Lesson 2 - Sentience/Animal Welfare Assessment

Question 1

Attributing human characteristics, traits, emotions, and intentions to non-humans

Answer 1

Anthropomorphism

Question 2

Using human needs as a starting point for considering what animals may need in order to avoid suffering

Answer 2

Critical Anthropomorphism

Question 3

The capacity to be affected positively or negatively and have experiences and feel, not just stimuli or reactions; implies a level of conscious awareness and consciousness of feelings

Answer 3

Sentience

Question 4

Many animals can experience complex emotions such as grief, empathy, reciprocity, joy, despair, frustration, compassion. This includes…

Answer 4

Likely ALL vertebrates and some invertebrates (ongoing research)

Question 5

True or False: Emotional capacity is unique to humans

Answer 5

False

Question 6

Law that identified vertebrates, decapod crustaceans (lobsters, crabs, prawns) and cephalopods (octopuses and squids) as sentient creatures; created Animal Sentience Comittee

Answer 6

Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act (UK) (2022)

Question 7

Idea of giving more attention or higher levels of consideration to species we are more familiar with, rather than based on any evidence of ability or capacity to feel positive/negative emotion

Answer 7

Speciesism

Question 8

Risk management strategy that states that if there is a perceived risk to a practice, in the absence of scientific proof and consensus of the risks, err should be on the side of caution to safeguard an animal’s welfare in the given situation

Answer 8

Precautionary Principle

Question 9

The first academic, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary scientific journal to focus on the capacity of nonhuman animals to experience feelings; publishes empirical findings and addresses their practical, methodological, legal, ethical, sociological, theological and philosophical implications

Answer 9

“Animal Sentience” Scientific Journal

Question 10

Ethically speaking, why should we carry out welfare assessments?

Answer 10

Animals are sentient, and our goal is to ensure that they are not suffering, and they are functioning and feeling well (performing species-typical behaviors and preventing “bad” from becoming “normal”)

Question 11

What are the scientific and industrial benefits of animal welfare assessments?

Answer 11

They are justifiable, methodical, structured, scientific and repeatable, and they ensure compliance to regulations. Additionally, they help teach farmers, consumers, and the general public to understand animal welfare in greater depth.

Question 12

Researcher who explained that health and what animals want provide the definition of welfare against which others can be validated. They also tell us what research we have to do and how we can judge whether welfare of animals has been genuinely improved.

Answer 12

Marian Dawkins (2000s)

Question 13

Info about environment, management, and animal risk factors can be described as…

Answer 13

Welfare inputs/resource-based measures

Question 14

Info about disease, physiology, and behavior can be described as…

Answer 14

Welfare outputs/outcome-based measures

Question 15

What are the 3 areas to consider when assessing animal welfare? (Remember the 3 circles)

Answer 15

1. Is the animal functioning well?
2. Is the animal feeling well?
3. Is the animal able to perform natural/species-typical behaviors thought to be important to them?

Question 16

Name the “needs” circle:
All of the physical factors that indicate health and physical fitness

Answer 16

Functioning/Physical Circle

Question 17

Name the “needs” circle:
Absence of negative (avoid/escape harm) and presence of positive (promote long-term benefit)

Answer 17

Affective State/Mental Circle

Question 18

Name the “needs” circle:
Ability to perform certain highly motivated innate behaviors typical of their species in an effective way

Answer 18

Natural Living Circle (Telos)

Question 19

True or False: The Five Freedoms can be problematic due to the potential for conflicting ideals

Answer 19

True (i.e. “Freedom from diseases” may conflict with “Freedom from discomfort” if medical diagnosis and treatment cause stress/fear for the animal involved)

Question 20

True or False: The Five Freedoms are never illogical

Answer 20

False; some circumstances that conflict with the Five Freedoms are natural and sometimes unavoidable (i.e. “Freedom from disease” is always challenged to some degree due to the constant natural presence of pathogens in the environment)

Question 21

1. Nutrition
2. Environment
3. Health
4. Behavior
5. Mental/Affective State (heavily emphasized)

Emphasizes that positive welfare = a life worth living (good welfare is more than just alleviation of negatives)

Answer 21

Five Welfare Domains

Question 22

A method of maintaining a certain level of quality or preventing defects to provide accurate confidence that an entity will fulfill requirements for quality

Answer 22

Quality Assurance

Question 23

The action or process of providing someone or something with an official document attesting to a status or level of achievement

Answer 23

Certification

Question 24

Welfare assessment done by a person/group affiliated with a company that is affected by the outcomes of company actions

Answer 24

2nd party assessment/certification

Question 25

Welfare assessment done by a person/group independent from the consumer-supplier relationship (no conflict of interest)

Answer 25

3rd party assessment/certification

Question 26

A person or organization with an investment, interest, or concern in a business

Answer 26

Stakeholder

Question 27

An audit conducted by employees of the company being audited

Answer 27

Internal audit

Question 28

Official inspection of an animal production-related facility

Answer 28

Audit

Question 29

An audit performed by second and third parties

Answer 29

External audit

Question 30

The document of written standards that the inspector uses to perform an audit

Answer 30

Audit tool

Question 31

Welfare outcome assessments that can be used in farm assurance schemes (applies to laying hens, dairy cows, pigs, broiler chickens, beef cattle, and sheep)

Answer 31

AssureWel (UK)

Question 32

Largest initiative to use practical strategies to improve animal welfare by developing standardized methodology to assess animal welfare and translate assessments into easy understandable information

Philosophy: “Welfare is multidimensional and a characteristic of an individual animal”

Answer 32

Welfare Quality Project (EU)

modeled after the Five Domains