Animal Rights

1. Animal Rights Animal Welfare What’s the Difference?

2. Animal Rights

3. Animal Rights What is it? The idea that animals should have the same moral rights as humans, and the same inherent value – for example, the rights not to be used for food, experimentation or entertainment, and the right to be free. • it’s a philosophical belief system • it’s one of many different belief systems • it’s a belief system based on ethical concerns for animals

4. Animal Rights What is it? There is a continuum of rights for animals, ranging from few or no rights to lots of rights. Our own individual belief systems all fall somewhere along this continuum. few rights lots of rights Rights for Animals

5. Animal Rights What is it? Some, like the 17th century philosopher Descartes, may believe that animals are little more than machines—that they have no feelings at all. Such a belief system suggests that animals have few—if any—rights. few rights lots of rights Rights for Animals

6. Animal Rights What is it? Some animal rights supporters are at the other extreme—believing that all animals should have the same moral rights as humans. This belief system suggests that animals should have the same rights as humans. few rights lots of rights Rights for Animals

7. Animal Rights What is it? Most zoo & aquarium professionals fall somewhere along the middle of the continuum, believing that animals have theright to humane care. Our individual belief systems—based on our individual experience, education, culture, religion, etc.—give us our varying opinions on the rights of animals. few rights lots of rights Rights for Animals

8. Animal Rights What is it? So – the idea of Animal Rights … • is a philosophical belief system • is one of many different belief systems • is a belief system based on ethical concerns for animals

9. Animal Welfare

10. Animal Welfare What is it? The Animal Welfare Committee defines it as a combination of an animal’s physical health and psychological well-being.

11. Animal Welfare What is it? Physical Health involves appropriate … • nutrition • exercise • social groupings • veterinary care • environmental conditions

12. Animal Welfare What is it? Psychological Well-Being involves • addressing animals’ motivational needs • providing animals with choice and control • matching the environment to animals’ natural adaptations • encouraging animals to develop and use their cognitive abilities

13. Animal Rights/ Animal Welfare What’s the difference? The subject of animal rights is more concerned with philosophy—and less concerned with science. The subject of animal welfare is more concerned with science—and less concerned with philosophy. Ourphilosophical viewsare individual and personal, but our collective professional goal is excellent animal welfare.

14. Animal Rights/ Animal Welfare What’s the difference? There is, however, considerable overlap … We do use animals in zoos and aquariums. The welfare of animals in zoos and aquariums is driven by howandwhy we use them. Our concerns—and those of our public—about animal rights are affected by the welfare of the animals in our collections. So the two concepts are linked.

15. Animal Rights/ Animal Welfare Animal Welfare Committee Promoting Excellence in Animal Care • Animal Welfare is everyone’s responsibility. • The question forzoo & aquarium professionalsis … How can we ensure consistently high standards ofanimal welfarein our collections? The Animal Welfare Committee is a resource for addressing the question.

16. Animal Welfare To enhance animal welfare, we need to recognize five important points: • 1. Animal welfare ranges on a continuum from very poor to very good. There are no clear dividing lines between “good”and“bad”.

17. Animal Welfare To enhance animal welfare, we need to recognize five important points: • 2. Animal welfare must be assessed at the individual animal level, not at the group or species level.

18. Animal Welfare To enhance animal welfare, we need to recognize five important points: • 3. Good welfare will look different for different individual animals—it’s relative, not absolute.

19. Animal Welfare To enhance animal welfare, we need to recognize five important points: • 4. There is no single measure of welfare—we need to look at multiple variables to assess welfare.

20. Animal Welfare To enhance animal welfare, we need to recognize five important points: • 5. Welfare is a quality of the animal—it is not something that we provide to animals (what we provide are appropriate conditions—the potential—for animals to experience good welfare).

21. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential The Animal Welfare Committee defines 6programs that contribute to maximizing an animal’s potential to experience high levels of welfare: • enrichment • habitat • nutrition • research • health • training

22. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential • Enrichment:

23. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential Enrichment: using knowledge of an animal’s natural and individual history to provide species-appropriate control/choices An enrichment program involves setting goals, planning, implementing, documenting, evaluating, and refining enrichment plans

24. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential • Enrichment: using knowledge of an animal’s natural and individual history to provide species-appropriate control/choices • Habitat:

25. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential Habitat: the complexity of an animal’s physical and social environment Is it possible to develop a programmatic approach to optimizing habitats/housing? What would such a program look like?

26. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential • Enrichment: using knowledge of an animal’s natural and individual history to provide species-appropriate control/choices • Habitat: the complexity of an animal’s physical and social environment • Nutrition:

27. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential Nutrition: the science of ensuring that an animal is provided with a complete and balanced diet What makes an effective nutrition program? Whereshould we look to find out?

28. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential • Enrichment: using knowledge of an animal’s natural and individual history to provide species-appropriate control/choices • Habitat: the complexity of an animal’s physical and social environment • Nutrition: the science of ensuring that an animal is provided with a complete and balanced diet • Research:

29. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential Research: using the scientific method to address basic and applied questions about an animal’s behavior, physiology, genetics, etc. What makes up an effective research program, especially in terms of animal welfare?

30. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential • Enrichment: using knowledge of an animal’s natural and individual history to provide species-appropriate control/choices • Habitat: the complexity of an animal’s physical and social environment • Nutrition: the science of ensuring that an animal is provided with a complete and balanced diet • Research: using the scientific method to address basic and applied questions about an animal’s behavior, physiology, genetics, etc. • Health:

31. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential Health: the prevention and treatment of illness and injury What are the components of an effective veterinary program? If we don’t know, who would?

32. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential • Enrichment: using knowledge of an animal’s natural and individual history to provide species-appropriate control/choices • Habitat: the complexity of an animal’s physical and social environment • Nutrition: the science of ensuring that an animal is provided with a complete and balanced diet • Research: using the scientific method to address basic and applied questions about an animal’s behavior, physiology, genetics, etc. • Health: the prevention and treatment of illness and injury • Training:

33. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential Training: using a variety of techniques including habituation and classical and operant conditioning to teach an animal to cooperatewith and participate in its own management. As with enrichment, an effective training program involves setting goals, planning, implementing, documenting, evaluating, and refining plans and goals

34. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential So we have 6 programs that contribute to the welfare potential of our animals: • Enrichment: using knowledge of an animal’s natural and individual history to provide species-appropriate control/choices • Habitat: the complexity of an animal’s physical and social environment • Nutrition: the science of ensuring that an animal is provided with a complete and balanced diet • Research: using the scientific method to address basic and applied questions about an animal’s behavior, physiology, genetics, etc. • Health: the prevention and treatment of illness and injury • Training: using a variety of techniques including habituation and classical and operant conditioning to teach an animal to cooperatewith and participate in its own management.

35. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential The integration and coordination of these 6 programs, and the feedback among them, make up the overall program of animalhusbandry – using knowledge of an animal’s natural and individual history to provide high-quality care (feeding,housing,social management,etc.).

36. Animal Welfare Maximizing welfare potential If the 6 programs of animal husbandry are in place andare effective, then we can presume that we have enhanced the welfare potential of our animals. enrichment + habitat + nutrition + research + health + training = husbandry program= maximized potential for animal welfare

37. Animal Welfare • Definition- • The humane treatment of animals • Most animal producers and researchers believe in animal welfare, support animal nutrition and oppose cruel treatment of animals.

38. Scientific information should be the basis for decisions, laws, and regulations related to animal welfare. • It is difficult to assess animal comfort and well-being because they do not talk and because there are no universally accepted measures to use.

39. Animal Rights • Definition- • animals should not be used by humans

40. Compare to Animal Welfare • Animal welfare-involves good treatment, whereas animal rights means animals are not used by humans. • Animal welfare groups are usually less radical in their activities than rights groups • Rights movement supporters are usually vegetarians or vegans. • Animal producers and researchers are usually supporters of animal welfare, but NOT animal rights.

41. NC Animal Welfare Act • http://www.ncagr.gov/vet/aws/AnimalWelfareAct.htm

42. Videos for Reference • What is animal welfare? http://video.unctv.org/video/1481039912 • Poultry Regulation and Water Quality http://video.unctv.org/video/1463998165