Human–animal relationship influences husbandry practices, animal welfare and productivity in pig farming

Background: Companion animals may be a positive presence for their owners during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the welfare of a companion animal is strongly influenced by the behaviour of their owners, as well as their physical and social environment. We aimed to investigate the reported changes in companion animal welfare and behaviour and to examine the association between these changes and companion animal owners’ mental health. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of UK residents over 18 years of age was conducted between April and June 2020 (n = 5926). The questionnaire included validated, bespoke items measuring outcomes related to mental health, human-animal bonds and reported changes in animal welfare and behaviour. The final item of the survey invited open-ended free-text responses, allowing participants to describe experiences associated with human-animal relationships during the first UK lockdown phase. Results: Animal owners made up 89.8% of the sample (n = 5323), of whom 67.3% reported changes in their animal’s welfare and behaviour during the first lockdown phase (n = 3583). These reported changes were reduced to a positive (0–7) and negative (0–5) welfare scale, following principal component analysis (PCA) of 17 items. Participants reported more positive changes for cats, whereas more negative changes were reported for dogs. Thematic analysis identified three main themes relating to the positive and negative impact on companion animals of the Covid-19 pandemic. Generalised linear models indicated that companion animal owners with poorer mental health scores pre-lockdown reported fewer negative changes in animal welfare and behaviour. However, companion animal owners with poorer mental health scores since lockdown reported more changes, both positive and negative, in animal welfare and behaviour. Conclusion: Our findings extend previous insights into perceived welfare and behaviour changes on a very limited range of species to a wider a range of companion animals. Owner mental health status has a clear, albeit small, effect on companion animal welfare and behaviour.

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Navigating human and non-human animal relations: Okja, Foucault and animal welfare laws

Alternative Law Journal ◽

10.1177/1037969x18802459 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 43 (4) ◽

pp. 263-268

Author(s):

Michelle Gunawan

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Double Standard ◽

Power Relationships ◽

Moral Significance ◽

Human Animal ◽

The Law ◽

Foucauldian Analysis

This article draws upon a Foucauldian analysis of power to conceptualise the human and non-human animal relations throughout the Netflix film Okja. The article examines how ‘super-pig’ Okja’s experiences (and subjectivities) are deeply shaped by the ‘apparatuses’ within which Okja is situated. As the power relationships and practices of ‘domination’ portrayed in Okja highlight, the legal categorisation of animals and their foundations within mainstream discourses reflect, and perpetuate, society’s understanding of the moral significance of animals. Okja’s transformation throughout the film, as well as her very existence as a hybrid ‘super-pig’, confuses the legal categorisation of non-human animals and highlights a double standard in the law.

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Sheep Farmers’ Perception of Welfare and Pain Associated with Routine Husbandry Practices in Chile

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani8120225 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (12) ◽

pp. 225 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Cristian Larrondo ◽

Hedie Bustamante ◽

Carmen Gallo

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Pain Perception ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Numerical Rating Scale ◽

Farm Animals ◽

Farm Size ◽

Flock Size ◽

Husbandry Practices ◽

Level Of Agreement

Considering the public concern about the welfare of farm animals during routine husbandry practices, this study aimed to determine how husbandry practices are carried out in Chilean farms, sheep farmers’ perceptions of animal welfare and pain, and factors that affect them, as well as the level of agreement among farmers in the recognition of pain associated with these practices. Using a self-administered survey, participants were asked about their sociodemographic information, how husbandry practices are carried out in their farms, and their pain perception for seven of these common husbandry procedures using a numerical rating scale (0 to 10). A total of 165 farmers completed the survey and perceived castration and tail docking as the most painful practices in lambs (median pain score 10 vs. 8, p < 0.05). Pain perception was associated with the method used for the specific husbandry practices, the farmers’ educational level, the farm size, and flock size (p < 0.05). There was a fair to good level of agreement beyond chance (p < 0.05) in the recognition of pain associated with the most painful practices. In general, husbandry practices are not carried out in young animals, use painful methods, without using analgesics, which may have a negative impact on animal welfare.

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Wildlife as Property

Wildlife Criminology ◽

10.1332/policypress/9781529204346.003.0002 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 19-36

Author(s):

Angus Nurse ◽

Tanya Wyatt

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Animal Rights ◽

Companion Animals ◽

Wildlife Trade ◽

Entertainment Industry ◽

Short Discussion ◽

Criminological Perspective ◽

Psychological Harm ◽

Human Animal ◽

Animal Welfare Legislation

This chapter examines the notion of wildlife as property or ‘things’ and critically analyses the extent to which anthropocentric notions of wildlife as a resource for human exploitation determines harm caused to non-human animals. This chapter examines how anthropocentric notions of morality and human-centred values underpin the exploitation of non-human animals and the sense in which they are owned. Employing a green criminological perspective, the chapter examines the use and abuse of wildlife within the animal ‘entertainment’ industry. The chapter examines the use of wildlife within aquariums, zoos, and circuses and examines both the legality of this use and the non-human animal harm contained within such uses. Evidence exists, for example, of psychological harm caused to wildlife in zoos that would likely be unlawful if experienced by companion animals. Yet, zoos and safari parks are ostensibly legal operations, thus animal welfare legislation is often the only mechanism through which action can be taken in respect of what would otherwise be deemed unlawful captivity (see also Chapter 7 on animal rights). We end the chapter by touching on how wildlife come to be property – that is a short discussion of wildlife trade, including the online market.

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Past and Present Farming: Changes in Terms of Engagement

Humans and the Environment ◽

10.1093/oso/9780199590292.003.0020 ◽

2013 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kristin Armstrong Oma

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Social Systems ◽

The Political ◽

Human Environment ◽

Natural Systems ◽

Husbandry Practices ◽

Human Animal ◽

The Moment ◽

The Impact

In archaeology, changes in human–animal relationships are rarely considered beyond the moment of domestication. This is influenced by Ingold’s idea that domestication led to a shift in the human engagement with animals (Ingold 2000: 61–76; see Armstrong Oma 2007: 62–4, 2010 for critique). I do not question the validity of such a claim; however, I argue that changes in terms of engagement also happened beyond domestication, and that various configurations of human–animal relationships have existed throughout history. Further, I argue that such changes also have consequences for the environment, by choice of land use strategies and husbandry regimes. A twofold purpose is pursued: first, to investigate how changes in social systems, in my case changes in terms of engagement between humans and animals, affect land use in such a way as to impinge upon natural systems and ecosystems. Second, I wish to grasp the political underpinnings of the models that are employed by archaeologists and, by doing so, to deconstruct the political use of the past (see also Stump, Chapter 10 this volume). Alternative models regarding economic strategies are sought, and the implications of these are discussed. Human–environment studies frequently deal with the impact of human intrusive land use strategies on ecosystems. Awareness has been created around these processes regarding land use techniques and practices (for example Denham and White 2007; Mazoyer and Roudart 2006). However, in European archaeology the impact of husbandry practices upon ecosystems has received considerably less, if any, attention. People in past societies from the Neolithic onwards made the conscious decision to live with animals as herders or as farmers, blending together social and economic choices that had repercussions for landscape developments and ecosystems. Investigations into the relationship between environmental changes caused by husbandry practices and the social systems that instigated those changes are an important contribution to research on past environmental development. These changes are identifiable in the archaeological record.

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The Power of a Positive Human–Animal Relationship for Animal Welfare

Frontiers in Veterinary Science ◽

10.3389/fvets.2020.590867 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jean-Loup Rault ◽

Susanne Waiblinger ◽

Xavier Boivin ◽

Paul Hemsworth

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Human Animal

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

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10101870 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1870 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

David J. Mellor ◽

Ngaio J. Beausoleil ◽

Katherine E. Littlewood ◽

Andrew N. McLean ◽

Paul D. McGreevy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Mental State ◽

Internal Stability ◽

Subjective Experiences ◽

Sensory Inputs ◽

Animal Welfare Science ◽

Behavioural Interactions ◽

Human Animal ◽

New Feature ◽

External Stimuli

Throughout its 25-year history, the Five Domains Model for animal welfare assessment has been regularly updated to include at each stage the latest authenticated developments in animal welfare science thinking. The domains of the most up-to-date Model described here are: 1 Nutrition, 2 Physical Environment, 3 Health, 4 Behavioural Interactions and 5 Mental State. The first four domains focus attention on factors that give rise to specific negative or positive subjective experiences (affects), which contribute to the animal’s mental state, as evaluated in Domain 5. More specifically, the first three domains focus mainly on factors that disturb or disrupt particular features of the body’s internal stability. Each disturbed or disrupted feature generates sensory inputs which are processed by the brain to form specific negative affects, and these affects are associated with behaviours that act to restore the body’s internal stability. As each such behaviour is essential for the survival of the animal, the affects associated with them are collectively referred to as “survival-critical affects”. In contrast, Domain 4, now named Behavioural Interactions, focusses on evidence of animals consciously seeking specific goals when interacting behaviourally with (1) the environment, (2) other non-human animals and (3) as a new feature of the Model outlined here, humans. The associated affects, evaluated via Domain 5, are mainly generated by brain processing of sensory inputs elicited by external stimuli. The success of the animals’ behavioural attempts to achieve their chosen goals is reflected in whether the associated affects are negative or positive. Collectively referred to as “situation-related affects”, these outcomes are understood to contribute to animals’ perceptions of their external circumstances. These observations reveal a key distinction between the way survival-critical and situation-related affects influence animals’ aligned behaviours. The former mainly reflect compelling motivations to engage in genetically embedded behavioural responses, whereas the latter mainly involve conscious behavioural choices which are the hallmarks of agency. Finally, numerous examples of human–animal interactions and their attendant affects are described, and the qualitative grading of interactions that generate negative or positive affect is also illustrated.

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Becoming activist: the mediation of consumers in Animals Australia’s Make it Possible campaign

Media International Australia ◽

10.1177/1329878x19853077 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 172 (1) ◽

pp. 48-60

Author(s):

Jane Mummery ◽

Debbie Rodan

Keyword(s):

Social Justice ◽

Public Sphere ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Lived Experiences ◽

Law Reform ◽

The Public ◽

Ethical Consumers ◽

Human Animal ◽

The Public Sphere ◽

Advocacy Organisation

In 2008, the Australian Law Reform Commission journal, Reform, called out animal welfare as Australia’s ‘next great social justice movement’ in 2018; however, public mobilisation around animal welfare is still a contested issue in Australia. The question stands as to how to mobilise everyday mainstream consumers into supporting animal activism given that animal activism is presented in the public sphere as dampening the economic livelihood of Australia, with some animal activism described as ‘akin to terrorism’. The questions, then, are as follows: how to mobilise everyday mainstream consumers into supporting animal activist ideals? How to frame and communicate animal activist ideals so that they can come to inform and change the behaviour and self-understandings of mainstream consumers? This article is an investigation into the possible production and mobilisation of animal activists from mainstream consumers through the work of one digital campaign, Make it Possible. Delivered by the peak Australian animal advocacy organisation, Animals Australia, and explicitly targeting the lived experiences and conditions of animals in factory farming, Make it Possible reached nearly 12 million viewers across Australia and has directly impacted on the reported behaviour and self-understandings of over 291,000 Australians to date, as well as impacting policy decisions made by government and industry. More specifically, our interest is to engage a new materialist lens to draw out how this campaign operates to transform consumers into veg*ns (vegans/vegetarians), activists and ethical consumers who materially commit to and live revised beliefs regarding human–animal relations.

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Redefining human-animal relationships: an evaluation of methods to allow their empirical measurement in zoos

Animal Welfare ◽

10.7120/109627286.28.3.247 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 247-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

F Patel ◽

K Whitehouse-Tedd ◽

SJ Ward

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Content Quality ◽

Search Terms ◽

Voluntary Approach ◽

Literature Searches ◽

Animal Welfare Science ◽

Welfare Implications ◽

Human Animal ◽

Potential Methods ◽

Definition Of

Scientific studies of human-animal interactions (HAIs) and how these develop into human-animal relationships (HARs) now represent some of the most significant contributions to animal welfare science. However, due to the current definition of HAR, studies have only been able to measure HAIs and infer its impact on HARs and animal welfare. Here, we redefine HARs as a series of repeated HAIs between two individuals known to each other, the nature of which is influenced by their historical HAIs and where consideration to the content, quality and the pattern of the interactions is also vital. With a new definition, it is now feasible to empirically measure HARs, however, first, it is important to evaluate current methods utilised in animal industries to allow standardisation across HAR research in zoos. Here, we review the current methods that have been used to assess HAIs in animals and determine their overall suitability for measuring HARs and their use in a zoo environment. Literature searches were conducted using the search terms 'human-animal' AND 'interaction', 'human-animal' AND 'relationship', 'human-animal' AND 'bond'. Subsequently, 'zoo', 'companion', 'agriculture', 'laboratory' and 'wild' were added to each combination yielding five potential methods to evaluate. These methods were assessed according to a panel of indicators including reliability, robustness, practical application and feasibility for use in a zoo environment. Results indicated that the methods utilising 'latency', 'qualitative behaviour assessment' and the 'voluntary approach test' were potentially viable to assess HARs in a zoo environment and could subsequently contribute to the assessment of welfare implications of these HARs for the animals involved. These methods now require empirical testing and comparisons within a zoo environment.

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A Different Cut? Comparing Attitudes toward Animals and Propensity for Aggression within Two Primary Industry Cohorts—Farmers and Meatworkers

Society and Animals ◽

10.1163/15685306-12341284 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 395-413 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Emma Richards ◽

Tania Signal ◽

Nik Taylor

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Animal Studies ◽

Demographic Variables ◽

Animal Cruelty ◽

Primary Industry ◽

Attitudes Toward Animals ◽

Human Animal

Abstract Previous research has examined a range of demographic variables that have been shown to influence an individual’s attitude toward, and in turn their treatment of, animals. Little is known, however, about the effect of certain occupations upon these attitudes. The current study examines attitudes toward animals and the propensity for aggression within a sample of farmers and meatworkers in Queensland, Australia. Recent findings and publicity around the effects of employment (and cases of deliberate animal cruelty) within these industries indicates that this is an area in need of investigation from both human and animal welfare perspectives. The implications of the current findings for the meat-working industry and for the field of human-animal studies are discussed.

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