Keywords: Human-animal relationships

Towards Machine Recognition of Facial Expressions of Pain in Horses

Pia Haubro Andersen, Sofia Broomé, Maheen Rashid, Johan Lundblad, Katrina Ask, Zhenghong Li, Elin Hernlund, Marie Rhodin, Hedvig Kjellström

Published in 2021

Scientific review describing two promising systems for the automatic recognition of facial expressions of pain in horses. The first is based on a manual classification system that involves machine learning. The second is based on recurrent neural network learning.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

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

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Validation of the Donkey Pain Scale (DOPS) for Assessing Postoperative Pain in Donkeys

Maria Gláucia Carlos de Oliveira, Valéria Veras de Paula, Andressa Nunes Mouta, Isabelle de Oliveira Lima, Luã Barbalho de Macêdo, Talyta Lins Nunes, Pedro Henrique Esteves Trindade, Stelio Pacca Loureiro Luna

Published in 2021

Scientific article proposing and testing a scale for acute pain in donkeys during castration. The proposed scale is both reliable and valid.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Pain, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Welfare indicators

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Bien-être animal : vers un label européen ?

Vie Publique Editorial Board

Published in 2021

Article summarising the main findings of a study by the European Parliament Research Service (EPRS) on animal welfare legislation and the EU labelling project. In the view of the EPRS, the legislation is outdated because of structural changes that have occurred in production systems and because it does not allow for recognition of the fact that animals are sentient beings. Europe-wide labelling is viewed as the best response to the increasing number of labelling systems now operating among Member States.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

Keywords: Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

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The importance of considering age when quantifying wild animals' welfare

Luke Hecht

Published in 2021

A scientific review of work on age-related welfare levels in wild animals, which proposes a  new conceptual framework based on welfare expectancy. This quantifies the welfare of a population of wild animals using individual data on average welfare as a function of age.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Wildlife

Keywords: Modelling, Human-animal relationships,Welfare indicators

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Automatic Pain Detection on Horse and Donkey Faces

Hilde I. Hummel, Francisca Pessanha, Albert Ali Salah, Thijs J. P.A.M. van Loon, Remco C. Veltkamp

Published in 2021

Summary of a presentation at a conference on the use of automatic facial recognition to develop an automatic pain prediction system for horses, based on grimace scales.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Anxiety, Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Pain, Stress

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Behavioral Biology of Horses

Janne Winther Christensen

Published in 2021

Scientific overview chapter dealing with the behaviour of horses, covering human-horse relationships, especially during dressage and training, social behaviour, effects of environmental restrictions and cognitive abilities

Document Types: Scientific work

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Learning, training, Brain integration, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships

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A preliminary study of the effects of the number of consecutive days of training and days off on foal recall

Jaymie Loy, Leigh Wills, Sally King, Kirsty Jenkins, Sarah Ellis, Hayley Randle

Published in 2021

A scientific paper on experimental work to determine how the incorporation of rest days during initial preparation influences foal learning outcomes. The results support the inclusion of a rest day during the first four days of initial training programmes, to reduce the occurrence and development of undesirable behaviours such as biting.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Learning, training, Brain integration, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships

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Improving Equine Welfare through Human Habit Formation

Jo White, Ruth Sims

Published in 2021

Scientific article on tests carried out to evaluate the effectiveness for animal welfare of introducing the regular practice by equine owners of scratching a horse while carrying out routine care . The owners performed the action for 1 month and then took part in a semi-structured interview. The introduction of the habit had a positive impact on human behaviour towards the horses.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Learning, training, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-002470/2021: 'Halal' Islamic slaughtering method. Clarification with regard to consumer protection and compatibility with animal welfare legislation

Question: Gianantonio Da Re (ID). Answer: Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2021

Parliamentary question on ritual slaughter and halal labelling

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Guide pratique – Pour bien prendre soin de votre animal de compagnie : cet été, ayez les bons réflexes !

French Ministry of Agriculture and Food

Published in 2021

A good practice guide published by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food, concentrating on the care of pets over the holiday period, how to look after them in hot weather, what arrangements to make when travelling with them, and what to do if you come across a stray dog or cat.

Document Types: Good practice guide

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Living environment, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Welfare indicators

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