Animal Welfare Assessment Standards and Responsibilities

Why Carry Out Welfare Assessments?

• To meet animal care standards
• To ensure animal sentience is acknowledged
• To prevent suffering, promote well-being, and enable species-typical behaviors
• To comply with regulatory standards
• To ensure facility registration
• To prevent animal pain and suffering

Welfare Assessment Standards

• International: World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) - Terrestrial Animal Health Code
• National: Examples include Australia's Code of Practice and Minimum Standards for the Welfare of Chickens (AO 12), Pigs (AO 41), and Small Companion Animals (AO 54)
• Private: Practice Standards Schemes (e.g., in clinical practice)

Welfare Assessment Responsibility

• Owner: Formulates plans, maintains records
• Veterinarian: Advises on plans and records, reviews performance, advises on corrective action
• Assessor: Provides feedback but not advice

Welfare Assessment Contexts

• Individual Level: Veterinary practice - clinical examination
• Group Context:
  • Veterinary practice - farm planning
  • Quality assurance schemes - on-farm and slaughterhouses
  • Laboratory animal research

Welfare Assessment Delivery

• Quality assurance schemes
• Benchmarking
• Veterinary practices assisting clients
• Veterinary practices’ own standards (e.g., Practice Standards Schemes - Standards of care)

Animal Welfare Assessment Schemes

• Five Freedoms Framework
• Welfare Inputs - Welfare Outputs
• Quantifying welfare compromise (Severity-Duration-Number)
• Welfare Quality® project
• Animal / Outcome-based measures:
  • Physiological measures
  • Behavioral measures
  • Production and Disease (Clinical Health) measures

The Five Freedoms and Animal Welfare

• Developed by Brambell (1965) and FAWC (1992)

The Five Freedoms and Welfare Inputs and Outputs

• Freedom from Hunger & Thirst:
  • Inputs: Access to fresh water, a diet for full health and vigor
  • Outputs: Body weight, body condition score, signs of dehydration
• Freedom from Discomfort:
  • Inputs: Appropriate environment, including shelter and comfortable resting areas
  • Outputs: Pressure sores
• Freedom from Pain, Injury & Disease:
  • Inputs: Veterinary advice for disease prevention or treatment
  • Outputs: Prevalence of coughing
• Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour:
  • Inputs: Sufficient space, facilities, and social interaction
  • Outputs: Signs of injury from fighting, abnormal behaviors.
• Freedom from Fear and Distress:
  • Inputs: Conditions and treatment that prevent mental suffering, including stockperson training
  • Outputs: Avoidance distance

Using the Five Freedoms for Welfare Assessment

• Outputs:
  • Number: Percentage of animals affected
  • Severity: How badly they are affected
  • Duration: How long the problem has been ongoing

Group Assessment - Quality Assurance Schemes

• Welfare Quality® Project: Collaboration between researchers in 19 countries, including 15 in Europe and 4 in Latin America (Mexico, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil).
• Target Species: Laying hens, broilers, pigs, beef and dairy cattle, water buffalo.

This quiz covers the importance of welfare assessments in animal care and the standards involved both internationally and nationally. It discusses the roles of different stakeholders, including owners, veterinarians, and assessors, ensuring compliance with regulations while promoting animal well-being.