question 29

Issue with relational view

Answer 29

Inconsistent, prejudicial, promotes sterotypes

Question 30

Animal Rights view

Answer 30

Fixed ethical rules limits our treatments of animals no matter what
ex. animals should not be used for human benefit

Question 31

Issue with animal rights view

Answer 31

Inflexible, underplays consequences (pests), no guidance when managing conflicting rights (predators vs. prey)

Question 32

Respect for Nature View

Answer 32

We have a duty to protect not just individual animals, but all the species to which they belong– ecosystems and habitats

Question 33

Issue with respect for nature view

Answer 33

Subjective definition of natural.
Ex. Was domestication natural?