BY-Deepandita Barman1, Biraj Kumar Sarma2, Pallabi Thakuria3 and Ruma Devi4
1Assistant Professor, Dept. of LPM, Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science, AAU, Joyhing-787051, North Lakhimpur, Assam
2&4Assistant Professor, Dept. of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, LCVSc, AAU, Joyhing-787051.
3Assistant Professor, Dept. of Veterinary medicine and Jurisprudence, LCVSc, AAU, Joyhing-787051
Introduction
Animal welfare refers to the state of the animal; the treatment that an animal receives is covered by terms such as animal care, animal husbandry, and humane treatment. An animal is in a good state of welfare if (as indicated by scientific evidence) it is healthy, comfortable, well-nourished, safe, able to express innate behavior, and if it is not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear, and distress. Good animal welfare requires disease prevention and veterinary treatment, appropriate shelter, management, nutrition, humane handling, and humane slaughter.
What are the Ethics?
The ethical foundation of capabilities approach aims to respect the human-animal relationship from the perspectives of both humans and other animals and follows the following ethics:
- The responsible use of animals for human purposes, such as companionship, food, fiber, recreation, work, education, exhibition, and research conducted for the benefit of both humans and animals, is consistent with the Veterinarian’s Oath.
- Decisions regarding animal care, use, and welfare shall be made by balancing scientific knowledge and professional judgment with consideration of ethical and societal values.
- Animals must be provided water, food, proper handling, health care, and an environment appropriate to their care and use, with thoughtful consideration for their species-typical biology and behavior.
- Animals should be cared for in ways that minimize fear, pain, stress, and suffering.
- Procedures related to animal housing, management, care, and use should be continuously evaluated, and when indicated, refined or replaced.
- Conservation and management of animal populations should be humane, socially responsible, and scientifically prudent.
- Animals shall be treated with respect and dignity throughout their lives and, when necessary, provided a humane death.
- The veterinary profession shall continually strive to improve animal health and welfare through scientific research, education, collaboration, advocacy, and the development of legislation and regulations.
Human and animal welfare in relation to ecosystem:
Ecosystem services are the benefits derived by humans from ecosystems and are classified in four major groupings: provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting. Provisioning ecosystem services include products that humans obtain from ecosystems including food, water, fuel, fiber, and genetic resources. Regulating services include the benefits of climate regulation, disease regulation, water regulation and purification, control of erosion, pollination, and the maintenance of air quality.
Croplands, grasslands, and rangelands that support the production of feedstuffs for agricultural animals can play an important role in carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions (regulating services). Animal manure applied to those same lands can contribute to soil formation and the cycling of nutrients within the ecosystem (supporting services).
- Air emissions: Gaseous and particulate matter (PM) air pollutants from animal agricultural production can have multiple effects, including contributing to global climate change, tropospheric ozone formation, acidification of ecosystems, and affecting animal and human health. Greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.
- Soil and water quality/consumption: Soil and water quality issues related to animal agriculture typically arise from the land application of animal manure and the use of synthetic fertilizers during the production of feedstuffs for animals. Eutrophication is a process where excess nutrients, mainly N and P, are added to the surface water system. Sources of N from animal agriculture can be N atmospheric deposition (e.g., ammonia from animal agriculture can lead to the formation of N-containing PM that is then deposited dry or wet during precipitation events) or N leaching into groundwater. Nitrogen and P are usually limiting nutrients in aquatic ecosystems, thus the addition of these nutrients typically leads to a growth of algae and other photosynthetic organisms. As these organisms die and decompose biologically available oxygen declines and can potentially kill off organisms via asphyxiation.
Issues and pollutants related to environmental sustainability and their origin in animal agricultural systems are as follows:
| Environmental issue
or pollutant |
Description and sources from animal agriculture |
| Particulate matter (PM)
emissions |
Can cause animal, human, and ecosystem health concerns. Soil,
manure, feed, skin, down feathers, and bedding materials can be sources of PM from animal housing. Prescribed burning of livestock pasturelands can lead to both direct emissions of PM and PM precursors. Ammonia emissions can be a precursor for PM formation. Steroid hormones used for growth promotion, antimicrobial resistant genes, and microorganisms have all been observed in PM downwind from animal facilities |
| Methane emissions | A greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide at
trapping heat in the earth’s atmosphere when derived from methanogenic archaea (methane-producing microorganisms). Sources include the gastrointestinal tracts of animals, particularly ruminant species, and anaerobically stored manure |
| Nitrous oxide
Emissions |
A greenhouse gas 265 times more potent than carbon dioxide at
trapping heat in the earth’s atmosphere when it is derived from nitrification and denitrification processes undertaken by soil bacteria. Sources include soils that have been fertilized with synthetic N or organic N sources (manure). Considered a form of reactive nitrogen |
| Ammonia emissions | Odorous compound primarily derived from the mixing of
animal feces and urine. Sources include confinement housing systems, open dry lot corrals, and soils amended with manure or nitrogen fertilizer. Considered a form of reactive nitrogen |
| Volatile organic
compound emissions |
Large class of compounds that have different potentials to drive
tropospheric ozone formation. Main sources in animal agriculture include fermented feedstuffs (i.e., silages) and to a lesser extent, manure |
| Ecosystem acidification | Acidification of soils and freshwater system that can be driven
in part by wet and dry depositions of reactive nitrogen emissions originating from animal agricultural systems |
| Eutrophication | Excessive nutrient loading (particularly N and P) in surface
waters that can be sourced from either manure application to lands or the use of synthetic fertilizers on lands used to grow animal feedstuffs |
Role of Veterinarians in Animal Welfare:
Veterinary engagement in animal welfare must encompass a wide range of activities, including, but not limited to (OIE, 2008):
- Veterinarian daily practices.
- Veterinary advocacy to animal owners.
- Education and promotion of animal welfare to the wide public.
- Animal welfare scientific research.
- Drafting animal welfare legislations and participating in programs and projects.
- Collaboration with other interested parties on animal welfare.
- Veterinarian daily practices
This is considered a professional obligation for any member of the veterinary community. In their everyday dealing with animals, veterinarians must always adhere to the principals of care and compassion which can be expressed by providing appropriate veterinary medical care and disease prevention, development and applying effective management protocols and techniques and sufficient and qualified staff to ensure routine veterinary activities to be performed with less duress to the animals and in an animal compassionate manner.
- Veterinary advocacy to animal owners
Veterinarians have the scientific and medical training as well as the statutory accountability to ensure animal welfare expectations and standards are met. Veterinarians are best positioned in the light of knowledge and skills about animal management and to motivate their owners. Licensed Veterinarian can teach animal owners, managers and other members of the community to protect and improve welfare of animals. In addition to specific training, they must foster and promote best animal management practices and the understanding of the benefits from such practices.
- Education and promotion of animal welfare to the wide public
Veterinarians shall become sufficiently influential and act as the society animal welfare main source to give science-based expertise and educate the wide public on basic animal husbandry. There is increased interest and concern from the wide public on how animals are used and treated. Peoples those live in the city have no understand of basic animal husbandry and their pet or companion animal husbandry and health management.
- Animal welfare scientific research
Animal welfare is a multidisciplinary field of expertise which includes veterinary science, ethics, religions, politics, economics etc. It is evident that further scientific research in these areas is necessary in order to understand better and to discover best practices to enhance animal welfare. Veterinarian could perform such animal welfare through research as they have the scientific and medical training as well as the statutory accountability to work in research areas and to collaborate with scientific and other experts in a variety of capacities in the animal welfare field.
- Taking part in drafting animal welfare legislations and in animal welfare programs
All legislation related to animal welfare should be drafted in close co-operation with veterinarians and veterinary associations. As the need for animal welfare voluntary and regulatory acts and assurance programs increases, there is a role for veterinarians to play in both their development and implementation. Veterinarians need to assure that the Animal Welfare Acts and programs are useful and truly serve societal need as well as the needs of the animals.
- Collaboration with other interested parties
Veterinarians should make themselves available to cooperate with all interested parties (e.g. legislators, livestock and food industries, animal welfare organization, consumer organization. etc.) to improve the welfare and well-being of animals. There are numerous animal welfare programs, projects, initiatives on different national and international levels involving government and private sector to improve and promote the welfare and the protection of animals in different fields.
Conclusions:
In summary, the veterinary profession is the well prepared and responsible to use its skills and expertise to help animal owners, managers and the public to provide the best practices and education about animal welfare. This profession has great potential, opportunity and responsibility to engage in a wide range of employment fields that deliver animal welfare services to the benefit of society and all animals. Veterinarians should continue to identify current needs and future developments and to ensure that veterinarians are always properly trained in the field of animal welfare. Veterinarians have the necessary skills and tools to meet the social expectations and profession obligations regarding to animal welfare. In addition, Veterinarians should make themselves available to cooperate with all interested parties to improve the welfare and well-being of animals. All legislation related to animal welfare should be drafted in close co-operation with veterinarians and veterinary associations.
