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Animal WelfareGateway to Farm Animal Welfare: February 2010 highlightsSource: Publications Standards, policies and strategies Codes of Prcatices and Recommendations Multimedia Websites Project This and more on:
No to damaging whaling dealsSource: The meeting (2nd-5th March) has been called for two reasons: firstly to discuss the future of the IWC, including a deal which would spell disaster for whales, and secondly to vote on Greenland’s request to increase its quota of whales. Read more ...
Animal welfare labelingSource: Ministers made it clear that any welfare information system would have to be simple and easy to understand and to be in line with the rules of the WTO; it was highlighted the need to avoid an increase of production costs as well as of the administrative and control burden. The Polish delegation request to postpone the deadline for the use of unenriched cages was rejected while it was confirmed to the Council that the Commission is currently working on a TSE road map for the years 2010-2015 to be presented this spring and one of the key questions concerns the age limit for BSE tests. Click here to read the press release (provisional version).
Course in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine
The aim of this course is to empower general veterinary practitioners with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively consult clients whose pets have behavioural problems. There is an emphasis on practical aspects of behavioural consulting through interactive lectures, practical workshops and web-based learning. For more information, please read the brochure.
New code sets out principles of dairy cattle welfare
Developed by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC), the code applies to all dairy cattle, including replacement stock and calves sent for slaughter. It covers all aspects of dairy cattle management including calving, milking, housing, food, water, and shelter. This is the second pastoral species code of welfare. It addresses the issues of shade and shelter which, like all grazing stock, cattle need access to in hot and very cold weather and need a dry, well ventilated place to lie down each day. The code also addresses the issue of appropriate body condition for dairy cattle. All dairy cattle need sufficient food and nutrients to be fit and healthy. The code also establishes the threshold lower body condition score of a dairy cow where urgent action has to be taken to improve its condition. Minimum standards in this code cover:
Haiti earthquake reliefAs the relief efforts continue, we've got up-to-date information from ARCH The ARCH Coalition is jointly led by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), and was formed specifically to deal with the Haiti crisis. The ARCH team is working with officials from the Haitian government as well as international agencies, such as the United Nations, to define the most pressing animal-related problems as well as identify long-term planning options. ARCH teams are on the ground in Haiti and providing direct relief to animals affected by the earthquake. The teams are prepared to provide everything from direct rescue and veterinary care for injured animals, to longer-term vaccinations or other efforts to prevent outbreaks of zoonotic diseases such as rabies and leptospirosis. The initial assessment and emergency relief efforts are in place. The teams found limited need for emergency animal relief work; however, there is considerable work ahead in the medium and long term, primarily focused on vaccination and veterinary infrastructure efforts. To date ARCH has 20 people on the ground in Haiti, The ARCH teams have treated more than 1,600 animals, mostly dogs. Other animals treated include cats, goats, sheep, pigs and cattle. There has been no call for veterinary volunteers to help with the Haitian relief effort, nor for specific veterinary medical supplies, according to Dr. Heather Case, AVMA director of scientific activities and coordinator for emergency preparedness and response. The AVMA stands ready to organize the collection of specific veterinary supplies from U.S. donors, if necessary, Case said. For ongoing updates, please follow the AVMA Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams (VMAT) on Twitter at @AVMAVMAT. Read more ...
Q&A With Temple GrandinSource: In this Chew on This podcast, Dr. Grandin joins us to discuss her work in animal welfare as it relates to food production in America. Listen to the podcast ...
Cows: More freedom may mean less milkSource: Egil Simensen from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Oslo, worked with a team of researchers to investigate data on 812 herds of Norwegian Red cattle, 192 of which were kept in tie-stalls. He said, "Free-stall cows in smaller herds produced significantly less milk than those in tie-stalls, but more milk in larger herds. Cattle are social animals and readily form dominance hierarchies, especially at areas of access to feed, water and rest. It may be that cattle which are free to move around spend more time fighting and less time feeding in small free-stalls, particularly when the design of the stall is suboptimal." Since 2004, all new cattle stalls built in Norway must be of the free-stall type. There has, however, been very little research on the impact of the interaction between housing system and herd size on animal welfare. Speaking about these results, Simensen said, "Performance and health is not universally better in small free-stalls than in tie-stalls. Herd size must be taken into consideration when preparing and evaluating regulations regarding housing system for dairy cows". Read the paper ...
Images of Relief Effort in HaitiSource: The Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti, a join initiative led by WSPA and IFAW, has been working hard to protect Haiti’s vulnerable animals. Click through for a photo slideshow of their efforts so far.
Animal aid reaches HaitiSource: The team represents the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH), formed specifically to deal with the Haiti crisis and led by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The ARCH team is meeting with officials from the Haitian government and international agencies such as the United Nations, to define the country’s most pressing animal-related problems. “Eleven days after the earthquake, we found a city in ruins. The country will not be able to start the massive rebuilding work required while its economy is broken,” said Gerardo Huertas, WSPA Disaster Management Director for the Americas. “But we have also met very professional people in the government, who have shown a deep interest in working together with us and are committed to providing us the support we need for the work ahead of us.” The team is also helping to work up an extensive long-term plan which includes options for creating and improving infrastructure for veterinary care, a large-scale vaccination program and animal population control services. Read more ...
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5 March – end November 2010
