A good life for lab animals?
Most discussion on the welfare of laboratory animals focuses on harm reduction, including methods of handling and euthanasia that are less likely to cause pain or distress. UBC researchers are now trying to change the focus to what constitutes “a good life” for lab animals. This week Dan Weary delivered the Keynote Address on this […]
More news on sow stalls
The Retail Council of Canada, including heavy hitters such as Safeway, Costco, and Walmart have announced they will transition to buying from pig farms that do not use gestations stalls for sows. To find out more read this article. For some context on what this might mean for other sectors in animal agriculture, see this […]
Hock injuries in dairy cows
Lameness, mastitis and transition-cow diseases are widely recognized as serious animal welfare and production-limiting issues. Hock injuries should raise similar concerns, though they’ve received much less attention, say Dan Weary, University of British Columbia dairy scientist and cow behavior expert and fellow animal welfare expert Marina (Nina) von Keyserlingk in Vancouver, Canada. Read more: http://www.agriview.com/news/dairy/hock-injuries-animal-welfare-concern-deep-bedded-maintained-stalls-best/article_33f91dd6-b356-11e2-820b-001a4bcf887a.html
PhD Student Improves Life for Shelter Dogs
Living in a shelter can be a very traumatic experience for an animal – something Nancy Clarke has witnessed first-hand over her years working at the Vancouver Animal Shelter.
Dairy crew gathers to wish Katy farewell
Katy Proudfoot is completing her PhD research and leaving the UBC Dairy Farm. Last week Katy gave a farewell seminar at the UBC Dairy Centre. Team members (photo below) gathered to wish her well. In the photo (starting at the left side of the front row): Rolnei Rua Daros, Cristiano Ramos, William Costa, Augusto Madureira, Eraldo Drago Filho, Kathrin Louise Proudfoot […]
New research shows strong support for group housing of sows
Erin Ryan recently defended her M.Sc. thesis on public attitudes to housing systems used for pregnant sows. Her online survey of 268 participants found strong support for group housing systems over the commonly used gestation stalls. The thesis also illustrated the importance of providing detailed descriptions, including imagery, in efforts to engage the public on issues […]
A busy 10 days for animal welfare down under
David Fraser will end his time in New Zealand with a final lecture tour: – April 12 Palmerston North – April 15 Palmerston North – April 17 Auckland – April 19 Melbourne (Australia) – April 23 Wellington For the final event, he is the guest speaker at the Wellington City Council’s 2013 Natural Environment Forum
A heated topic: branding animals for identification
Branding has been used for centuries on horses and cattle; more recently wildlife researchers have begun using hot-iron branding to identify marine mammals. Kristen Walker’s Ph.D. research focused on the pain and distress caused by branding and other marking methods in Steller sea lions, and how this could be avoided. Kristen’s work and other recent […]
Elisabeth Ormandy’s recent paper featured by FRAME
Elisabeth Ormandy, post-doctoral researcher in UBC’s Animal Welfare Program, has had her research profiled in FRAME’s most recent newsletter (see page 5). Elisabeth’s research shows a high level of public concern for the use of zebrafish in painful research. Fish are now the most widely used research animal in Canada and many other countries.
Liv Baker’s research featured in interview
PhD student Liv Baker has been interested in the welfare concerns that arise from the management of threatened species and the use of animal welfare research methods to improve conservation concerns. She was recently interviewed by WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) about her research and the role of animal welfare and sentience […]