SEARCH
Industry Partners
Prairie Swine Centre is an affiliate of the University of Saskatchewan
Prairie Swine Centre is grateful for the assistance of the George Morris Centre in developing the economics portion of Pork Insight.
Financial support for the Enterprise Model Project and Pork Insight has been provided by:
Animal Welfare, Animal Rights: What’s the Difference?
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by student on July 17, 2018
Author: Geraldine Auston
Reference: Banff Pork Seminar Proceedings 2017
Summary:
“Protecting an animal’s welfare involves providing for its physical and mental needs. Ensuring animal welfare is a human responsibility that includes consideration for all aspects of animals well-being, including proper housing, management, nutrition, disease prevention and treatment, responsible care, humane handling, and, when necessary, humane euthanasia.” – American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
The Five Freedoms:
1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst
2. Freedom from Discomfort
3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease
4. Freedom to Express Normal Behavior
5. Freedom from Fear and Distress
“Animal rights means that animal;s deserve certain kinds of consideration – consideration of what is in their best interests, regardless of whether they are “cute”, useful to humans, or an endangered species and regardless of whether any human cares about them at all. It means recognizing that animals are not our to use – for food, clothing, entertainment or experimentation.” – The Vegetarian Resource Group
What can you do to minimize challenges caused by animal rights groups?
- Utilize a animal care code of conduct
- Consider people’s temperament and how they will work with animals when hiring them
- Continually train
- Establish a reporting system that allows employees to express animal welfare concerns
- Document incidents
Livestock transport is a focus of animal rights protestors, how can an individual respond to an incident like this?
- Establish communication with the plant
- Act as if you are being filmed as it is likely you are
- Stay inside the truck if activists are too close hindering safely continuing
- Do not engage with activists, conversation of physical
- Avoid horn utilization
- Move truck ahead once you have verified it is safe to do so
- If protesters approach again, warn them and contact the police
- If you feel threatened contact the police