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
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News 11 - 24 November 2021

Cross-sectoral
  • From 'Fitbits for cows' to DNA testing and certification: How is the meat sector innovating to improve animal welfare? (Food Navigator O/S)
  • Canada floods leave thousands of farm animals dead and more trapped (The Guardian O/S)
  • Animal Welfare’s Most Complex Issues: From Extensive Farming to Stunning (Slow Food O/S)
  • Federal funds used to spur on horse tracing recommendations (ABC)
  • Researchers create new pain-relieving compounds (Technology Networks O/S)
Cattle in beef & dairy production
  • Can we have our (happy) beef and eat it too? (GreenBiz O/S)
  • Dairy licence reinstated with conditions for Canadian Abbotsford farm under B.C. SPCA investigation (Canada.com O/S)
  • Video of Dairy Farm Workers Beating Cows Has PETA Calling On Feds to Shut Down Cedar Valley Farms (PETA O/S)
Pigs in pork production
  • Update on gene editing instead of physical castration (Farm Progress O/S)
  • What’s next for pigs’ tails? (Pig Progress O/S)
  • Group housing, the future for sows (The Pig Site O/S)
  • Welfare kills mount as pig farms lose money (Farmers Weekly O/S)
  • study pig aggression to improve animal welfare (Farming UK O/S)
  • 30 years after EU Pig Welfare Legislation, will the EU finally step up to protect pigs? (Brussels Times O/S)
  • What Do International Pork Customers Really Want? (Pork Business O/S)
  • One year trial to operate faster processing-line speeds at US pork plants given the green light (Pig World O/S)
Poultry in meat & egg production
  • Ethical concerns remain with in-ovo gender determination (Poultry World O/S)
  • Free-range chickens may have it better but what makes a hen's life 'good'? (ABC)
  • Canada: Joint animal welfare working group created (The Poultry Site O/S)
  • Progress towards cage-free egg commitments continues despite supply chain disruptions, latest EggTrack Report reveals (Yahoo O/S)
  • Broiler breeders prefer wooden nests (Poultry World O/S)
  • Could robots replace hourly employees in cage-free houses? (Watt Poultry O/S)
  • Swiss launch world’s first plant-based hard-boiled eggs (Watt Poultry O/S)
Sheep in meat & wool production
  • Non-mulesed wool premiums hit 100-350 cents at auctions (Sheep Central)
Animals in transit & at slaughter
  • Why Jewish ritual slaughter bans are unnecessary — and harmful to Jewish life (Washington Post O/S)
  • Animal welfare officer named live export industry’s Young Achiever (Beef Central)
Animals in aquaculture
  • Canada releases first-ever code for care and handling of farmed salmonids (The Fish Site O/S)
Animals in research & teaching
  • 'Cruel experiments on dogs are failing': Are beagles still used to test tobacco? (Euronews O/S)
Animals in racing, sports & work
  • Greyhound trainers who harmed animals still racing amid record profits (SMH)
  • A 3-time pentathlon world champion says the Olympic horse-punch saga was just the latest incident in a long history of the sport neglecting horse welfare (Insider O/S)
  • Ethical challenges of equestrian sport tackled head-on in new framework (Horsetalk NZ O/S)
Animals in zoos, aquaria & the wild
  • French Parliament approves law banning use of wild animals in circuses (Washington Post O/S)
  • Expedia to stop selling holidays that include captive dolphin shows (The Guardian O/S)
  • AZA Statement on Expedia Group’s Animal Welfare Policy Changes (Assn of Zoos & Aquariums O/S)
  • The Terrible Truth About Training With Reinforcement (Zoospensefull O/S)
  • Partnership Between Zoos Victoria And Rspca Creates Connected Wildlife Hospital Network (Ausleisure)
  • Grant awarded to global animal welfare and conservation charity to improve the handling of confiscated wildlife to aid survival and successful prosecutions (PR Newswire O/S)
  • AWI Grants Support Humane Approaches to Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts (AWI O/S))
  • There's been a huge spike in injured and unwell turtles in south-east Queensland — but it's hard to work out why (ABC)
Pets & companion animals
  • Whose opinion matters, on equine health and welfare? (Horse and Hound O/S)
  • The Truth About Cats and Dogs – The University of Edinburgh (Coursera)
  • Companion Animals NZ Conference 2021, “Towards A Good Life” – Recorded presentations (Companion Animals NZ)
Podcasts & presentations
  • Inside the controversial world of animal testing: 'It's not putting lipstick on a kitten' – video (The Guardian O/S)
  • Companion Animals NZ Conference 2021, “Towards A Good Life” – Recorded presentations (Companion Animals NZ)
Policy
  • Boiling of live lobsters could be banned in UK under proposed legislation (The Guardian O/S)
  • UK government asks chefs for vegan recipes to replace foie gras (The Guardian O/S)
Other/Publications
  • SARS-CoV-2 could be lurking in animal hidey-holes (The Economist O/S
  • Harvard Law gets $10 million for animal law program (Reuters O/S)
  • Opinion: Optics not ethics driving banking’s social conscience (Beef Central)
  • Editorial: Perspectives in Dealing With Surplus Male Farm Animals (Frontiers in Vet Sci)
  • What happens to your dog’s brain when you’re not there? (The Age)
  • Beausoleil, N., McKeegan, D. E. F., & Martin, J. (2021). Avian Welfare: Fundamental concepts and scientific assessment. In Sturkie’s Avian Physiology 7th Edition (7th ed.). Academic Press Inc.. ISBN )9780128197707 , 0128197706
  • Diana, A.; Salas, M.; Pereboom, Z.; Mendl, M.; Norton, T. A Systematic Review of the Use of Technology to Monitor Welfare in Zoo Animals: Is There Space for Improvement? Animals 2021, 11, 3048. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113048
  • Hubená, P., Horký, P. & Slavík, O. Fish self-awareness: limits of current knowledge and theoretical expectations. Anim Cogn (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-021-01566-5
  • Huneau-Salaün, A.; Bougeard, S.; Balaine, L.; Eono, F.; Eveno, É.; Guillermic, M.; Thomas, R.; Rose, N.; Pol, F. Do Rubber Floor Mats Prevent Lameness in Gestating Sows Housed in Large Groups? A Field Experiment on Three Commercial Farms in France. Animals 2021, 11, 3160. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113160
  • Lorbach, J.N.; Campler, M.R.; Youngblood, B.; Farnell, M.B.; Beyene, T.J.; Kieffer, J.; Moeller, S.J.; Arruda, A.G.; Bowman, A.S. Comparison of Gaseous and Water-Based Medium-Expansion Foam Depopulation Methods in Cull Sows. Animals 2021, 11, 3179. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113179
  • Roadknight, N., Wales, W., Jongman, E.C., Courtman, N., Mansell, P., Woodward, A.P. and Fisher, A.D. 2021 Can calf age be estimated using a combination of serum gamma-glutamyl transferase, total protein and immunoglobulin G?.  Research in Veterinary Science, Volume 141, 2021, Pages 14-18, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2021.10.002

Conferences, Seminars & Events

  • LAST DAYS TO REGISTER – Animal Welfare Horizons 2021 (virtual event), 29th November, 9.00am AEST. Register here or visit TAWC Webpage for more details.
  • LAST DAYS TO REGISTER – The National Primary Industries Animal Welfare Strategy – Research Snapshots,  November 30th, 11.00am AEDST – Register here or visit NAWRDES Project Snapshots page for more details
  • TEAGASC Pig Tail Biting Workshop Nov 25th  1.00am AEST (TEAGASC)
  • Calf Alive Symposium. Fri, 26 Nov 2021 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM AEST. Hughenden, QLD  (Register)
  • ISAE Online Regional Meeting (Africa/Australasia) 1 – 2 December. (Details)
  • World Aquaculture 2020, 5 – 8 December, Singapore (Details)
  • RSPCA Australia Animal Welfare Seminar 2022 – Animal welfare in a changing climate 16 – 17 February 2022 (Details)
  • European Assn of Zoos and Aquaria first Animal Welfare Forum. 21 – 24 March 2022,The Netherlands. (EAZA)
  • 2nd Australian Biosecurity Symposium, Gold Coast, 3 – 5 May 2022. (Registration)
  • 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)
  • The 55th Congress of the International Society of Applied Ethology, 4 – 8 Sept 2022. N Macedonia. (ISAE)

 

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