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Le bien-être animal : état des lieux et perspectives

By January 20th, 2022February 1st, 2022No Comments

Document type : Article published in Futuribles (open access until 6 March 2022)

Author: Arthur Magnes

Preview: The number of pets in France is still on the increase, having risen from 18 million in 2012 to 21 million in 2018. To these figures we can add the results of qualitative observation. More than two thirds of French people consider their pets to be family members. This shift towards increasingly close relationships between owners and pets reflects a growth in attentiveness to the living conditions of animals, now  becoming a major concern for society. The issue of animal welfare is also matter of concern for younger generations: a survey conducted by OC&C in several countries indicates that members of generation Z (born between 1998 and 2016) put the protection of animals at the top of the list of causes they actively support, ahead of support for human rights organisations and the fight against inequality.
This change is reflected in the tightening of the legal framework governing pet ownership in France and Europe. [...]


The changes in legislation are speeding up the transformation of human-pet relationships and, by developing a fresh focus on animals, are allowing the animal welfare market to expand. Turnover for activities related to the animal welfare market is hitting dizzying levels. In the United States, it increased by 108% between 2005 and 2019, to US$75 billion. In China, the pet industry is expected to reach US$66 billion by 2023, a 10-fold increase since 2013. In France, while the market is admittedly smaller (a €5 billion turnover), it has grown by 31% between 2010 and 2020.

This market encompasses several types of pet services, including veterinary care, food, clothing, various accessories, psychological support and insurance. A number of emerging trends can be expected to continue in coming years: 
- Increasing focus on product quality.
In the United States, between 2014 and 2019,  sales of mid-range pet food fell by 6% and sales of budget ranges fell by 13%, while sales of high-end food products saw an increase of 38%.
- Increased average household budget spent on pets, as a consequence of people's desire to provide the best for their pets. In France, the average annual budget devoted to a pet's welfare (including vet fees, food, etc.) rose from 600 euros in the early 2000s to 800 euros in 2020.
- Extremely fast growth in provision of insurance packages. The high cost of health care (up to €3,000 for some surgical operations) is expected to continue to rise in the coming years, especially for dogs. That said, in a climate of rapid growth for the pet health insurance market, both in Europe and across the world, it is struggling to take off in France.


While it is true that dog adoptions have risen in France since 2018, the cat population has seen a growth spurt that appears to have no ceiling. Between 2000 and 2018, the number of cats rose from 10 million to 14 million, while the dog population fell from 9 million to 7.5 million [..] Urbanisation is key to this: 75% of the French population is urban and it is easier for cats to live in flats than for dogs. In fact, a pet's characteristics and needs are the greatest determinants for the choice of animal: a dog requires greater personal investment by the owner (in attention, time, etc.) than a cat. This issue of investment explains why cat and non-canine small pet (other small companion animals) adoptions are increasing every year in France, taking us towards a future that is populated by cats and other small companion animalss.


How should owners behave towards their pets? The strengthening of the emotional bond between the owner and the pet creates the need for owners to access information in their efforts to understand the behaviour and needs of their animals. Offers have been developed to meet this need (including studies by ethologists and websites run by trainers, for example), that provide a range of advice intended to help owners to adjust better to the differing needs of animals according to their temperament. Indeed, it appears that owners' expertise in understanding their pets is on the rise. Meanwhile, though, an extreme version of this trend in owner expertise is developing that draws on current trends towards anthropomorphism. Here, we see a proliferation of offers for pets that are modelled on human functioning and needs.


The animal cause is of fundamental concern to the public: 70% of French people consider the defence of the animal cause to be a national priority. This growing concern for animal welfare provides justification for the establishment of a binding legislative framework to protect pets. This attention extends further than pets, though, taking in other categories of animals with the protection of wild animals, farm-animals welfare, etc. Indeed, the status of animals is growing increasingly similar to that of human beings, as we seek to grant them similar rights (consciousness, sentience, and so on). Animal welfare thus features increasingly as the logical extension of human welfare, with the gradual inclusion of further categories of animals. 

 

From the Futuribles website