Understanding Animal Welfare: The Science in its Cultural Context / Edition 1

by David Fraser

Overview

"This is a delightful book, full of interesting aspects of animal welfare. An excellent guide to the academic study of animal welfare science."
—Marian Stamp Dawkins, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford

Understanding Animal Welfare: The Science in its Cultural Context takes a completely fresh and thought-provoking approach. It is essential reading for anyone interested, studying or currently working in the fascinating field of animal welfare science. David Fraser places modern-day welfare issues within their historical framework by tracing the evolving ideas that led to current thinking. He also highlights some intriguing issues relating to the contradiction inherent in the term 'animal welfare science' and the practical problem of how to assess emotional states in animals.

Special features:

• Encompasses ideas from a variety of disciplines to give a broad perspective of the topic.
• Discusses methods of measuring animal welfare and their strengths and limitations.
• Examines contemporary debates and applications of the science to policy issues.

"... an impressive historical narrative of the genesis and growth of animal welfare as a scientific discipline.... The book will be invaluable for anyone involved with animal welfare issues on an academic level or those involved with the integration of these principles into current care and handling issues facing agriculture, companion, laboratory, wild, or zoo animals."
—Carolyn L. Stull, PhD, Veterinary Medicine Extension, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis

"Fraser offers insights only possible from someone with his considerable experience and understanding."
—Dr. Chris Sherwin, Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol

This book is part of the UFAW/Wiley-Blackwell Animal Welfare Book Series. This major series of books produced in collaboration between UFAW (The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare), and Wiley-Blackwell provides an authoritative source of information on worldwide developments, current thinking and best practice in the field of animal welfare science and technology. For details of all of the titles in the series see www.wiley.com/go/ufaw.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781405136952
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	10/06/2008
Series:	UFAW Animal Welfare Series , #4
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

David Fraser is one of the pioneers of animal welfare science. He has published widely on animal welfare research, its practical applications, and its philosophical basis. He is currently Professor and NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Animal Welfare at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and serves as an advisor to many international organizations.

Table of Contents

Foreword vi

Preface vii

Dedication xi

Part I Animal Welfare in Context 1

Introduction 2

1 Animals and Moral Concern 9

2 Animals in the Human Mind 24

3 A Good Life for Animals 41

4 A Science of Animal Welfare? 61

Part II Studying Animal Welfare 79

Introduction 80

5 Disease, Injury and Production 84

6 ‘Stress’ 104

7 Abnormal Behaviour 125

8 Affective States 146

9 ‘Natural’ Living 169

10 Preferences and Motivation 191

Part III Drawing Conclusions about Animal Welfare 217

Introduction 218

11 How Do the Different Measures Relate to Each Other? 222

12 Selecting and Combining Criteria of Animal Welfare 241

13 Animal Welfare, Values and Mandated Science 260

Coda 275

References 287

Index 309

Editorial Reviews

"Recommended ... it will probably become recognized as a primary source on historical and cultural attitudes, behaviour and beliefs on animal welfare." (Journal of Agricultural Science, 2009)

"David Fraser takes an historical framework of modem animal welfare. This outlook provides past views of empirical, ethical, and cultural perspectives that have shaped today's stance on animal care." (Animal Keepers' Forum, September 2009)

"[This book] is truly a seminal text for laypersons and professionals to aid them in Understanding Animal Welfare. The author provides many examples of point-counterpoint arguments that have been made regarding the status of animals and the ranges of acceptable welfare requirements as viewed or stated during those debates." (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, June 2009)

"This remarkable book demonstrates how to ask the proper questions and proposes several answers." (The Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, May 2009)

"The science in its cultural context provides a fresh approach to any studying or working in animal welfare science, and for college-level libraries catering to them. Modern welfare issues are surveyed in a coverage of highlights of issues and ideas from a range of disciplines, from science to moral issues. A key text for college libraries." (Midwest Book Review, March 2009)

"It will probably become recognized as a primary source on historical and cultural attitudes, behaviour and beliefs on animal welfare." (Experimental Agriculture, 2009)

“The book is beautifully written in an easy to read conversational style with interesting photographs and diagrams. The discussion of animals in religion, art and literature is fascinating” Australian Veterinary Journal, Volume 95, Issue 8, August 2017

From the Publisher

Reviewer: Karen L Campbell, DVM, MS, DACVIM, DACVD (University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine)
Description: This book explores a variety of topics relating to the science of animal welfare in three major parts. Part I presents a historical perspective on how animals and animal use have been viewed in different cultures; part II describes the various methods that may be used to evaluate the well-being of animals; and part III explores current areas of debate in animal welfare science.
Purpose: The goal is to provide an introduction to animal welfare science that includes historical perspectives, scientific methodology, and current areas of controversy. A book like this is needed because of the great interest in animal rights and animal welfare. This book provides excellent insights into these areas.
Audience: It will be of interest and value to students and scientists with an interest in animal welfare, animal producers, veterinarians and others working with animals, and policy makers, the latter including both government and corporate workers. The author, a professor in the animal welfare program at the University of British Columbia, is recognized as a pioneer of animal welfare science.
Features: This interesting book explains how modern-day animal welfare issues have evolved from a variety of different cultural views on animals and the importance of promoting their well-being. The author describes the difficulty of assessing emotional states of animals and explains the different types of scientific studies that can be used to assess animal well-being. Importantly, the author points out the strengths and shortcomings of different methods of assessing animal well-being. The discussion of contemporary debates in policies relating to animal use and housing are fascinating. References and an index will assist readers in locating topics of interest. The only shortcoming is a relative scarcity of illustrations.
Assessment: This is a must-read for those interested in understanding the background of animal welfare and how science can be used to better define animal well-being under different circumstances.

Doody's Review Service

Reviewer: Karen L Campbell, DVM, MS, DACVIM, DACVD(University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine)
Description: This book explores a variety of topics relating to the science of animal welfare in three major parts. Part I presents a historical perspective on how animals and animal use have been viewed in different cultures; part II describes the various methods that may be used to evaluate the well-being of animals; and part III explores current areas of debate in animal welfare science.
Purpose: The goal is to provide an introduction to animal welfare science that includes historical perspectives, scientific methodology, and current areas of controversy. A book like this is needed because of the great interest in animal rights and animal welfare. This book provides excellent insights into these areas.
Audience: It will be of interest and value to students and scientists with an interest in animal welfare, animal producers, veterinarians and others working with animals, and policy makers, the latter including both government and corporate workers. The author, a professor in the animal welfare program at the University of British Columbia, is recognized as a pioneer of animal welfare science.
Features: This interesting book explains how modern-day animal welfare issues have evolved from a variety of different cultural views on animals and the importance of promoting their well-being. The author describes the difficulty of assessing emotional states of animals and explains the different types of scientific studies that can be used to assess animal well-being. Importantly, the author points out the strengths and shortcomings of different methods of assessing animal well-being. The discussion of contemporary debates in policies relating to animal use and housing are fascinating. References and an index will assist readers in locating topics of interest. The only shortcoming is a relative scarcity of illustrations.
Assessment: This is a must-read for those interested in understanding the background of animal welfare and how science can be used to better define animal well-being under different circumstances.