Loving, appreciating and helping all animals through the education of their human companions.
Sharing experiences, thoughts and ideas to better the overall animal welfare experience in Hong Kong.
Animal Welfare Models and Ideas
Animal Welfare or welfare of any kind is typically an emotional topic.
There are many ways to discuss animal welfare, from the emotional outburst of a person defending the rights of an abused cat, to the analytical conferences held to measure scientific studies. Sadly there is no single answer on how best to measure an animal's welfare. The good news is, we are getting better at raising moral, ethical and thought provoking issues to help people better evaluate welfare concerns.
Below you will find diagrams, statistical information and quotes to help you formulate ideas beyond the raw emotion you may feel when when worrying an animal's welfare has been compromised. Please feel free to offer your thoughts and ideas on the Blog page.
| The model below offers images to which a barometer for animal welfare may begin. When looking at the photos of companion animals, where do your thoughts lay? Are you accepting of the happy child and the dogs but not the dogs dressed in costumes? Do you accept the costumes but not the dog fight created for human gambling rings? The spaces in between the photos also offer positioning of your acceptance or rejection of the animals' perceived welfare. In all cases, humans have placed these animals in the situations they are in and NONE of the animals have chosen to be represented these ways. |
Historically, the creation of animal welfare laws have coincided
with the creation of human welfare laws.
In1965,The British Government reviewed the welfare of farm animals in
intensive husbandry systems and this initiated The 5 Freedoms.
The earliest known record of these is December 1979
2. Freedom from discomfort
3. Freedom from pain, injury or disease
4. Freedom to express normal behaviour
5. Freedom from fear and distress
The animals need .....
1. for a suitable environment (place to live)
2. for a suitable diet
3. to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
4. to be housed with or apart from other animals (as applicable)
5. to be protected from pain injury suffering and disease
The upgrade takes the expectation off the animals to adapt to whatever they are or are not provided and places the responsibility on the human controllers.
Speciesism
"The act of assigning different values or rights on the basis of their biological species rather than according to the characteristics they possess, such as the ability to suffer."
(Pullen and Gray 2006)
Whose life is more important?
| "Ewww, get your slobbery dog away from my iguana." | "Yuck, that furry feline is going to give my dog fleas!" | "Uuugh, can you keep that green thing away from my sweet little kitty?!" |
MORE TO COME!
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Volunteer Foster Network
Being a foster parent to a needy animal is an wonderful way to do charitable work and get some instant gratification in return! Whether it is a newborn kitten or a dog who has been brutalized, your help is greatly needed and appreciated. Please fill out a Volunteer Foster application to be contacted when one of our needy animals can use your help.
Thank you for your support and for helping those who can't speak for themselves!
Warmly,
Janice
