An Overview of Animal Welfare & Animal Rights

Overview

• Definitions

• Activists charges

• How producers can respond to activists views

• Setting the standards

• Animals in research

Why is this an issue?

• America’s idea of what a farm should be– Grazing pastures– Ideas come from children books, TV, etc.

• What America’s farms are becoming– Confinement rearing– Large scale production

Where ag gets a bad reputation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umi37nSHU7A

Animal Welfare• Proper care of animals• Humane treatment is

supported by producers• Proper treatment keeps

animals more productive• Humans have more rights

than animals, BUT are responsible for humane treatment

Animal Rights• Animals have legal and ethical

rights, just as humans

• Feel animals suffer unnecessary pain & stress

• Want animal agriculture abolished

• Extreme views are to eliminate animal use

– food, clothing, leisure, or research

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZnuGdKfgCc

Activists charges producers:• Pumping drugs into animals

• Undue stress on the animals

• Confinement jeopardizes animal and human health

• Raising animals in pens and crates is cruel treatment

Activists charges, continued…• Eating meat and eggs is unhealthy

• Drinking milk is unhealthy

• Grain fed to livestock should be used to feed starving people around the world

• Using a growth-promoting hormone is cruel to animals

• Produces meat that is not safe for humans to eat

Producers response to overcrowding...

• Most producers won't overcrowd because it is very unprofitable

• Animals must be kept reasonably comfortable

• Animals are kept well fed to assure a productive growth or a profitable level of milk production

• Overcrowding reduces rate of gain

Producers response to drugs and antibiotics...

• All drugs that are used for livestock are regulated by the federal government

• Regulations keep food safe for U.S. consumers

• All animal health products are thoroughly tested and must be approved by FDA

• On average, it takes 11 years to bring an animal pharmaceutical to the market

• Only one in about 7,500 chemicals tested are ever approved

Producers response to growth hormones...

• Increase feed efficiency which reduces food costs

• Improve the ratio of meat to fat

• Products are generally estrogen-like substances

• Estrogen is a natural substance

• There is more estrogen in a cup of green beans than in a comparable amount of beef from an implanted steer.

What producers are doing...• Support and promote human treatment of

animals

• Do all they can to make sure animals are not mistreated

• Keep public and media well informed on what they are doing to protect the welfare of their animals

What does it mean to be treated humanely?

• That means animals are – well fed

– have adequate • water

• space

• shelter

– kept healthy and comfortable

Setting the standards...

• In early times, each farmer decided

• In current times– Pork Producers Code of Practice

– Swine Care Handbook

– Cattlemen's Philosophy

– Three P's• prevention

• preparation

• prompt action

Economic benefits of good animal welfare...

• Bruises meat reduces meat prices

• Dairy animals produce less milk when stressed

Animals in research...• Important for agriculture and human medicine• Limits on animal research would threaten

advances in medicine• Public opinion nor scientist opinion is consistent• More concern over use of dogs & cats than rats

& mice

Activity

• Look at the images you’re given

• With your group, discuss each question

Animal Welfare Timeline

• 1641 – “The Body of Liberties” legal code passed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony

• 1828 – First anti-cruelty law passed by New York legislature

• 1866 – American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was formed

• 1867 – Henry Bergh drafted “An Act for More Effectual Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Animal Welfare Timeline• 1906 – “The Animal Transportation Act”

was passed• 1958 – “The Humane Slaughter Act” was

passed• 1964 – Ruth Harrison wrote “Animal

Machines: The New Factory Farming Industry”

• 1966 – “Laboratory Animal Welfare Act” (AWA) passed

• 1970 – AWA was amended

Animal Welfare Timeline• 1970 – “The Horse Protection Act” passed• Early 1970’s – modern animal rights

movement began• 1972 – “Marine Mammal Protection Act”

was passed• 1973 – “Endangered Species Act” was

passed• 1975 – Peter Singer writes “animal

Liberation”

Animal Welfare Timeline• 1976 – Horse Protection Act was amended• 1985 – “Improved Standards for Laboratory

Animals Act” was passed• 1986 – Animal Liberation Front (ALF)

destroys labs at Oregon State University• 1989 – “The Farm Animal and Research

Facilities Protection Act” was introduced

Animal Welfare Timeline• 1990 – “Food, Agriculture, Conservation

and Trade Act” was passed• 1990 – “March for the Animals” in

Washington D.C.• 1992 – “The Animal Enterprise Protection

Act” was passed• 1999 – “Federal Law Enforcement Animal

Protection Act” was passed

Animal Welfare Timeline

• 2002 – AWA amended• 2002 – “Animal Fighting Enforcement Act”

introduced• 2002 – “Captive Wildlife Safety Act”

introduced• 2002 – 2014 Additional welfare legislation?

Discussion...Should California pass “ag-gag”

laws?

http://www.grandid.com