A selection of animal welfare news from around the world

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Please note that the articles below do not reflect opinions of TAWC. Although we aim to provide comprehensive coverage, there are likely articles that we’ve missed.

O/S = Overseas source

News 8 - 21 September 2022

Cross-sectoral
  • Evonik using epigenetics to trace animal welfare (Feedstuffs O/S)
  • The on-farm sexual revolution is getting closer to home (ABC)
  • Animal welfare: people’s initiative takes aim at factory farming (Swissinfo O/S)
  • UK Factory Farming Is Booming – When Will We Stop Romanticizing Our ‘Animal Welfare’? (Plant-Based News O/S)
  • To protect animal farming, progress must continue (Rural Life NZ O/S)
  • How to promote beef and lamb as vegans split over fake meat (Beef Central)
Cattle in beef & dairy production
  • Dairy cull cows exposed to welfare issues during transport – report (Irish Farmers Journal O/S)
  • The role of cow claw trimming in welfare and profitability (Dairy Global O/S)
  • Animal welfare tools launched as part of Irish research project (Agriland O/S)
  • Ruminant Health and Welfare reiterate rules for calf rearers (Scottish Farmer O/S)
  • Lab-grown ‘marbled’ beef product ready for service (Beef Central)
  • Sex-sorted semen in dairy breeding – what’s the latest? (Dairy Global O/S)
Pigs in pork production
Poultry in meat & egg production
  • ‘Free-range eggs’ in EU could be from birds housed all their lives indoors (The Guardian O/S)
  • Can poultry future-proof against changing consumer demand? (Watt Poultry O/S)
  • Best Practice Hens Project - Practice Abstracts – (Best Practice Hens O/S)
  • Encouraging chick play could improve broiler welfare (Watt Poultry O/S)
  • Employee attitude and behavior can affect layer welfare (Watt Poultry O/S)
  • Australia announces new animal welfare standards for poultry (Poultry World O/S)
Sheep in meat & wool production
  • 2023 Nuffield Scholar - Enriched environments could enhance lamb production (Nuffield Australia)
  • Reminder for farmers over new docking rules as spring creeps in (RNZ O/S)
Animals in transit & at slaughter
  • Clear support for UK mandatory labels for non-stun meat, report finds (National Secular Society O/S)
  • Live sheep export gets green light (The West Australian)
  • Northern Hemisphere summer review (DAWE)
  • Animal welfare reports from export abattoirs prove system is working, industry says (ABC)
  • Animal welfare report highlights livestock ‘fit to load’ issues (Beef Central)
  • Farm organisations respond to animals transport welfare recommendations (Irish Farmers Journal O/S)
  • Pigs and Cows Need Better Shipping Conditions, EU Watchdog Says (Bloomberg O/S)
  • Animal welfare during transport: free moving animals – Scientific Opinion (EFSA O/S)
Animals in aquaculture and wild caught
Animals in research & teaching
  • ‘Cruelty-free cosmetics in the EU' campaign racks up over 1.4 million signatures (The Brussels Times O/S)
Animals in racing, sports & work
  • The horseracing industry is ignoring what science says about whipping (The Conversation)
  • Study seeks to establish a practical blueprint for sport horse welfare (Horsetalk NZ O/S)
  • Greyhound racing ‘wholesome’, inquiry told (AAP)
  • Protest held as Oxford Stadium greyhound racing returns (BBC O/S)
Animals in zoos, aquaria & the wild
  • Ukraine’s Zoos: What Is Happening To All The Animals (Discover O/S)
  • Whaling in Norway: A Brutal Tradition That Still Exists Today (Earth.org O/S)
  • When The Pandemic Came, The Zoos Closed, And The Animals Began to Act Differently (Science Alert O/S)
  • Inspectors raise concerns over animal welfare at Dublin Zoo (Irish Examiner O/S)
  • SMACC Spotlight Report - Teasing as torture July 2022 (SMACC)
  • Sea Turns Into Blood as Hundreds of Dolphins Slaughtered During the Commencement of the Taiji Dolphin Hunt in Japan (Nature World News O/S)
Pets & companion animals
  • Pet neuter surgeries fall off during pandemic, driving shelter overpopulation, survey finds (Science Daily O/S)
  • New law aims to ensure that no family must choose between their pet and their home (HSUS)
  • RSPCA issues weather warning to owners of small pets (RSPCA Victoria)
Podcasts & presentations
  • Towards a sustainable Australian dairy industry "Towards a sustainable Australian dairy industry" by Professor Peter Mansell (UniMelb)
  • Earth911 Podcast: The Role of Animal Welfare in Sustainable Development (Earth 911 O/S)
Policy
  • Zac Goldsmith loses environment job amid fears of animal welfare downgrade (The Guardian O/S)
  • SCOTUS to Decide Whether States Can Mandate Animal Welfare Standards (The Legal Intelligencer O/S)
  • NPPC, Farm Bureau respond to proponents of Proposition 12 (The Pig Site O/S)
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Other/Publications
  • Animal Welfare Incident Report 1395 (Parliament of Australia)
  • Animal Welfare Institute Fall Newsletter (AWI O/S)
  • Animal welfare vs. animal rights: What’s the difference? (AgDaily O/S)
  • Dutch city becomes world’s first to ban meat adverts in public (The Guardian O/S)
  • ‘Fungi are amazing’: turning mushrooms into vegan leather and meat (Nature O/S)
  • Global Food Partners Newsletter (GFP)
  • Happy the person – Aeon Essay (AEON O/S)
  • Now is the best time in human history to be alive (unless you’re a farm animal (Vox O/S)
  • Why do some farmers neglect their livestock? (Stuff NZ O/S)
  • Coleman GJ, Hemsworth PH, Hemsworth LM, Munoz CA and Rice M (2022) Differences in public and producer attitudes toward animal welfare in the red meat industries. Front. Psychol. 13:875221. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.875221
  • Gabrielle, L., Rebecca, O., Louise, H. et al. Play ontogeny in young chickens is affected by domestication and early stress. Sci Rep 12, 13576 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-17617-x  
  • Simone D. Guerios, Tenley R. Porcher, Gina Clemmer, Thomas Denagamage, Julie K. Levy. COVID-19 associated reduction in elective spay-neuter surgeries for dogs and cats. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2022; 9 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.912893
  • Mathilde Lanthony, Margot Danglot, Marek Špinka, Céline Tallet. Dominance hierarchy in groups of pregnant sows: Characteristics and identification of related indicators. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Volume 254, 2022, 105683. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159122001411
  • Neville V, Mounty J, Benato L, Hunter K, Mendl M, Paul ES. Pet rat welfare in the United Kingdom: The good, the bad and the ugly. Vet Rec. 2021;e559. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.559
  • C. Nawroth, M.V. Rørvang, Opportunities (and challenges) in dairy cattle cognition research: A key area needed to design future high welfare housing systems. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Volume 255, 2022, 105727. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016815912200185X
  • Parois, S.P., Van Der Zande, L.E., Knol, E.F. et al. A multi-suckling system combined with an enriched housing environment during the growing period promotes resilience to various challenges in pigs. Sci Rep 12, 6804 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10745-4
  • Wiechers D-H, Herbrandt S, Kemper N, Fels M. Does Nursing Behaviour of Sows in Loose-Housing Pens Differ from That of Sows in Farrowing Pens with Crates? Animals. 2022; 12(2):137. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12020137
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Conferences, Seminars & Events

  • Public event: EFSA findings on the animal welfare for transported animals. 26th September 2022 (Commences 5.30pm AEST) (EFSA)
  • AWP25 Webinars “Achieving Change Through Government Institutions” 3rd October 2022, 12 pm PDT (Commences 6.00am AEDT 4th October) (UBC)
  • 2022 Animal Welfare Symposium & Workshop hosted by University of Otago 21st October 2022 (ANZLAA)
  • 77th WAZA Annual Conference, 23rd  – 27th  October 2022, Tenerife. (Details)
  • RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group Meeting – 4 November 2022, Newcastle UK. (Register)
  • AWP25 Webinars “Achieving Change in Veterinary Practice” November 7, 2022 12 pm PT. (Commences 7.00am AEDT 8th November)  (UBC)
  • Global Conference on Sustainable Beef, 7th – 10th November, Denver, US (GRSB)
  • 2022 NC3Rs Primate Welfare Meeting 8th November 2022 (Commences 11.00pm AEDT) (NC3Rs)
  • AWP25 Webinars “Achieving Change for Animals in Latin America” 5th December, 2022 12 pm PT. (Commences 7.00am AEDT 6th December)  (UBC)
  • AWP25 Webinars “Achieving Change in the Private Sector” January 9th  2023 12 pm PT (Commences 7.00am AEDT 10th January 2023)  (UBC)
  • International Animal Behaviour Twitter Conference 2023 18 -19th January 2023. https://www.animbehav2023.com/?s=09
  • AWP25 Webinars “Achieving Change in the Animal Protection Movement” February 6 2023 12 pm PT  (Commences 7.00am AEDT 7th February 2023) (UBC)
  • evokeAG. 21st – 22nd February 2023, Adelaide. (evokeAG)
  • RSPCA Animal Welfare Seminar 2023. Quit horsing around: Advancing horse welfare in Australia. Wednesday 22nd – 23rd February 2023. Online. (RSPCA)
  • AWP25 Webinars “Achieving Change for Wild Animals” March 6 2023 12 pm PT (Commences 7.00am AEDT 7th March 2023 (UBC)
  • AWP25 Webinars “Achieving Change in Research” 6th April  2023 12 pm PDT (Commences 5.00am AEDT 7th April 2023) (UBC)
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