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 21 January – 3 February 2021

Cross-sectoral
  • PETA’s ‘Pants on Fire’ Awards—10 Companies That Deceive Consumers (PETA O/S)
  • RSPCA’s ambitious new strategy to cut cruelty by 50% (Wales247 O/S)
  • Farmers command deepest trust among public, report says (FarmingUK O/S)
  • Denmark offers mink farmers up to $4 billion compensation after nationwide cull amid coronavirus fears (ABC)
  • Overcoming the impact of COVID-19 on animal welfare: COVID-19 Thematic Platform on Animal Welfare (OIE Bulletin O/S)
  • Animal Law Encyclopedia – is a work-in-progress and will aim to provide definitions for key animal law terms, issues and concepts, as well as summaries of select case law. (Voiceless Australia)
Cattle in beef & dairy production
  • Animal welfare decision support tool developed for livestock producers (Beef Central)
  • What makes a ‘happy’ dairy cow, indoors or outdoors? (Scottish Farmer O/S)
  • University of Guelph Leading Global Dairy Farming Genomics Project (The Cattle Site O/S)
Pigs in pork production
  • Covid-19 outbreak: Brechin abattoir closure threatens Scotland’s pig sector (Scottish Farmer O/S)
  • Real Welfare scheme demonstrates continued improvements in pig welfare (ADHB O/S)
Poultry in meat & egg production
  • CP Foods to certify Thailand’s first cage-free standard (Watt Poultry O/S)
  • Bird welfare in poultry production: dietary soy α-galactosides do play a role! (The Poultry Site O/S)
  • Biden’s latest executive action is a win for chickens and meatpacking workers (Vox O/S)
  • Animal Welfare Charities Say Germany’s Ban on Culling Live Male Chicks Does Not Go Far Enough (Sputnik O/S)
  • McDonald’s Australia introduce SPCA-approved chooks (FoodMag)
  • Germany approves draft law to end mass culling of male chicks (Guardian O/S)
  • HenTrack project uses new tracking to boost poultry genetics (Poultry World O/S)
Sheep in meat & wool production
  • More ‘up-to-date’ reference year sought for Sheep Welfare Scheme (AgriLand O/S)
  • Interest sought for non-mulesed wool auctions (Sheep Central)
Animals in transit & at slaughter
  • EU revealed to be world’s biggest live animal exporter (Guardian O/S)
  • I Slaughter Animals for a Living. This Is How I Control My Emotions (Vice O/S)
Animals in aquaculture

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Animals in research & teaching

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Animals in racing & sport
  • NZ’s first rodeo related prosecution sees Northland farmer fined for animal cruelty (Northern Advocate O/S)
Animals in zoos, aquaria & the wild
  • French lawmakers debate ban on wild animals in circuses (AP O/S)
  • Wedge-tailed eagles poisoned with pesticides in southern NSW are likely victims of ‘foul play’ (ABC)
  • Edinburgh University and UK animal welfare charity collaborate on education programme for captive wildlife keepers (Wild about Welfare O/S)
Pets & companion animals
  • Pro Bono Push To Fight Australia’s COVID-19 Fuelled Puppy Farm Industry Expansion (New Matilda)
  • Pets are for life, not just a pandemic: A vet’s advice on how to care for your new pet (New Daily)
  • University of Guelph online survey study (on scoring kitten behavior) using video clips. (Uni Guelph O/S)
  • Good knowledge of horses a key contributor to welfare, study finds (Horsetalk)
 
Podcasts & presentations
  • Royal Ag Univ hosts farm animal welfare webinar with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (RAU O/S) Recording not yet available
  • RSPCA’s Humane Food Podcast (RSPCA Australia)
  • The Rise of Animal Law Education: A Discipline Whose Time is Now (Voiceless Australia)
Policy
  • UK ministers gain power to allow lower-standard food imports (Guardian O/S)
  • RSPCA plans to stop taking animal abusers to court privately (Guardian O/S)
  • New EU Laws Could Censor Vegan ‘Dairy’ Products (EcoWatch O/S)
  • Government must commit to improving welfare of animals at slaughter, say vets (BVA O/S)
  • MPs’ inquiry to scrutinise potential live export ban (FarmingUK O/S)
Other/Publications
  • RSPCA Australia Science Update (January 2021)
  • Can Vegans Get a COVID-19 Vaccine? (PETA UK O/S)
  • Baptista Jacqueline, Blache Dominique, Cox-Witton Keren, Craddock Nicola, Dalziel Toni, de Graaff Nicolas, Fernandes Jill, Green Ronda, Jenkins Helen, Kahn Sarah, Kelly Deborah, Lauber Mariko, Maloney Shane K., Peachey Bridget, Rodger Ian, Skuse Jeremy, Tilbrook Alan J., Walker Frederick Rohan, Wall Kelly, Zito Sarah (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Welfare of Animals in Australia. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Vol 7, 2021, p 1219.   https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.621843/full
  • Fernandes, J.N.; Hemsworth, P.H.; Coleman, G.J.; Tilbrook, A.J. Costs and Benefits of Improving Farm Animal Welfare. Agriculture 2021, 11, 104. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11020104
  • Hemsworth, L.M.; Jongman, E.C.; Coleman, G.J. The Human–Horse Relationship: Identifying the Antecedents of Horse Owner Attitudes towards Horse Husbandry and Management Behaviour. Animals 2021, 11, 278. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020278
  • I. Veissier, M. Miele, L. Mounier. Animal welfare official inspections: farmers and inspectors shared concerns, Animal,Volume 15, Issue 1,2021,100038,ISSN 1751-7311. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751731120300380

Conferences, Seminars & Events

  • National Livestock Wellbeing Seminar Series. Tuesday 9 February 2021 – Infection Resilience (Univ Adel)
  • Precision Management of Animals: Image Processing and Computer Vision Applications (Feb 9, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM US central time ASAS)
  • RSPCA Animal Welfare Seminar 2021. 18/19 Feb on-line. –  FELINE FUTURES: Exploring Humane Domestic Cat Management in Australia. https://www.rspca.org.au/our-role-in-animal-welfare-science/animal-welfare-seminar
  • Universities Federation for Animal Welfare. Recent advances in animal welfare science VIII (UFAW). 29-30 June.
  • 8th International Conference on The Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level (WAFL). 16-19 August – Virtual Conference.
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