In 2022, The Animal Welfare Collaborative (TAWC) will host TAWC Talks; regular online presentations that address big topics related to animal welfare in Australia and internationally.

In TAWC Talks, experts from a variety of disciplines will highlight challenges and discuss opportunities in the field of animal welfare.

TAWC welcomes everyone with an interest in the continuous improvement to the wellbeing of animals to check out TAWC Talks.

TAWC Talks will be freely available on the TAWC YouTube Channel and TAWC website. Details available soon.

A selection of animal welfare news from around the world

Brought to you by
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
Send us your news!

News 10 - 23 February 2022

Cross-sectoral
  • Climate change impacts will require stronger animal welfare laws, RSCPA conference hears (Beef Central)
Cattle in beef & dairy production
  • New allegations of animal abuse won’t help a UK dairy sector already on the brink (The Grocer O/S)
  • UK Dairy industry reacts to claims on BBC Panorama Programme (Farming Life O/S)
  • UK Dairy farmers frustrated by poor welfare shown in TV report (Farmers Weekly O/S)
  • Study finds significant production gains with shedded feedlot shades (Beef Central)
  • EU animal welfare review could see tail docking, castration and dehorning ban (Farm online)
  • Vic farmer receives 10-year ban and $60,000 fine (Beef Central)
Pigs in pork production
  • Causes of pig aggression and how to reduce it for better welfare (Farmers Weekly O/S)
  • Activist Icahn takes on McDonald’s over animal welfare (Irish Times O/S)
  • Delayed welfare law allows US pork producer to resume shipments to California (The Pig Site O/S)
  • Genetic engineering: Promising tool to improve animal welfare (National Hog Farmer O/S)
  • For now, only written arguments will be allowed to decide case on new US swine inspection system (Food Safety News O/S)
  • Defra revises slaughter scheme to help ease pig crisis (Farmers Weekly O/S)
  • Farmers blast 'utter disgrace' of 40,000 healthy pigs being culled due to lack of butchers with another 200,000 stuck on farms - as they demand investment so Britain 'can continue to be fed' (Daily Mail O/S)
Poultry in meat & egg production
  • How the egg sector can gain social media consumer impact (Watt Poultry O/S)
  • Egg producers fear backyard chook owners may pose biosecurity risk to poultry industry (ABC)
  • Meat Chicken Welfare Research Completed (Poultry Hub)
  • Why the broiler industry is fighting Defra’s poultry transport plans (Farmers Weekly O/S)
  • Insect proteins offer health, welfare benefits to poultry (Watt Poultry O/S)
  • Industry May Apply VSD+ in the Event of HPAI Depletions (Egg News O/S)
  • University of Tennessee researches animal welfare in poultry production (Meat+Poultry O/S)
  • Israel Bans Cages for Egg Laying Hens (Jewish Press O/S)
  • Taiwan bans cages for egg-laying ducks (Poultry World O/S)
Sheep in meat & wool production
  • Sheep pain relief company Numnuts faces next drug rescheduling hurdle (QLD Country Life)
  • AWI to spend $550,000 on grower flystrike training (Sheep Central)
Animals in transit & at slaughter
  • Claims of ignored animal welfare issues 'doesn't meet lived experience': DAWE (Farm Weekly)
  • Chinese companies lobby New Zealand to continue with live cattle exports (Stuff NZ O/S)
  • New Research Shows the Overwhelming Majority of Americans Oppose Horse Slaughter (Cision O/S)
Animals in aquaculture and wild caught
Animals in research & teaching
Animals in racing, sports & work
  • Sir Mark Todd given interim suspension by BHA over treatment of horse in video (RNZ O/S)
  • Praise for NZ harness racing over attention to horse welfare (Horsetalk NZ O/S)
  • Greyhound death at new Traralgon track prompts questions about safety (ABC)
Animals in zoos, aquaria & the wild
  • Feral: The bitter clash of culture over Australia's wild horses (ABC)
  • Animal Welfare Standards To Be Set In Japan (Wild Welfare O/S)
  • Wolves Will Regain Federal Protection in Much of the U.S. (New York Times O/S)
  • Badger culls are dividing England’s rural communities (National Geographic O/S)
  • Distraught wildlife rescuers demand Bunnings, eBay and Amazon stop selling glue traps (9 News)
Pets & companion animals
  • Could Australia follow Norway's lead and ban breeding of dogs on animal welfare grounds? (ABC)
  • RSPCA removes Kurt Zouma's two pet cats after videos of him kicking one of them appeared (BBC O/S)
  • ‘Now is the danger time’: why the end of lockdown puts puppies at risk (The Guardian O/S)
  • Australian equestrian federation brings in guidance on maximum rider weight (Horse and Hound)
Podcasts & presentations
  • Dairy cattle behaviour in modern production systems - Dr. João Costa, Univ Kentucky. (Campbell Center Univ Guelph)
  • Exploring the connections between cognition and welfare in farmed animals - Dr. Rebecca Meagher (Campbell Center Univ Guelph)
  • RSPCA Australia Animal Welfare Seminar 2022 - Animal Welfare in a Changing Climate Abstracts
  • 'Taking kids down the abattoir and getting them to know where their food comes from’ (GB News O/S)
Policy
  • UK set to reject Canada's hormone beef demands in trade talks setback -The Telegraph (Reuters O/S)
  • A Five-Year Effort Comes to Fruition: Italy Enshrines Animal Protection in Constitution (Yahoo O/s)
  • Pledge to ban fur and foie gras imports could be dropped after cabinet revolt (The Guardian O/S)
  • Animal welfare: consultation opens on Farm to Fork guidance (EFSA O/S)
  • Tory MPs plan revolt over U-turn on fur and foie gras import ban (The Guardian O/S)
  • Voters decline to give limited rights to non-human primates (SwissInfo O/S)
  • Swiss to vote on becoming first country to ban animal testing (Reuters O/S)
  • Vested interests versus 'livestock-bashing? European Parliament comes under fire for watered-down animal welfare ambition (Food Navigator O/S)
  • European Commission Commits to Phasing Out Caged Farming (Foodtank O/S)
  • Ban on 'cruel' animal testing to be debated by MPs after thousands sign petition (Daily Mirror O/S)
Other/Publications
  • Animal lovers? Actually, Britain is a nation of sentimental hypocrites (The Guardian O/S)
  • A perspective on industrial livestock production (Open Access Govt O/S)
  • Cow documentary shows the need for fundamental legal rights for animals (The Conversation O/S)
  • Is it safe to raise my child vegan or vegetarian? (Washington Post O/S)
  • RSPCA Australia Science Update – Special Edition. Animal Welfare in a Changing Climate. (RSPCA Australia)
  • RSPCA Australia welcomes new Chief Science Officer (RSPCA Australia)
  • The meat paradox: how your brain wrestles with the ethics of eating animals (The Conversation O/S)
  • The strange but important new science of pain (The Age)
  • Top EU official: Religious slaughter bans paint Jews, Muslims as ‘medieval (Politico O/S)
  • Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Aotearoa has been recently established, to provide a science-based animal welfare advocacy voice in NZ (VAWA)
  • What Do Those Food Labels Really Mean? (Foodtank O/S)
  • Will the Future of Food Be a World Without Meat (Psychology Today O/S)
  • Augustine, L.; Baskir, E.; Kozlowski, C.P.; Hammack, S.; Elden, J.; Wanner, M.D.; Franklin, A.D.; Powell, D.M. Investigating Welfare Metrics for Snakes at the Saint Louis Zoo. Animals 2022, 12, 373. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12030373
  • Boereboom, A.; Mongondry, P.; de Aguiar, L.K.; Urbano, B.; Jiang, Z.; de Koning, W.; Vriesekoop, F. Identifying Consumer Groups and Their Characteristics Based on Their Willingness to Engage with Cultured Meat: A Comparison of Four European Countries. Foods 2022, 11, 197. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11020197
  • Chen Maria, Weary Daniel M. “Cattle Welfare Is Basically Human Welfare”: Workers' Perceptions of ‘Animal Welfare' on Two Dairies in China. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8, 2022. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fvets.2021.808767   
  • Clay, A.S.; Visseren-Hamakers, I.J. Individuals Matter: Dilemmas and Solutions in Conservation and Animal Welfare Practices in Zoos. Animals 2022, 12, 398. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12030398
  • Ebinghaus, A.; Matull, K.; Knierim, U.; Ivemeyer, S. Associations between Dairy Herds’ Qualitative Behavior and Aspects of Herd Health, Stockperson and Farm Factors—A Cross-Sectional Exploration. Animals 2022, 12, 182. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12020182
  • Fulmer, A.E.; Laven, L.J.; Hill, K.E. Quality of Life Measurement in Dogs and Cats: A Scoping Review of Generic Tools. Animals 2022, 12, 400. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12030400
  • Harvey, N.D.; Christley, R.M.; Giragosian, K.; Mead, R.; Murray, J.K.; Samet, L.; Upjohn, M.M.; Casey, R.A. Impact of Changes in Time Left Alone on Separation-Related Behaviour in UK Pet Dogs. Animals 2022, 12, 482. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12040482
  • Leroy, Frédéric; Petracci, Massimiliano. Rabbit meat: valuable nutrition or too-cute-to-eat?. World Rabbit Science, , v. 29, n. 4, p. 239-246, dec. 2021. ISSN 1989-8886.Available at: https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/wrs/article/view/12663/14721.
  • Louton, H.; Bergmann, S.; Piller, A.; Erhard, M.; Stracke, J.; Spindler, B.; Schmidt, P.; Schulte-Landwehr, J.; Schwarzer, A. Automatic Scoring System for Monitoring Foot Pad Dermatitis in Broilers. Agriculture 2022, 12, 221. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020221
  • W.J. McFarlane, D.L. Renaud, C.N. Reedman, T.F. Duffield, M.B. Van Camp, C.B. Winder. A scoping review of the analytical literature concerning nonambulatory dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science, Volume 105, Issue 3, 2022, Pages 2544-2557. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030221010754
  • Merenda, V.R.; de Oliveira, E.B.; Fowler, H.N.; Pairis-Garcia, M.D. Dairy Cattle Euthanasia—Focus Groups Exploring the Perspectives of Brazilians Working in the Dairy Cattle Industry. Animals 2022, 12, 409. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12040409
  • Rault Jean-Loup, Sandøe Peter, Sonntag Quixi, Stuardo Leopoldo. Positive Animal Welfare: Bridging the Gap or Raising Inequalities Worldwide? Frontiers in Animal Science, 3, 2022. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fanim.2022.825379
  • Ratuski, A.S.; Weary, D.M. Environmental Enrichment for Rats and Mice Housed in Laboratories: A Metareview. Animals 2022, 12, 414. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12040414  
  • Sweeney, S.; Regan, Á.; McKernan, C.; Benson, T.; Hanlon, A.; Dean, M. Current Consumer Perceptions of Animal Welfare across Different Farming Sectors on the Island of Ireland. Animals 2022, 12, 185. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12020185
  • Woodrum Setser Megan M., Neave Heather W., Vanzant Eric, Costa Joao H. C. Development and Utilization of an Isolation Box Test to Characterize Personality Traits of Dairy Calves. Frontiers in Animal Science, 3, 2022. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fanim.2022.770755     

Conferences, Seminars & Events

  • Professor Mark Hutchinson: ‘How to take more great Australian science from ‘bench to boardroom’ 2 March (Details)
  • Global Food Partners: Perspectives of Egg Producers in Asia: Adoption & Maintenance of Cage-free Systems in China, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Feb 24 12.00pm AEDT (Global Food Partners)
  • Animal Welfare and Sustainability – Can good animal welfare be part of sustainable agriculture? 3 March 20.00 AEDT(Scotland’s Rural College)
  • Online Seminar on Working Dog Welfare by Dr. Mia Cobb 8 March, 10.00am AEDT. (City Univ of Hong Kong)
  • Animal Welfare Concerns with Dog Breeding – Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre Webinar. 16 March, 6.00 AEDT. (SJDAWC)
  • Animal Welfare Concerns with Dog Breeding – Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre Webinar. 23 March, 6.00 AEDT. (SJDAWC)
  • European Assn of Zoos and Aquaria first Animal Welfare Forum. 21 – 24 March 2022,The Netherlands. (EAZA)
  • Animal Welfare Concerns with Dog Breeding – Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre Webinar. 30 March, 6.00 AEDT. (SJDAWC)
  • 2nd Australian Biosecurity Symposium, Gold Coast, 3 – 5 May 2022. (Registration)
  • Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour – Workshop On Ethics Of Animal Behaviour And Welfare Research, online 21-22 June, UK daytime (ASAB)
  • UFAW International Conference, Edinburgh UK June 28-29 (Details)
  • HSA International Conference – Livestock Welfare during Transport, Marketing & Slaughter. 30 June – 1 July 2022. Edinburgh UK. Details
  • Australian Association of Animal Sciences Conference. 5 – 7 July 2022. (AAAS2022)
  • European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming & International Conference on Precision Dairy Farming, 29 Aug-2 Sept University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (Vetmeduni)
  • The 55th Congress of the International Society of Applied Ethology, 4 – 8 Sept 2022. N Macedonia. (ISAE)
Subscribe
Note: By subscribing to Animal Welfare Snapshot, you are also consenting to receive other communications from The Animal Welfare Collaborative. You may choose to unsubscribe from either of these mailing lists at any time.