Discipline: Zootechnics

The Role of Preventative Medicine Programs in Animal Welfare and Wellbeing in Zoological Institutions

Paolo Martelli, Karthiyani Krishnasamy

Published in 2023

Scientific review highlighting the fact that the usual animal welfare paradigms do not apply to animals in zoos, particularly when the animals are undergoing veterinary treatment. In such circumstances, the animals' physiology and behavior are deregulated, and freedom of choice and comfort are limited. The authors propose that a distinction should be made between the state of well-being experienced by the animal (well-being) and the societal management of animal welfare (welfare), and to base the wefare management of zoo and aquarium animals on preventive medicine.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Wildlife, Fish

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Living environment, Human-animal relationships

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Deviation of behavioural and productive parameters in dairy cows due to a lameness event: a synthesis of reviews

Luisa Magrin, Barbara Contiero, Giulio Cozzi, Flaviana Gottardo, Severino Segato

Published in 2023

Systematic literature review identifying the behavioral and yield parameters of cows that are the best indicators of lameness and calculating the changes in them during lameness episodes. They include time taken to feed, number of lying periods, time taken to lie down, time spent lying down,  and milk production. The values of all these parameters are significantly altered in the event of lameness, and could be used to detect lameness automatically.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Pain, Precision farming, Welfare indicators

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European Parliament: written answer to question P-002012/23: Additional measures during animal transportation this summer

Question: Anja Hazekamp (The Left). Answer: Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2023

Answer to a question on how the European Commission intends to apply the regulations banning the transport of live animals when temperatures exceed specified thresholds, and whether it intends to carry out additional temperature checks.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Transport

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European Parliament: written answer to question E-001974/2023: Cat and dog welfare in transport

Question: Francisco Guerreiro (Greens/EFA). Answer: Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2023

Answer to a question on the European Commission's intentions concerning the introduction of specific requirements for dogs and cats during commercial transport, as part of the revision of European animal welfare regulations. It also concerns the welfare checks to be carried out on these animals to ensure their suitability for transport.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords:Animal trade, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Transport

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Final Report of an Audit of Croatia carried out from 2 May to 14 October 2022 in order to Evaluate Animal Welfare Controls During Transport by Livestock Vessel to non-EU Countries

DG SANTE

Published in 2023

Audit report identifying weaknesses in the current system to control the protection of animals transported by sea from Croatia to third countries, including the absence of documented procedures to for the authorization of transporters by sea and the failure of inspectors to identify certain deficiencies. It contains three recommendations to the competent authorities to improve the effectiveness of the official system for the protection of animal welfare during sea transport.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Transport

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Positive Welfare Indicators and Their Association with Sustainable Management Systems in Poultry

Maria Papageorgiou, Michael Goliomytis, Ouranios Tzamaloukas, Despoina Miltiadou, Panagiotis Simitzis

Published in 2023

Scientific review of positive welfare indicators in the main poultry species and their link with sustainable farm management. Indicators include exploration, dust baths, nest building, perching, and swimming (for waterfowl).

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Living environment, Human-animal relationships, Welfare indicators

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Choice, control, and animal welfare: definitions and essential inquiries to advance animal welfare science

Maisy D. Englund, Katherine A. Cronin

Published in 2023

Scientific review of animal psychology, including the importance of giving animals choice and control over their environment to improve their welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Consciousness, Societal issues, Enrichment, Living environment, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships

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Does Animal Personality Research Actually Help Animals?

Björn Ólafsson

Published in 2023

Article defining animal personality, reviewing scientific knowledge on the subject, and setting out the pros and cons  of taking personality into account in livestock farming, for both farmers and animals.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Societal issues, Personality, Human-animal relationships, Livestock farming system

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European Parliament: written answer to question E-001634/23: Banning influencers from interacting or creating content with exotic animals

Question: Aurélia Beigneux (ID). Answer: Mr Sinkevičius on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2023

Answer to a question on whether the EU intends to regulate the use of captive wild animals in influencer videos, a practice that goes against animal welfare and fuels trafficking in the species concerned.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Wildlife, Exotic pets

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal trade, Societal issues, Population management, Human-animal relationships

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Impact of palmiped farm density on the resilience of the poultry sector to highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 in France

Billy Bauzile, Benoit Durand, Sébastien Lambert, Séverine Rautureau, Lisa Fourtune, Claire Guinat, Alessio Andronico, Simon Cauchemez, Mathilde C. Paul, Timothée Vergne

Published in 2023

Scientific article on the development of a model of the 2016-2017 avian influenza epidemic to show that even a slight reduction in the density of palmiped farms in the most densely populated areas would have considerably reduced the number of poultry farms affected. However, this measure would not have been sufficient to completely prevent the spread of the virus.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Environment, Pathogen transfer,Societal issues

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