Source+1+-+What+is+animal+welfare?

[] What is animal welfare? Common definitions and their practical consequences Caroline J. Hewson

1) The term “animal welfare” is being used increasingly by corporations, consumers, veterinarians, politicians, and others.

2) in the past, veterinarians and farmers have seen animal welfare chiefly in terms of the body and the physical environment (shelter, feed, etc.) (2): if an animal is healthy and producing well, it is faring well.

3) Research on aspects of animal welfare has also focused on the body, using physiological measures, such as endorphins, plasma cortisol, and heart rate, to examine how the animal is coping with its environment.

4) Disagreement occurs because the form of compromise that is acceptable to different animal-oriented groups depends on their values (10,12) and is complicated by the need to consider legitimate human interests (those of the farmer in earning a living).

5) A feelings-based approach to welfare research typically measures behavioral outcomes, such as willingness to “work” (pushing open a weighted door), and behavioral signs of fear or frustration.

6) Such research has led to the conclusion that animals have fundamental behavioral needs that they must be allowed to satisfy for humane reasons.

7) Most would agree that animals have feelings (fear, frustration), and it has been proposed that animal welfare consists entirely in feelings and that these have evolved to protect the animal's primary needs (4). Thus, if an animal feels well, it is faring well.

8) A third view of welfare, linked to the feelings-based approach, is that animals fare best if they can live according to their nature (7,8) and perform their full range of behaviors

9) In this case, physical suffering, such as feeling cold, and mental suffering, such as the fear induced by being preyed upon, may be acceptable.

10) Sectors of the general public favor the “natural living” approach, however, as with physical and mental aspects of welfare, animal welfare scientists have largely discounted this as the sole basis for ensuring optimal welfare.

11) Instead, they propose that the physical, mental, and “natural-living” aspects of welfare are interrelated and are all of ethical concern

12) accepted definition of animal welfare is that it comprises the state of the animal's body and mind, and the extent to which its nature (genetic traits manifest in breed and temperament) is satisfied

13) Auditing implies that animal welfare can be assessed in a practical way, but, as we have seen, welfare is complex.

14) Turning to North America, the existing compromise between human interests and the 3 aspects of animal welfare is being reconsidered.

15) This action is market-driven and therefore not a sufficient framework for national reforms in animal welfare standards.