what’s the difference?. animal rights the idea that animals should have the same moral rights as...
TRANSCRIPT
What’s the Difference?
Animal Rights
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
What is it?
Animal Rights
Rights for Animals
few rights lots of rights
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.
What is it?
Animal Rights
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.
Rights for Animals
few rights lots of rights
What is it?
Animal Rights
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.
Rights for Animals
few rights lots of rights
What is it?
Animal Rights
Most zoo & aquarium professionals fall somewhere along the middle of the continuum, believing that animals have the right 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.
Rights for Animals
few rights lots of rights
What is it?
Animal Rights
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
What is it?
Animal Rights
Animal Welfare
What is it?
The Animal Welfare Committee defines it as a combination of an animal’s physical health and psychological well-being.
Animal Welfare
• nutrition
• exercise
• social groupings
• veterinary care
• environmental conditions
What is it?
Physical Health involves appropriate …
Animal Welfare
• 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
What is it?
Psychological Well-Being involves
Animal Welfare
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.
Our philosophical views are individual and personal, but our collective professional goal is
excellent animal welfare.
What’s the difference?
Animal Rights/ Animal Welfare
We do use animals in zoos and aquariums.
The welfare of animals in zoos and aquariums is driven by how and why we use them.
Our concerns—and those of our public—about animal rights are affected by the welfare of the animals in our collections.
There is, however, considerable overlap …
What’s the difference?
So the two concepts are linked.
Animal Rights/ Animal Welfare
How can we ensure consistently high standards of animal welfare in our
collections?
The Animal Welfare Committee is a resource for addressing the
question.
Animal Rights/ Animal Welfare
Animal Welfare is everyone’s responsibility.
Animal Welfare CommitteePromoting Excellence in Animal Care
The question for zoo & aquarium professionals is …
1. Animal welfare ranges on a continuum from very poor to very good. There are no clear dividing
lines between “good” and “bad”.
To enhance animal welfare, we need to recognize five important points:
Animal Welfare
2. Animal welfare must be assessed at the individual animal level, not at the group or
species level.
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.
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.
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).
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”.
So how can we maximize our animals’ welfare potential?
2. Animal welfare must be assessed at the individual animal level, not at the group or species level.
3. Good welfare will look different for different individual animals—it’s relative, not absolute.
4. There is no single measure of welfare—we need to look at multiple variables to assess welfare.
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).
Animal Welfare
The Animal Welfare Committee defines 6 programs that contribute to maximizing an animal’s potential to experience high levels
of welfare:
• nutrition • research
• training• health
• enrichment
• habitat
Maximizing welfare potential
Animal Welfare
Maximizing welfare potential
• Enrichment:
Animal Welfare
An enrichment program involves setting goals, planning, implementing, documenting, evaluating, and refining enrichment plans
Enrichment: using knowledge of an animal’s natural and individual history to provide species-appropriate control/choices
Maximizing welfare potential
Animal Welfare
• Enrichment: using knowledge of an animal’s natural and individual history to provide species-appropriate control/choices
Maximizing welfare potential
• Habitat:
Animal Welfare
the complexity of an animal’s physical and social environment Habitat:
Maximizing welfare potential
Is it possible to develop a programmatic approach to optimizing habitats/housing? What would such a program look like?
Animal Welfare
• 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
Maximizing welfare potential
• Nutrition:
Animal Welfare
Nutrition: the science of ensuring that an animal is provided with a complete and balanced diet
Maximizing welfare potential
What makes an effective nutrition program? Where should we look to find out?
Animal Welfare
• 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
Maximizing welfare potential
• Research:
Animal Welfare
Research: using the scientific method to address basic and applied questions about an animal’s behavior, physiology, genetics, etc.
Maximizing welfare potential
What makes up an effective research program, especially in terms of animal welfare?
Animal Welfare
• 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.
Maximizing welfare potential
• Health:
Animal Welfare
Health: the prevention and treatment of illness and injury
Maximizing welfare potential
What are the components of an effective veterinary program?
If we don’t know, who would?
Animal Welfare
• 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
Maximizing welfare potential
• Training:
Animal Welfare
Training: using a variety of techniques including habituation and classical and operant conditioning to teach an animal to cooperate with and participate in its own management.
Maximizing welfare potential
As with enrichment, an effective training program involves setting goals, planning, implementing, documenting, evaluating, and refining plans and
goals
Animal Welfare
• 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 cooperate with and participate in its own management.
Maximizing welfare potential
Animal Welfare
So we have 6 programs that contribute to the welfare potential of our animals:
The integration and coordination of these 6 programs, and the feedback among them, make up the overall program of animal husbandry – using knowledge of an animal’s natural and individual history to provide high-quality care (feeding, housing, social management, etc.).
Maximizing welfare potential
Animal Welfare
Maximizing welfare potential
If the 6 programs of animal husbandry are in place and are effective, then we can presume that we have enhanced the welfare potential
of our animals.enrichment + habitat + nutrition + research + health + training =
maximized potential for animal welfare
Animal Welfare
husbandry program =
• understand how to develop effective animal care programs.
• identify measures of program effectiveness and tools for program integration.
Your comments and participation are welcomed!
Maximizing welfare potential
The Animal Welfare Committee is working to provide you with resources to:
Animal Welfare
Animal Welfare CommitteePromoting Excellence in Animal Care