Animal Behavior and Welfare

communication

convey information among animals; involves sight, scent, and sound

Social behavior

how animals interact among each other and with humans

sexual behavior

behaviors unique to mating

maternal behavior

involves the female caring for young

ingestive behavior

food finding and consumption

shelter-seeking behavior

comfortable conditions (ex: standing in the shade when hot)

behavioral disorders/stereotypic behaviors

not normal or expected behaviors; any behaviors outside of normal behavior

Innate behavior

instincts

• ex: animals initial reaction to a novel stimulus (baby animals knowing how to find teat and nurse)

Learned behavior

Imprinting:

• desire to attach to a parent or parent figure

Habituation:

• repetitive stimuli, animal responds without thinking

Observational:

• learns via watching others

Associative:

• responds to reinforcement or punishment

Associative learning

Classical conditioning:

• external stimulus is associated with outcome

Operant conditioning:

• association is made between behavior and response

Positive reinforcement

dog receives treats for positive behaviors

Negative reinforcement

reins used for horses

positive punishment

cat gets sprayed when scratching something it shouldn’t

negative punishment

you take away a desired stimulus after an undesired behavior is performed

flight zone

how animals move with respect to humans or dogs; circle around animal

• point of balance: the shoulders

• blind spot: directly behind the animal

large flight zone

the animal is flightier, can’t get as close

• beef cattle

smaller flight zone

smaller fight zones are the results of previous experience with people, genetics, age, etc

• dairy cattle

sentience

capacity to experience suffering and pleasure; implies a level of conscious awareness

• animals can experience grief, empathy, joy, pleasure

anthropomorphism

attributing human characteristics to animals

animal welfare

holds that animals may be used for the benefit of humans or other animals, provided the animals are treated humanely

animal rights

presumes animals should have equal rights with humans

• PETA

Animal Rights Groups- PETA

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals

• large, well-funded

• strategies: anthropomorphism, focus on high-profile issues, employ celebrities

Animal Rights Groups- Humane Society of the United States

• largest organization

• same goals as PETA, a different approach (litigation, lobbying)

• >25% fundraising

• >25% litigation, investigations and campaigns

• <10% shelters

Current Animal Welfare Legislation

• Animal Welfare Act & Humane Slaughter Act

• California- bans port obtained from systems that use gestation crates and eggs not from cage-free systems

• New York & Maryland- banded cat declawing (1st and 2nd states to do so)

• Virginia- bans animal-tested cosmetics

Physical Welfare

animal’s production, health, and any pain or injury

Mental Welfare

emotional state, fear and distress

Natural Welfare

behaviors typical for animal

• reproductive, feeding, maternal

• natural environment

• animals choose how they spend their time

Welfare Framework- Brambell’s 5 freedoms

• Freedom from hunger or thirst

• Freedom from discomfort

• Freedom from pain, injury, or disease

• Freedom to express (most) animal behavior

• Freedom from fear and distress

Welfare Framework- Fraser’s 3 Concepts

Basic Health and functions

• physical health

• production

• freedom from pain, injury, or disease

Affective states

• emotions

• mental states

• freedom from fear and distress

Natural Living

• showing natural behaviors

• having natural elements in enviornment

Assessing Welfare- Inputs

What is going into the system?

• management

  • training & care

• Environment

  • housing, diet, vaccine/health

• Animal

  • genetics & previous human experience

Assessing Welfare- Outputs

evaluating how animals respond to the environment

• physical condition

  • cuts, lesions, swelling

  • body condition

• physiology

  • stress hormones, heart rate, etc

• Behavior

  • social interaction

  • curiosity

  • alertness