Anti-tethering Laws: A Bad Idea

Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 2001

... Seong C. Yeon, Glen Golden, Wailani Sung, Hollis N. Erb, Arleigh J. Reynolds, and Katherine A. Houpt College of Veterinary Medicine Cornell University ... Clark, Calpin, and Armstrong (1991) reported that bea-gles kept in large outdoor pens (6.1 m × 9.1 m) were more fit than ...

Bullfighting

Although humans have coexisted with dogs and cats for thousands of years, that coexistence has taken on various meanings over time. Only recently have people openly included their pets as members of the family. Yet, because of the cultural ambivalence toward animals, what it means for a pet to “be” a family member remains unsettled. Drawing from research on family practices including kinship, household routines, childhood socialization, and domestic violence, this paper considers how pets participate in “doing” family and what their presence means for this social arrangement long considered quintessentially human. Today's more‐than‐human families represent a hybrid of relations, human and animal and social and natural, rather than an entirely new kind of family. Becoming family has always been contingent on a cast of nonhuman characters, and recognition of the “more‐than‐human” can enhance sociological understanding, not only of the family but also of other aspects of social life.

Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2007

The aims of this paper are first to review scientific and ethical considerations regarding the welfare of dogs in the US, UK, Czech Republic, Spain and Japan, as well as to examine research perspectives of people working within the field of applied ethology. As a guide, the Five Freedoms should be considered for dogs as with other species of animals . Brambell, Report on the Technical Committee to Enquire into the Welfare of Livestock Kept Under Intensive Husbandry Systems, HMSO, London]. With pet dogs the use of drugs or shock therapy, neutering, caging, debarking and euthanasia for behaviour problems are all controversial not only among the general public but also among specialists in behavioural therapy. Breeding systems, evaluation of aptitudes, socialisation, training methods, and retired dogs' lives are the major welfare concerns related to working dogs. Even within European countries, e.g. Spain, the Czech Republic, and the UK, there are different standards and attitudes towards dogs in each country. This suggests that scientific evidence and cultural consideration may be necessary to improving the welfare of companion animals. Different situations which exist between countries should be considered when seeking to establish international standards, however, these may also provide evidence for causes and inform possible modifications regarding canine behavioural issues. Sections contributed by authors from five countries discuss current issues and aim to produce a better understanding of local behaviour and welfare factors. It is concluded that there are still many welfare issues surrounding companion and working dogs internationally and further collaborative investigation is required in seeking to improve these. #

Proceedings of the 12th Wildlife Damage Management Conference, 2007

Increases in the incidence of human conflict with coyotes in urban/suburban environments fuel a need for suitable coyote tools and methods to reduce these conflicts. Traditional tools, such as foothold traps and snares, face continued problems of acceptability in urban/suburban situations because of public anxiety about the risks to non-targets as well as other animal welfare concerns. We review the major categories of methods and tools used to prevent or reduce urban coyote-human conflicts, including exclusion (fencing), environmental and habitat modification, capture devices (traps, snares, and related devices), and shooting. We briefly discuss future technologies current under development: fertility control, toxicants, and electronic trap monitoring. Among capture devices, we describe recent advances in technology as exemplified by three devices: the KB Compound 5.5™, the Bélisle™ footsnare, and the Collarum™, which have gone a long way to address both capture efficiency and animal welfare concerns. We caution those involved in advising legislators, or in drafting legislation, to be aware of developing technologies, so as to avoid writing laws that are so broad as to ban future capture devices that improve on current devices in terms of humaneness and animal welfare.

Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 2009

The benefits of companion animals are immense, but there can be negative impacts also. Noise, destructive behaviors, excrement, bites, and the overpopulation of domestic cats and dogs are some of the major problems that can result in stress and hardships on owners, neighbors, the community, and the pets themselves. The perpetuation of pets in society requires that the negative aspects of living with dogs and cats be addressed. Veterinarians can play an important role in addressing these problems by incorporating the concept of behavior wellness into their practices and promoting education regarding husbandry, animal behavior, responsible pet ownership, and the effects of pets on the environment.

Animal practices are influenced by specific socio-cultural and spatial factors that affect the relationships between humans and other species. Pet-keeping is an example of an animal practice that has been of interest to theorists working within Western philosophical discourses. Human-pet relationships and those with dogs specifically are theorised as individualised and often familial, and generally occur in the domestic space of the home. The paper shows that this is a dominant narrative for dog-keeping that fits into the socio-cultural and spatial milieus of many Western countries and cultures. This narrative cannot be applied to all cultures unproblematically. In non-Western countries the concept of the dog as a pet who lives in the home does not usually represent the actualities of living with dogs in those cultures. The paper analyses the disjunction between Western ideals for dog-keeping and those practiced in Bangkok, Thailand, as an example of an alternative to the dominant narrative for living with dogs. Using material derived from first-hand observations the paper analyses the relationships between humans and stray, or soi, dogs and examines some of the welfare issues associated with these dogs. It also questions whether the ideals of Westerners who care for these dogs provide an effective means of dealing with such issues. In looking at the reasons why soi dogs do not live in the homes of humans the paper also considers community dog-keeping, a practice that is specific to Bangkok. As an alternative to the dominant narrative for living with dogs, this specific example shows the diverse ways in which humans relate to non-human animals.

Animal and Society, 2020

Village dogs are important for households in coastal Mexico, yet they are seen as out of place by etic stakeholders (public health and wildlife experts, and animal welfarists). Caregivers of village dogs are considered irresponsible, a view that is reinforced by Mexican policy. We describe two contrasting etic discourses in this article that have emerged from ideologies based on human-dog relation theories. The article is part of an ongoing shift in the social sciences that has seen attempts to move beyond an-thropocentrism and to explore human-animal relations outside the parameters of the traditional nature-culture dichotomy. Local narratives hinge on different experiences with dogs. Villagers perceive their dogs as adults, capable of and subject to judgment. Etic discourses are currently the basis for dog management policies. Attaching the label of " irresponsible owner " to the caregivers of village dogs prevents their inclusion as legitimate participants in policy processes.