Animal category: All animals

St. Martin's Act at 200 - Reflecting on the First Animal Welfare Law

Kim Stallwood, Martine Rowe

Published in 2022

Article recalling the actions of British parliamentarian Richard Martin, who passed the world's first democratic animal welfare law in 1822, and reviewing the progress and limitations of animal welfare legislation to date, along with the challenges to come.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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The 2020 Five Domains Model: Including Human-Animal Interactions in Assessments of Animal Welfare

David J. Mellor, Ngaio J. Beausoleil, Katherine E. Littlewood , Andrew N. McLean, Paul D. McGreevy, Bidda Jones, Cristina Wilkins

Published in 2020

Scientific review on the concept of the 5 domains. The first 3 domains (food, physical environment and health) concern factors that can affect an organism's internal stability, and lead to so-called "survival-critical" affects, resulting in genetically-integrated behavioral responses. The 4th domain (behavioral interactions), generates "situation-related" affects, resulting in conscious behavioral choices. All of these contribute to the 5th domain, ie the mental state of the animals.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Animal-based measurements,Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

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Measuring emotional processes in animals: the utility of a cognitive approach

Elizabeth S. Paul, Emma J. Harding, Michael Mendl

Published in 2005

Scientific review of emotions in animals, and how to measure them, in particular cognitive and subjective aspects (positive and negative)

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Memory, Human-animal relationships

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Animal Welfare and Resistance to Disease: Interaction of Affective States and the Immune System

Sandra Düpjan, Marian Stamp Dawkins

Published in 2022

A perspective article reviewing the scientific literature on the links between the brain, the gut microbiome, immunity and animal welfare. It highlights the importance of good welfare as a way to prevent disease, and sets out the mechanisms by which high levels of welfare can directly affect disease resistance.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Risk management, Human-animal relationships, Pathogen transfer

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Animal Welfare Underenforcement as a Rule of Law Problem

Mr. B. Rodriguez Ferrere

Published in 2022

A scientific article examining the way in which animal welfare regulations are enforced. It concludes that they are under-enforced, and that this poses a more general problem  in that it undermines the rule of law

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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The causes and consequences of yawning in animal groups

Andrew C.Gallupa

Published in 2022

Scientific review showing that yawning serves as a signal to improve attention levels in observers, and that its contagious nature, found in mammals and birds, has the function of synchronising and/or coordinating group activity patterns, thus playing a social role.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Evolutionary processes

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Study of the CAP measures and instruments promoting animal welfare and the reduction of antimicrobial use

Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development

Published in 2022

Study assessing the overall positive impact of the CAP on improving animal welfare and reducing the use of antimicrobials in livestock production. It notes, however, the lack of performance indicators and recommends that more widespread measures should be implemented, with a common European methodology, that indicators adequate to the task should be developed and that mandatory labelling should be extended to more livestock sectors.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Antibiotic resistance, Environment, Societal issues, Welfare indicators

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European Institute for Animal Law and Policy

Maria Rodrigues da Costa, Alessia Diana

Published in 2022

Scientific review showing that, in farm animals, a high level of animal welfare often leads to lower use of antimicrobials (UAM) and that a low level of welfare was associated with higher UAMs. In organic systems, restrictions on UAMs may however prevent animals from receiving treatment when needed.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Societal issues, Welfare indicators

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Report and Event: For a More Humane Union, A Legal Assessment of EU Farm Animal Welfare Laws

European Institute for Animal Law and Policy

Published in 2022

A report calling for a complete change in the way EU animal welfare legislation is discussed, drafted and implemented. It proposes solutions to the particular problems posed by the current legal drafting and the overly-complicated procedures for amending the legislation.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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Animal Abuse as an Indicator of Domestic Violence: One Health, One Welfare Approach

Daniel Mota-Rojas, Stefany Monsalve, Karina Lezama-García, Patricia Mora-Medina, Adriana Domínguez-Oliva, Ramiro Ramírez-Necoechea, Rita de Cassia Maria Garcia

Published in 2022

Scientific review reminding the reader of the link between violence towards animals and violence towards humans and the importance of finding early indicators of violent behaviour. It underlines the importance of the role of the veterinarian in detecting animal abuse and cruelty.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Psychiatric disorders, Human-animal relationships,Societal issues

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