IntroForumsLast 30 DaysTree View
Search Help
Chronological
Keywords
|
Basic Paper Conference: Forum 10: Bonds: Basic Paper Working with animals allows man to experience in a challenging way his ambivalent attitude to nature - the desire to use and to change, but also the need to protect and preserve. During man's evolution, he has taken many animals into his care and made use of them as domestic livestock, as suppliers of meat, milk, eggs and other products, for animal experimentation in applied and basic research, for sport, as attractions in zoos or wildlife parks, or as his companion in the house or during the hunt. This broad and diverse background explains the considerable public interest in the problems of livestock farming and animal experimentation in particular, and the concern about keeping and using other animals, and animal welfare in general. Man's relationship to domestic animals is characterised by several contradictory developments. Farm animals are often kept in large groups where the main target is maximum productivity at low cost, and the contact between the stockperson and individual animals is largely no longer present. On the other hand, more and more consumers wish to buy products from animals kept, transported and slaughtered under humane conditions, and the market for such products is growing. In modern industrial society with its tendency towards isolation of the individual, pets are increasingly significant as companion animals. Growing segments of the population, particularly in urban regions, keep millions of animals as pets, including exotic species, which due to their owners' ignorance are not always housed under optimal conditions. Animals fulfil an important function within the context of social hygiene, and they are also used in therapy. Man has changed the characteristics of many farm, pet and other animals according to his own wishes, and modification of animals by genetic engineering is on the rise. Goals of the scientific discourse: Further development of animal welfare in various fields, including scientific, ethical, legal and economic aspects. Developing appropriate housing conditions for livestock animals and for animals kept as pets, according to the biological requirements of the different species. Making information available to pet and livestock owners on the biological requirements and appropriate housing of the species in question, and educating professional groups that work with animals about animal welfare. Evaluation of health and welfare requirements in order to create standards of husbandry, feeding and care for each particular type of animal (stressing the importance of knowledge for animal welfare). Evaluation and comparison of various scientific methods for the determination of appropriate housing conditions for various animals, in particular with clinical, physiological, morphological and ethological parameters. Animal welfare in sports: responsibilities and risks. Economic significance of the pet market, including the trade in pet animals, the pet food industry, and pet equipment and accessories. Importance of pets for children, for old people, in old people's homes, for handicapped persons and in therapy; pet animals and human health: advantages and risks. Animal welfare and modification of animals by breeding: motivation, aims and risks. Hansjoachim Hackbarth, School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany Andreas Steiger, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Berne, Switzerland |