Orientations to Nonhuman Animal Welfare: A View from the Border

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 372-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine A. Faver ◽  
Jacqueline D. Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Nonhuman Animal ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
Welfare Attitudes ◽  
Hispanic Serving

This study employed an online survey to investigate the nonhuman animal welfare attitudes and behaviors of 104 social work students (85% female) enrolled in a Hispanic-serving university near the U.S.–Mexico border. Approximately three-fourths of the respondents were moderately or very concerned about animal welfare issues. Level of concern about animal welfare issues was significantly related to four pro-animal welfare behaviors: making one’s yard friendly to small animals, encouraging others to adopt rather than purchase companion animals, purchasing products labeled “not tested on animals,” and avoiding meat and dairy products. Female respondents had significantly higher scores on the Animal Attitude Scale, indicating more positive attitudes toward animals, and women and graduate students were significantly more likely to purchase products labeled “not tested on animals.” The findings of the study suggest that social workers are potential allies for animal welfare advocates.

scholarly journals Familiarity and Interest in Working with Livestock Decreases the Odds of Having Positive Attitudes towards Non-Human Animals and Their Welfare among Veterinary Students in Italy

Animals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Mariti ◽  
Federica Pirrone ◽  
Mariangela Albertini ◽  
Angelo Gazzano ◽  
Silvana Diverio
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Animal Rights ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Veterinary Students ◽  
Normal Behaviour ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Species Type ◽  
Potential Impact

We investigated the attitudes of veterinary students towards animals and their welfare in Italy. Regression analyses revealed predictors that are significant in differentiating students’ scoring tendency based on their gender, familiarity, and intention to work with a specific animal species, type of diet, and membership in an animal rights association. Female students, who were mostly familiar with pets and aspired to work with species other than livestock, following an animal-free diet and being a member of an animal rights association, had a significantly greater odds of having a high Animal Attitude Scale score (AAS), i.e., very positive attitude towards animals, versus a less positive attitude. Conversely, the familiarity with livestock and preference for working with livestock significantly increased the odds of a low AAS. Overall, students considered all of the Brambell Report’s Five Freedoms important for animal welfare protection. However, students scored higher for companion animals than for livestock, particularly regarding the freedom to express normal behaviour and the absence of fear and distress. This study suggests that veterinary students place less importance on the psychological aspects of welfare for livestock, and there is a tendency for students who are mostly familiar, or aspire to work, with livestock to have a less positive attitude towards non-human animals and their welfare. These findings should be considered within the veterinary educational curriculum due to their potential impact on animal welfare.

scholarly journals The Perceived Impact of The First UK Covid-19 Lockdown on Companion Animal Welfare and Behaviour: A Mixed-Method Study of Associations with Owner Mental Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 6171
Author(s):  
Emily Shoesmith ◽  
Luciana Santos de Assis ◽  
Lion Shahab ◽  
Elena Ratschen ◽  
Paul Toner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Human Animal

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.

Attitudes to Farm Animal Welfare

2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 107-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth J. Austin ◽  
Ian J. Deary ◽  
Gareth Edwards-Jones ◽  
Dale Arey
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Factor Scores ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Welfare Attitudes ◽  
Similar Factor

Abstract. Although the there is considerable public interest in farm animal welfare, relatively little work has been done on the welfare attitudes of farmers. We describe the development of a welfare attitude scale, the EFAWS. The factor structure and correlates of this scale were examined in Scottish pig and sheep farmers, and in agriculture students. The EFAWS was found to have a hierarchical structure, with two superordinate dimensions corresponding to welfare and business orientations being present in both groups. Five narrower facets were extracted for farmers and six for students, with the two factor structures being similar. Factor scores were found to be correlated significantly with personality traits, knowledge about welfare, and farm welfare scores in interpretable ways.

College Students’ Experiences of Nonhuman Animal Harm in the United States and The Bahamas

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 752-775
Author(s):  
William J. Fielding ◽  
Travis W. Cronin ◽  
Christina Risley-Curtiss
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
College Students ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
The United States ◽  
Nonhuman Animal ◽  
Societal Implications ◽  
The Bahamas ◽  
Nonhuman Animals ◽  
Teaching Animal

Abstract This study compares and contrasts experiences of harm to nonhuman animals in the lives of 830 college students in The Bahamas and the United States. Overall, students in The Bahamas were more likely to have been exposed to seeing animals harmed (65%) than those in the United States (16%), and they were more likely to have seen an animal killed (22% in The Bahamas and 12% in the United States). Bahamian students reported a higher rate of participation in harming animals than United States students. Stray animals were at greater risk of harm than animals designated as companion animals. The occurrence of coerced harm to animals including zoophilia was low. Participants were indirect victims of animal harm at older ages than the ages at which they had first witnessed or participated in harming animals. Cross-societal implications of harming animals are discussed in the context of teaching animal welfare.

scholarly journals Attitudes toward Animals and Their Welfare among Italian Veterinary Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Pirrone ◽  
Chiara Mariti ◽  
Angelo Gazzano ◽  
Mariangela Albertini ◽  
Claudio Sighieri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Nonparametric Tests ◽  
Veterinary Students ◽  
The Public ◽  
Veterinary Profession ◽  
A Value ◽  
Welfare Attitudes

As members of the public and the veterinary profession are increasingly concerned about animal welfare, there has been an increased scholarly interest in the attitudes of veterinarians and students toward animals, as these may impact human behavior, which ultimately impacts animal welfare. Here we investigated Italian veterinary students’ demographic data and perceptions about nonhuman animal welfare issues that might be predictive of their attitudes. A survey eliciting information about demographics, knowledge, experience, and perceptions regarding different categories of animals, and including the Animal Attitude Scale (AAS), was administered to undergraduate veterinary medicine students in three Italian universities. Data were analyzed using nonparametric tests, and a value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. In total, 876 students completed the questionnaire, with females (75.1%) making up a majority of students in all years of the course. Although veterinary students showed pro-animal welfare attitudes (mean score = 64.20 ± 0.24 out of 100), the findings suggested that year of study, gender, and geographical location had a significant impact (p < 0.05). In this study, we found a set of factors that, either individually or combined, help predict a student’s attitude toward animal welfare issues, which will be useful in improving the curriculum strategy in veterinary education in Italy.

Companion Animals and Religion: A Survey of Attitudes among Omani Students

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Erni Gustafsson ◽  
Nabil Alawi ◽  
Per Normann Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Companion Animals ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Use Of Self ◽  
Religious Observance ◽  
Sultan Qaboos University ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
High Degree

Abstract Prompted by the scarcity of studies on the attitudes of people towards pet (companion) animals in most Arab countries and inspired by their previous research on the attitudes towards animals in Palestine and Norway, the researchers conducted this study to measure the attitudes of university students in Oman with reference to religious observance. A total of 217 students at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman responded to the Pet Attitude Scale (PAS) combined with questions regarding religious observance. The findings revealed somewhat less positive attitudes toward companion animals among the Omani students than the Palestinian students. Despite the general high degree of religious observance among Omani students, the study showed no significant correlation between religiosity and attitudes towards animals among Omani students. Some difficulties connected with the use of self-report questionnaires and the possibilities to investigate attitudes versus actual behavior are also discussed.

Attitudes of Australian and Turkish Students of Veterinary Medicine toward Nonhuman Animals and Their Careers

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 580-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serdar Izmirli ◽  
Ali Yigit ◽  
Clive Julian Christie Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Veterinary Medicine ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Career Aspirations ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Nonhuman Animal ◽  
Veterinary Students ◽  
Program Satisfaction ◽  
Attitudes Toward Animals ◽  
Nonhuman Animals ◽  
Predominately Female

We examined attitudes toward nonhuman animal welfare and rights and career aspirations in Australian and Turkish veterinary students. A representative university was selected in each country, with 190 first- and third-year students sampled in each. Survey questions addressed attitudes toward nonhuman animal welfare/rights, and intended career. Australian and Turkish students were predominately female and male, respectively, but attitudes were similar between sexes. Australian students rated keeping companion animals and hormonal desexing more acceptable, and food and rest deprivation, pain during slaughter, and using animals in experiments less acceptable than Turkish students. Keeping companion animals related strongly with students’ moral values, their decision to study veterinary medicine, and program satisfaction. More Australian than Turkish students wanted to enter clinical practice. Thus veterinary students of these two culturally contrasting countries demonstrated both differences and universalities, such as companion animal keeping, which influenced their attitudes toward animals and career aspirations.

Attitudes toward Animals: The Effect of Priming Thoughts of Human-Animal Similarities and Mortality Salience on the Evaluation of Companion Animals

2009 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Loughnan ◽  
Michael Halloran ◽  
Ruth Beatson
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Pet Owners ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Attitudes Toward Animals ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
People’S Attitudes ◽  
Attitudes Toward Pets

AbstractHuman attitudes toward nonhuman animals are complex and quite contradictory. They can range between extremely negative (animal cruelty) to positive (treating companion animals like human surrogates). Attitudes toward animals are especially negative when people think about human creatureliness and personal mortality. This paper investigates people's attitudes toward highly valued animals (companion animals). The research presented here tested whether companion-animal caregivers would respond to reminders of human creatureliness and mortality salience (MS) with more negative attitudes toward pets. Participants completed an online survey in which MS and human-creatureliness conditions were manipulated. Results showed that, under MS, even pet owners responded to reminders of human creatureliness with less positive attitudes toward the average pet. Thus, the effects observed in previous research extend to more popular animals, even among people with presumably positive attitudes toward animals.

scholarly journals Attitudes Toward Animal Rights in Palestine: A Quantitative Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-150
Author(s):  
Erni Gustafsson ◽  
Nabil Alawi ◽  
Per Normann Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
University Students ◽  
Quantitative Study ◽  
Animal Rights ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Present Situation ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Animal Protection ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Nonhuman Animals

Abstract This study investigates and compares attitudes of 205 Palestinian and Norwegian university students toward companion animals (pets) using the Pet Attitude Scale. In order to provide some background for the Palestinian attitudes toward nonhuman animals, we discuss canonical Islamic texts on their treatment, as well as the present situation for animal protection in the Middle East. The findings from the survey suggest differences between Palestinian and Norwegian students; however, both groups showed predominately positive attitudes.

Suicide-Bereaved Individuals’ Attitudes Toward Therapists

Crisis ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin F. Ward-Ciesielski ◽  
Madeline D. Wielgus ◽  
Connor B. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Time Of Death ◽  
Loved One ◽  
Important Group ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Suicide Bereaved ◽  
Research Domain

Background: Suicide-bereaved individuals represent an important group impacted by suicide. Understanding their experiences following the suicide of a loved one is an important research domain, despite receiving limited attention. Although suicide-bereaved individuals may benefit from mental health treatment, their attitudes toward therapy and therapists are poorly understood. Aims: The present study aimed to understand the extent to which bereaved individuals’ attitudes toward therapy and therapists are impacted by whether their loved one was in therapy at the time of death. Method: Suicide-bereaved individuals (N = 243) from the United States were recruited to complete an online survey about their experience with and attitudes toward therapy and therapists following the suicide of a loved one. Results: Bereaved individuals whose loved one was in therapy at the time of death (N = 48, 19.8%) reported more negative and less positive attitudes toward the treating therapist than those whose loved one was not in therapy at the time of death (N = 81, 33.3%) or whose loved one was never in therapy/the deceased’s therapy status was unknown (N = 114, 46.9%). Conclusion: The deceased’s involvement with a therapist appears to be an important factor impacting the experience of bereaved individuals and should be considered when attempting to engage these individuals in postvention.

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