The humane society and the human-companion animal bond. Reflections on the broken bond

This article discusses the history of the humane movement and how humane societies facilitate the human-companion animal bond by conducting various animal-protection programs (cruelty prevention, rescues, adoptions, veterinary services, for example) and participating in pet-facilitated therapy programs. Also discussed is the euthanasia of unwanted and unclaimed animals and its effect on animal shelter personnel.     

Animal welfare, animal rights and agriculture

The past decade has witnessed a major revolution in social concern with animals. Philosophically, this revolution entails a significant revision in traditional ways of conceiving our moral obligations to other creatures. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the social and conceptual basis for what is widely termed "animal rights." The agricultural community has mistakenly tended to dismiss this new thinking as fringe and emotionally based. In actuality, it is a natural extension of earlier social thought. The case of new laws regulating biomedical research illustrates the rapidity of social change in this area, as do recent developments in European regulation of agriculture. The relevance of this new moral thought to what has hitherto been understood purely in economic terms must be assimilated by the American agricultural community before the agricultural community can respond appropriately and non-reactively.     

Animal welfare: at the interface between science and society

The general concept of animal welfare embraces a continuum between negative/bad welfare and positive/good welfare. Early approaches to defining animal welfare were mainly based on the exclusion of negative states, neglecting the fact that during evolution animals optimised their ability to interact with and adapt to their environment(s). An animal's welfare status might best be represented by the adaptive value of the individual's interaction with a given environmental setting but this dynamic welfare concept has significant implications for practical welfare assessments. Animal welfare issues cannot simply be addressed by means of objective biological measurements of an animal's welfare status under certain circumstances. In practice, interpretation of welfare status and its translation into the active management of perceived welfare issues are both strongly influenced by context and, especially, by cultural and societal values. In assessing whether or not a given welfare status is morally acceptable, animal welfare scientists must be aware that scientifically based, operational definitions of animal welfare will necessarily be influenced strongly by a given society's moral understanding.     

Animal welfare and ethical issues relevant to the humane control of vertebrate pests

Vertebrate pests and pest control impact on people, animals and the environment, so any ethical consideration of vertebrate pest control must incorporate the interests of all three. The necessity of intervention, whether it involves killing animals or not, must be properly evaluated. Justification for pest control is only tenable if all of the negative impacts (harms) on people, animals and the environment are minimised and all of the positive impacts (benefits) are maximised as far as can be feasibly achieved. In all cases, the most humane control methods possible must be used; we must actively seek ways to improve the humaneness of existing methods and to find new methods that are more humane. There are six major principles that guide the design and execution of ethically sound vertebrate pest control programmes. (1) The aims or benefits and the harms of each control programme must be clear. (2) Control must only be undertaken if the aims can be achieved. (3) The methods that most effectively achieve the aims of the control programme must be used. (4) The methods must be applied in the best possible way. (5) Whether or not each control programme actually achieved its precise aim must be assessed. (6) Once the desired aims or benefits have been achieved, steps must be taken to maintain the beneficial state. An ideal pest control method would be effective and easy to use, affordable, safe for human users and for people exposed to it, humane, specific to the target species or individuals, and safe for the environment. Although such a gold standard is difficult to achieve, we can only retain ethical credibility if we conscientiously strive to make incremental improvements towards that gold standard.     

The changing role of pets in society.

The changing role of pets in society is reviewed. ‘But if you tame me, then we shall need each other’. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world… ‘You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.’ ‘The Little Prince’ (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) ‘An animal which exploits another species can always go one degree better than the existing system.’ Animal Nature and Human Nature (W. H. Thorpe)     

“肉鸭及鸭肉产品生产、加工综合技术经验”专栏(二) 孵化在优质雏鸭生产中的重要作用

<正>位于乡村生物安全区(图1)的各个种鸭场每天将种蛋送到孵化场。种蛋到达后,都必须进行检查,淘汰不合格的。一般情况下,很少有种蛋会在此时的检查中被淘汰,因为种蛋已经在各个源场中预先受到了高标准评分。     

硼对动物健康及生产的关键作用(综述)(续3)

本文是《硼对动物健康及生产的关键作用(综述)》的第三部分,主要介绍硼对激素活性、动物生产性能的影响,以及硼的抗热应激作用。