Lecture 21 Welfare,dignity and respect

1. How human-animal interactions are influenced by culture

Past:

war horses, circus elephants

Now:

Department of agriculture

standard for export of livestock > ensure health and welfare

Racing NSW

funding and support for welfare studies

more research

trend of increasing focus on animal welfare

Animal Welfare science, definition

= ensuring animals' physical and mental well‑being, minimising pain and fear, and maximising positive experiences , recognizing them as living beings rather than commodities

5 basic needs of animals

food,water

shelter

natural behaviour

protected from pain, suffering,disease

be housed with or apart from other animals

Why does welfare matter?

Ethical obligation

human dominion over animals > have moral duty to care for them, rather than exploit them

Ecosystem & Biodiversity

Public health and zoonotic risk reduction

Environmental sustainability and biodiversity protection

Agricultural efficiency and safety

Animal organization

breeding program success and conservation outcomes

Five Domains Model

nutrition, environment, health, behaviour, mental

Trade‑offs 平衡

Orphaned animal:

Intervention improves survival but reduces wildness and autonomy;

release may risk death; euthanasia or captivity?

Breeding programs:

Support conservation but may involve large veterinary intervention

Reintroductions:

restore ecological roles and natural behaviour

risk: stress, low survival, human dependency

Animal use in research/industry:

Welfare improvements may conflict with dignity (e.g., genetic modification reducing capacities).

How to measure animal welfare?

difficult to assess directly → often use proxies (=observable indicators that help estimate an animal's physical and mental state

compare welfare against

No! other zoos (different laws,legislation) , other species( not all animals are built equal) , wild animals (wild animals not always have positive welfare)

Yes! compare over time (past vs now)

Why does welfare matter?

Ethical obligation

human dominion over animals > have moral duty to care for them, rather than exploit them

Ecosystem & Biodiversity

Public health and zoonotic risk reduction

Environmental sustainability and biodiversity protection

Agricultural efficiency and safety

Animal organization

breeding program success and conservation outcomes