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Simple Summary: This paper presents a technique for acquiring 3D point cloud data of pigs in precision animal husbandry. The method combines 2D detection frames and segmented region masks of pig images with depth information to improve the efficiency of acquiring 3D data. Our method achieves an average similarity of 95.3% compared to manually labelled 3D point cloud data. This method provides technical support for pig management, welfare assessment, and accurate weight estimation. This paper proposes a method for automatic pig detection and segmentation using RGB-D data for precision livestock farming. The proposed method combines the enhanced YOLOv5s model with the Res2Net bottleneck structure, resulting in improved fine-grained feature extraction and ultimately enhancing the precision of pig detection and segmentation in 2D images. Additionally, the method facilitates the acquisition of 3D point cloud data of pigs in a simpler and more efficient way by using the pig mask obtained in 2D detection and segmentation and combining it with depth information. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, two datasets were constructed. The first dataset consists of 5400 images captured in various pig pens under diverse lighting conditions, while the second dataset was obtained from the UK. The experimental results demonstrated that the improved YOLOv5s_Res2Net achieved a mAP@0.5:0.95 of 89.6% and 84.8% for both pig detection and segmentation tasks on our dataset, while achieving a mAP@0.5:0.95 of 93.4% and 89.4% on the Edinburgh pig behaviour dataset. This approach provides valuable insights for improving pig management, conducting welfare assessments, and estimating weight accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Existing cross-cultural research on animal welfare often overlooks the way that policy and law are not the exclusive domain of central government. This can result in an over-simplification or misrepresentation of the true situation. The political culture and institutional arrangements for governing the modern state are more complex than a "one-size-fits-all" approach. It is argued that cross-cultural research needs to give greater attention to differences within as well as between unitary states. Specifically, it needs to examine developments in constituent nations and territories. Here we illustrate this by drawing on new research in the United Kingdom, and examine how 'devolution'—or decentralized government for Wales and Scotland—is providing contrasting opportunities for NGOs, campaigners, and the public to lobby to improve animal welfare policy based on local practices, beliefs, and demands (collectively known as the "political culture"). Our findings show how this is important because it results in contrasting animal welfare policies and laws in the constituent nations of the UK. It is argued that extant cross-cultural research on animal welfare often overlooks or gives insufficient attention to new governance theory, civil society, politics, and the realities of devolved or (quasi-)federal, multi-level governance in the modern state. This paper synthesizes relevant social theory and draws on new empirical findings of civil society accounts of campaigning on animal welfare policies and law in the United Kingdom. It is presented as a corrective to arguably reductive, earlier unitary state-based analyses. Our core, evidence-based argument is that cognizance of civil society activism and the contrasting institutional governance structures and political cultures of constituent nations in unitary states—such as the UK—are providing opportunities for the territorialization of legally grounded animal welfare regimes, and culturally distinctive practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Dog ownership is common in the United Kingdom; however, current dog ownership demography data are lacking. Understanding our pet dog population is paramount to meeting the health and welfare needs of the population. Therefore, this paper provides an overview of a National Dog Survey, aiming to better understand and provide a snapshot of the current dog population in the UK. The results of this paper provide up-to-date demographic data for both dogs and their owners and highlight patterns and trends both long-term and more recently, since the COVID-19 pandemic. Monitoring of trends and patterns of the dog population and dog owners going forward is needed in order to continually identify the needs and welfare state of the population, enabling those working in the canine welfare field to provide appropriate support and services. With dogs being the most commonly owned companion animal in the United Kingdom, knowledge about dog demographics is important in understanding the impact of dogs on society. Furthermore, understanding the demography of dog owners is also important to better target support to dogs and their owners to achieve optimal welfare in the canine population. Combining natural fluctuations in the population and unprecedented events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for an up-to-date large-scale dataset is even more paramount. In order to address this, Dogs Trust launched the 'National Dog Survey' to provide a large population-level dataset that will help identify key areas of concern and needs of owners and their dogs. The online survey was completed by a total of 354,046 respondents owning dogs in the UK, providing data for 440,423 dogs. The results of this study highlight dog demographics, including acquisition and veterinary factors, as well as owner demographic and household information. Finally, general trends in ownership, and more specifically those following the COVID-19 pandemic, are described. This paper's findings provide valuable insight into the current population of dogs and their owners in the UK, allowing for the most appropriate products, services, interventions and regulations to be developed, reducing the likelihood of negative welfare outcomes such as health and behaviour issues, relinquishment or euthanasia. Furthermore, with significant changes to the dog population following the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted, this dataset serves as an up-to-date baseline for future study comparisons to continue to monitor trends and patterns of the dog population and dog owners going forwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The concept of advocacy is of increasing importance to the veterinary profession internationally, yet there are concerns about what it means in practice. This paper explores what 'animal advocacy' involves for veterinarians working in an area where its performance may appear particularly challenging, that of animal research. Based on an analysis of interviews with veterinarians working in UK animal research facilities, we aim to demonstrate both what 'counts' as veterinary animal advocacy in this domain and illustrate some of the tensions that may arise in its performance. Focusing on the themes of 'mitigating suffering', 'speaking for', and 'driving change' as three central ways in which veterinarians working in animal research facilities act as animal advocates, we draw out some of the complexities of advocacy for veterinarians working in areas where animal care and harm coexist. Finally, we conclude by calling for further empirical exploration of animal advocacy in other veterinary domains and for more critical attention to the wider social systems which produce the need for such advocacy. The concept of advocacy is of increasing importance to the veterinary profession internationally. However, there are concerns around the ambiguity and complexity of acting as an advocate in practice. This paper explores what 'animal advocacy' involves for veterinarians working in the domain of animal research, where they are responsible for advising on health and welfare. In focusing on the identity of veterinarians working in an arena of particular contestation, this paper provides empirical insights into how veterinarians themselves perform their role as an 'animal advocate'. Analysing interview data with 33 UK 'Named Veterinary Surgeons', this paper therefore examines what 'counts' as animal advocacy for veterinarians, considering the way their role as animal advocate is performed. Focusing on the themes of 'mitigating suffering', 'speaking for', and 'driving change' as three central ways in which veterinarians working in animal research facilities act as animal advocates, we draw out some of the complexities for veterinarians working in areas where animal care and harm coexist. Finally, we conclude by calling for further empirical exploration of animal advocacy in other veterinary domains and for more critical attention to the wider social systems which produce the need for such advocacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in widescale changes to how UK puppy buyers purchased their puppies. Many of these changes threatened canine welfare by increasing the likelihood of buyers purchasing a puppy from a low-welfare source, e.g., collecting a puppy away from its place of birth or without seeing their mother, both of which are currently illegal in the UK. However, whether these puppy-purchasing changes were limited only to the 2020 'peak pandemic' phase and had returned to their pre-pandemic baseline afterwards or had persisted into the later phases of the pandemic in 2021 was not known. This study explored how and why puppies were purchased in 2021 and then compared this to the same date-periods in 2020 and 2019. Valid responses were analysed from the owners of 1148 "2019 puppies", 4369 "2020 Pandemic Puppies", and 2080 "2021 puppies". Although some of the peak pandemic changes had returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2021, some worrying trends still persisted, including 2021 puppies being less likely to be viewed in-person pre-purchase or to be collected from inside their breeders' property, compared to 2019 puppies. Furthermore, concerning year-on-year increases were documented between 2019 and 2021 in the number of puppies being sold with a passport indicating importation to the UK, often under the minimum legal age for import. The issues identified in this paper require further monitoring and intervention to protect canine welfare in the future. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in acquisitions of puppies in the UK, dubbed the "Pandemic Puppy" phenomenon. In addition to an increased demand for puppies, widespread changes to both why and how puppies were purchased during this period compared to pre-pandemic 2019 purchases were documented, many of which threatened canine welfare (e.g., puppies being collected away from their place of birth, without seeing their mother). This study aimed to explore which changes to the pre-purchase and purchase motivations and behaviours of UK owners who purchased a puppy aged <16 weeks in the 2020 phase of the COVID-19 pandemic had persisted into 2021 or had returned to pre-pandemic 2019 levels. An online survey was conducted during February to April 2022 from which 2080 valid responses were analysed ("2021 puppies") and compared with previously collected data from comparable cohorts in 2019 (n = 1148, "2019 puppies") and 2020 (n = 4369, "Pandemic Puppies"). While the majority of the peak pandemic changes documented in 2020 had returned to their 2019 pre-pandemic baseline, others persisted into 2021. Multinomial logistic regression models revealed that the shifts during 2020 towards owners viewing their puppy pre-purchase over video calls or via video recordings/photos rather than in-person and towards collecting their puppy from outside of their breeders' property rather than inside had persisted into 2021 and had not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Year-on-year significant rises in the number of puppies sold with a passport were documented between 2019 and 2021, with over 1 in 10 2021 puppies having been sold with a passport, the figure more than doubling since 2019. An increasing number of these puppies sold with a passport were under the minimum legal age for import at sale. Going forward, these concerning changes require further monitoring and human behaviour change interventions to tackle, including increased buyer awareness but also legislative approaches to prevent the greatest harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Dogs are the most common pet animal species in the UK, with many households acquiring dogs every year. However, little is known about whether prospective owners undertake research prior to acquiring a dog and what factors may affect the likelihood of doing so. This paper reports findings from a mixed methods study into dog acquisition in the UK. We found that almost half of existing owners did not look for information or advice before getting their most recently acquired dog, and that those with previous dog ownership experience were less likely to do so than first-time owners. Younger prospective owners were more likely to have undertaken pre-acquisition research, as were those with formal education qualifications. Findings may be of interest to those who provide advice related to dog acquisition and dog ownership, in order to encourage more prospective owners towards effective pre-acquisition research. The factors influencing why and how people decide to acquire a dog are not well understood and little is known about the extent to which prospective owners undertake preparatory research. This study aimed to better understand what factors influence whether prospective dog owners in the UK conduct preparatory research. A 2019 online survey of current (n = 8050) and potential (n = 2884) dog owners collected quantitative and qualitative data. Additional qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with current (n = 166) and potential (n = 10) dog owners. Of the current owners surveyed, 54% stated that they had looked for advice or information prior to acquiring their dog. Of potential owners, 68% reported already having looked for information, while a further 14% were planning to undertake research prior to acquiring a dog. Those with previous dog ownership experience were less likely to undertake pre-acquisition research, as were those who had worked with dogs. Demographic factors were also associated with the likelihood of conducting pre-acquisition research, with younger prospective owners being more likely to have undertaken research, as well as those with formal education qualifications. Among current owners, pre-acquisition research was more likely among those who acquired their dog through a breeder; a specific breed or a mix of two breeds; or as a puppy. Qualitative data were consistent with and added additional understanding and context to these findings. Almost half of current owners did not conduct pre-acquisition research, highlighting the need for increased awareness of its importance and the development of targeted interventions to encourage this activity. Understanding the different factors that influence whether dog owners undertake research may be of interest to animal welfare and veterinary organisations, in order to inform interventions to better prepare people for dog acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This review explores the evidence for the effect of equestrian sports on equine welfare and highlights scenarios in which their welfare can be impaired and where efforts are being made to improve it. We discuss animal welfare as a complex and disputed issue, clarifying what it means and how it can be measured. We review many aspects of animal welfare risk to the life of equids used for sport from foal to retirement. This is followed by a unique analysis of the institutions and social processes influencing equine welfare, exposing the challenges faced by a broad range of stakeholders with differing ethics, attitudes and values. We conclude with recommendations to ensure good welfare for all equids used for sport in the UK and beyond. Equestrian sports, including racing (e.g., flat, steeple-chasing, harness or donkey derby); show-jumping; cross-country; dressage; polo; polocrosse; endurance; carriage driving; vaulting and hunting; are hugely popular in the UK, and they involve a significant number of people, both as participants and spectators, and tens of thousands of equids. In this paper, we discuss animal welfare as a complex and disputed issue, clarifying what the term means and how it can be measured. We review many aspects of welfare risk to equids used for sport, addressing issues encountered throughout their lives, including housing, feeding, veterinary intervention, shoeing, handling, training, breeding and equipment. This is followed by a unique exploration of the institutions and social processes influencing equine welfare. The institutional components comprise the rules of competition, the equids, attributes of the stakeholders and the space where participants strive to achieve a common purpose. We endeavour to untangle the most significant elements that create barriers or provide opportunities for equine welfare improvement. We expose the challenges faced by a broad range of stakeholders with differing ethics, attitudes and values. Evidently, there are many welfare risks to which equids used in sports continue to be exposed. It is also evident that significant improvements have occurred in recent times, but there remains a barrier to reducing the risks to an acceptable level. We conclude with recommendations regarding a process for change, involvement of stakeholders and management of knowledge to improve equine welfare that involves identifying and prioritising the risk factors and ultimately leading to interventions, further research and/or education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study involved 138 Holstein dairy calves from one UK farm, who were either reared individually or as pairs until 2–4 weeks of age, when they were subsequently batched together. Although there were no differences in growth rate, disease treatments or mortality, the paired calves demonstrated improved behavioural indicators of calf welfare. In addition, the heaviest calf in the pair grew more quickly and displayed less fear and more exploratory behaviour than the lightest calf in the pair. Although recent advice to farmers has been to rear calves in pairs, this study suggests that this may be potentially detrimental to the smaller calf. Previous research has indicated that preweaned dairy calves reared in pairs compared with individually have improved performance and indicators of animal welfare. One hundred and thirty Holstein female calves completed the trial, with eighty-five being allocated to paired housing and forty-five calves being allocated to individual housing. Daily live weight gain (DLWG), treatments and mortality were recorded throughout the preweaning period. Salivary cortisol, latency to feed and latency to approach a novel object were assessed at batching. There were no significant differences in DLWG, mortality and disease treatments between the average of the pair and the individually housed calves, although the pair-reared calves were quicker to approach the milk feed after batching and interacted more quickly with a novel object. The heaviest born calves within the pair had the highest DLWG from birth to weaning, with a higher percentage of calves approaching the novel object, compared with the lightest born calf within the pair. This study shows that calves within a pair may have significantly different performance and welfare during the preweaning period, with the heavier calf outperforming and displaying less fear and more exploratory behaviour than the lighter calf within a pair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: For dogs and their owners to live in harmony, owner expectations and the behaviour of their dogs need to be aligned. Limited socialisation can contribute to the development of undesirable behaviours, so the reduced socialisation opportunities for many puppies during the COVID-19 lockdown is a concern. This United Kingdom/Republic of Ireland study used data collected between May 2016 and November 2022 to examine the impact of age and lockdown phase (pre-, during, and post-) on the types of socialisation experiences of 8-to-19-week-old puppies and the recency of socialisation experiences of 6-month-old puppies. The findings showed that puppies under 19-weeks had more types of experiences as they aged, and during pre-lockdown compared to post-lockdown, but not between other lockdown phases. Most 6-month-old puppies had met new adults or dogs, familiar dogs, or children within the last 1–7 days, regardless of lockdown phase. However, during lockdown, 6-month-old puppies experienced longer periods between meeting new adults in their homes. Overall, lockdown had a smaller impact on socialisation experiences than expected, but the quantity and quality of these experiences may have been affected. Future research will explore whether these early-life experiences relate to adult behaviour as the dogs in the study grow older. Limited socialisation can contribute to the development of undesirable dog behaviours. The COVID-19 lockdown potentially limited socialisation opportunities, which may negatively impact the future behaviour of puppies raised during lockdown. Data were gathered from longitudinal study participants in the United Kingdom/Republic of Ireland via multiple questionnaires between May 2016 and November 2022. The impact of age and lockdown phase (pre-, during, and post-) on the types of socialisation experiences of 8-to-19-week-old puppies and the recency of socialisation experiences of approximately 6-month-old puppies were examined. Puppies under 19-weeks had significantly more types of socialisation experiences (from a predefined list) as they aged, and pre-lockdown compared to post-lockdown, but not between other lockdown phases. Most 6-month-old puppies had met a new adult or dog outside the household, a familiar dog, and/or a child within the last 1–7 days, and this was similar between lockdown phases. During lockdown, 6-month-old puppies experienced longer periods between meeting a new adult in their home. Puppies were hypothesised to have had fewer experiences during lockdown, but this was not found. However, the quantity and quality of these experiences may have been affected. Future research within this longitudinal study will explore relationships between the timing and type of experiences had by puppies and their subsequent behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In Great Britain, private animal keepers such as pet owners and farmers require a licence from their local government authority to keep wild animals of species formally categorised as "dangerous". No central record of these licences is maintained by the national Governments in Britain, and the last formal examination of the situation was published more than 20 years ago. We examined the scale and scope of private keeping of dangerous wild animals in England, Scotland, and Wales in 2020. We found a total of 3950 individual dangerous wild animals kept by 210 licensees across more than one-third of British local authorities. While overall numbers of licensed dangerous wild animals have declined over the preceding 20 years, there have been notable increases in the keeping of some taxa such as wild cats, venomous snakes, and crocodilians. There is evidence that the average relative cost to obtain a licence to keep a dangerous wild animal has decreased since the earlier study, and that local authorities with licensed animals have lower licensing fees than those without. We discuss the current system of licensing with a view to making recommendations for improvement. We analysed the licences issued by British local government authorities under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, which regulates the private keeping of wild animals categorised as "dangerous", to assess the scope and scale of private keeping of dangerous wild animals in Great Britain. Results are compared with historical data from England and Wales, showing that there has been an overall decrease both in the total population of dangerous wild animals privately kept under licence and the number of licences, resulting primarily from a decrease in the farming of wild boar and ostrich, and from certain other species no longer requiring a licence to be kept. Nonetheless, the private keeping of dangerous wild animals remains prevalent, with a total population of 3950 animals kept under licence, and at least one-third of local authorities in Britain licensing keepers of one or more such animals. The population of non-farmed dangerous taxa has increased by 59% in 20 years, with notable increases in crocodilians (198%), venomous snakes (94%), and wild cats (57%). We present evidence that the average cost of a licence to keep dangerous wild animals has fallen over time, and that there is a negative association between cost and licensing. The current schedule of species categorised as dangerous is compared to a formally recognised list of species kept in zoos assessed by risk to the public. Problems with the legislation, enforcement of the licensing system, and animal welfare for privately kept dangerous wild animals are identified and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Farm animal welfare is an important issue for both farmers and the general public. In order to monitor animal welfare on a large population of finishing pig farms in the UK, the "Real Welfare" project developed a methodology for on-farm assessment based on regular measurement of some key animal-based measures, so-called welfare outcomes. This paper presents estimates of the percentage of these different welfare outcomes over the years since the inception of the scheme. Between 2016 and 2019, the mean percentage of pigs in the mainstream herd showing four mandatory welfare outcomes (pigs requiring hospitalization, lame pigs, pigs with severe tail lesions, and pigs with severe body marks) was very low and a decreasing trend was observed for all outcomes except severe tail lesions. These data give good representation of the overall situation in the UK finishing pig population. Farm animal welfare is an increasingly important issue, leading to the need for an efficient methodology to deliver accurate benchmarking. The "Real Welfare" project developed a methodology based on regular recording of a limited number of animal-based measures, so-called welfare outcomes, which allows faster and easier on-farm assessment of finishing pig welfare. The objective of this paper is to estimate, with sufficient robustness and confidence, the prevalence of different mandatory and optional welfare outcomes in the mainstream herd of the finishing farms in the UK based on the "Real Welfare" scheme data and to assess the changes in prevalence over time, inspection visits and seasons. The mean overall prevalence of the four mandatory welfare outcomes (pigs requiring hospitalization, lame pigs, pigs with severe body marks, and pigs with severe tail lesions) was very low (≤0.2%) and a significant decreasing trend was observed for the first three of these mandatory welfare outcomes since the inception of the scheme. This result might reflect either a reduction in factors giving rise to welfare problems in the mainstream herd or increasing awareness about management of compromised pigs. Additional data are required to clarify these possibilities, but both represent improved pig welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Fur farming has become increasingly controversial in the western world. Fur-farmed species such as mink contracting and transmitting COVID-19 have put a further spotlight on the industry. The United Kingdom (UK) and other nations have banned fur farming due to welfare concerns. Despite this, due to European Union (EU) membership, the UK has continued to import and sell fur from two million animals each year. The UK left the EU in 2020 and the British government is now considering a ban on the import and sale of fur. This paper reviews public polls on British attitudes to the fur industry conducted between 1997 and 2021. The polls reveal consistently high majority opposition to the fur industry. The paper then reports the results of a new questionnaire to explore in further depth the views of UK residents on the fur industry and attitudes to a ban. A large majority (86%) believed fur-farmed animals do not experience a good life. A similar majority (83%) believed it was unacceptable for the UK government to ban fur farming and continue to import and sell fur from producers overseas. Over three quarters (78%) supported a legal ban on the import and sale of fur in the UK. Around 100 million animals are killed annually for the global fur trade, with 85% reared on fur farms and 15% trapped in the wild. Fur farming is banned across the United Kingdom (UK) under the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act 2000 in England and Wales and parallel legislation in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Despite the farming bans, the import and sale of fur products to the UK have continued, largely due to European Union (EU) membership. The UK left the EU in 2020 and the British government is exploring a potential ban on the import and sale of fur post-Brexit. This paper reviews public surveys on attitudes to fur farming in the UK from 1997 to 2021. It then reports the results of an online questionnaire to investigate in greater depth the beliefs of UK residents (n = 326) about the welfare of animals used in fur production, knowledge of the legal context of the fur trade and attitudes toward a ban on the import and sale of fur in the UK. A large majority (86%) of respondents believed that fur-farmed animals do not experience a good life. Over four-fifths (83%) disagreed that it is morally acceptable for the UK government to ban fur farming and yet continue to import and sell fur from producers overseas, with over three-quarters (78%) supporting a legal ban on the import and sale of fur in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: 'Culture of Care' within animal research and testing refers to a commitment to improve animal welfare, the quality of the science, staff morale, and openness with the public. An effective Culture of Care should also promote the replacement of animal experiments with humane alternatives, reductions in animal numbers and suffering, and better welfare through the refinement of procedures, housing, husbandry and care (collectively known as the 3Rs). The Culture of Care is recognized as the foundation of humane and responsible science, but the concept should be applied in a meaningful way and not simply used as a 'buzzword'. Recognizing this, some establishments have begun to define and assess their individual Culture of Care. This paper provides some examples of their approaches to surveying staff and external colleagues. It also sets out some suggestions for objective criteria for assessing the Culture of Care, and for indicators that capture progress with each of the 3Rs. The aim is to complement the growing literature on the Culture of Care and highlight some sources of information and inspiration to help establishments tailor their own assessments. Within animal research and testing, the need for an effective Culture of Care is widely recognized and described in terms of an establishment-wide commitment to improving the implementation of the 3Rs, animal welfare, scientific quality, care of the staff, and transparency for all stakeholders, including the public. Ideally, each establishment would determine what the Culture of Care means for them, and be able to assess and potentially benchmark their own culture. Some establishments already do this, using various indicators and formal or informal assessments. This paper provides examples of these approaches to assessing the Culture of Care, including surveys and surrogate measures. Many currently-used criteria and indicators tend to be human-centric and subjective, and we suggest using further objective indicators and animal-centric, 3Rs-based criteria. It is preferable to consider each of the 3Rs separately when assessing culture, and some indicators are suggested to facilitate this. Several documents produced by regulators in the UK and European Union are good sources of objective indicators of a good Culture of Care. This concept paper aims to complement the literature on assessing the Culture of Care, providing ideas and sources of information to help identify relevant and measurable criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: There are around 11 million pet dogs in the United Kingdom, yet there is more to learn about how best to ensure their welfare needs are met. We know that owners have an impact on their dog's well-being and studies have suggested that what people do before they get their dog can subsequently impact their dog's welfare. We used data collected by the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) for the 2017 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report, the primary nationally representative means of monitoring the well-being of pets in the UK. We investigated associations between how much research people did before they got their dog and what they did or thought about. We found that owners who did more research before getting their dog were likely to be younger or have a higher education level. They were also more likely to have heard of the 'five welfare needs', have a realistic idea of the cost of owning a dog, and know the best place to go for help with their dog's behaviour. These findings help us understand what influences dog owners and suggest that doing more research before getting a dog is linked to improved knowledge, understanding, and behaviours. Despite many dogs living in homes in the UK, there is still more to know about the welfare of those individual animals. Past research has shown that owners' thoughts and behaviours have a substantial impact on their dog's welfare. This study aimed to better understand owners' pre-purchase behaviours, knowledge and understanding, and ownership practices, and explore any associations between these factors and their dog's welfare. We conducted further analysis of the data collected by People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) for their 2017 PDSA Animal Welfare (PAW) Report (n = 1814). We extracted variables to describe owner demographics (7), pre-purchase behaviours (1), knowledge and understanding (4), welfare indicators, (2) and ownership practices (4), and we tested for an association between these variables. We found more pre-purchase research was carried out by younger respondents and those with a higher education level. Also, more research was associated with feeling more informed about the five welfare needs and knowing to seek help for behaviour from appropriate sources. Overall, the study found several novel and significant results worthy of note and further exploration but did not find any strong connections between the variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The British people voted in a 2016 referendum to leave the European Union and the United Kingdom (UK) is set to leave the EU in 2019. Brexit is a major political change and it presents both threats and opportunities for animal protection. This paper assesses the threats that Brexit poses to animal protection in terms of five criteria. These are first, the political situation; second, regulatory changes; third, economic and trade factors; fourth, institutional considerations; and fifth, EU and international impacts. The EU has the most progressive animal welfare laws in the world. The UK Conservative Government, which is delivering Brexit, has a mixed record on animal protection. Brexit is forecast to have a negative impact on the UK economy, which is likely to negatively affect animal welfare. A major threat of Brexit is the import of meat and dairy products to the UK raised in lower welfare standards from nations such as the United States (US). The development of Brexit policy suggests there is a significant risk that this threat will materialise. Furthermore, Brexit will result in a reduced political lobby within the EU for progressive animal protection reform. Despite the UK being a progressive animal protection nation, she will have less power to exert this influence to improve animal welfare outside of the EU. Brexit poses substantial risks to weaken animal protection in the UK, EU and internationally. Further research is needed to assess the opportunities presented by Brexit to judge whether Brexit will be overall positive or negative for animal protection. The British people voted in a 2016 referendum to leave the European Union (EU). Brexit presents both threats and opportunities to animal protection in the United Kingdom (UK), EU and internationally. This paper discusses threats to animal protection in terms of five criteria. These are first, political context; second, regulatory changes; third, economic and trade factors; fourth, institutional and capacity-related factors; and fifth, EU and international considerations. The EU has the most progressive animal welfare laws in the world. The Conservative Government delivering Brexit has a mixed record on animal protection. Major time and resource constraints inherent in Brexit risk negatively impacting animal protection. Brexit is projected to have a negative economic impact, which is generally associated with lower animal welfare standards. The development of Brexit policy suggests there to be a substantial risk that the major threat of importing lower welfare products to the UK will materialise. Brexit will reduce the political influence of the progressive animal protection lobby in the EU. Post-Brexit, the politically and economically weakened EU and UK risks a detrimental impact on animal protection on an international scale. Brexit poses substantial threats to animal protection, with a high risk that many threats will materialise. Further research is needed to assess the opportunities presented by Brexit to judge whether Brexit will be overall positive or negative for animal protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The short-term benefits of pair housing pre-weaning calves have been successfully demonstrated, but the longer-term implications are still relatively unknown, especially for heifers enter the milking herd. This study aimed to investigate the impact of pairs compared to the individual housing of pre-weaning calves on longer-term heifer production. We found that pair-housed calves were less likely to exit the herd, which resulted in pair-housed calves producing more total milk per calf recruited into the original study. However, pair-housed calves also suffered from higher risks of developing udder health issues. The season of birth had an impact on growth rates, with heifers born in the colder winter months having reduced growth, but seasonality did not impact any other variables. Pair housing of pre-weaning dairy calves has previously demonstrated positive impacts on their growth, health and behaviour, but longer-term effects on production are still relatively unknown. This study followed a cohort of 431 Holstein heifers, recruited from a single UK commercial dairy farm, from weaning until either culling or the end of their first lactation. All animals were allocated to either individual or pair housing as a pre-weaning calf. Following weaning, all heifers were similarly managed through group housing, feeding with total mixed rations, the use of automatic heat detection for artificial insemination and weighing every two months until conception. Farm staff identified disease occurrences, which were treated following standard operating procedures. First-lactation monthly milk recording was used to measure milk yields and somatic cell counts. Overall mortality (voluntary and involuntary) was 26.6%, with a decreased hazard of exiting the herd if the heifer was pair housed as a calf (HR 0.70; p = 0.067). The voluntary cull rate was highest in the post-insemination period (13.0%) due to poor fertility. Heifers that were pair housed as calves had significantly increased odds of developing udder health issues as a primiparous cow (OR = 1.93, p = 0.022). Despite this, the 305-day milk yields were not associated with the housing group. However, the total milk produced per calf recruited into the original study was greater for pair-housed compared with individually housed calves (8088 kg vs. 7115 kg; p = 0.071), which is likely due to the significantly higher hazard of individually housed calves exiting the herd prematurely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Social network analysis (SNA) has the potential to be a vital element of a holistic animal care toolbox, which allows in-depth examination of the social roles of individuals and the dynamics at a group level. By studying a case study of a group of four (1.1.2) black lemurs (Eulemur macaco) living in human care at a zoo in the United Kingdom, the potential for SNA as a practical tool in assessing animal wellbeing is presented. SNA of the lemur group revealed patterns of female dominance, with one individual male being the most frequent target of aggressive interactions from the group. Using this technique, animal caregivers can identify social pressures, monitor social dynamics and dominance, and examine causes of suboptimal social wellbeing among the individuals living in their care. Understanding the social networks of individual groups can facilitate improvements and interventions to the benefit of individuals, groups, and wider populations. Social network analysis (SNA) is an increasingly utilised technique in the literature examining the social structures and organisation of animals and understanding the bonds between groups and individuals. Using a case study as an illustration, the applications of SNA are explored, including the identification of dominance hierarchies and detection of sources of social pressure, with a particular focus on the applications of SNA to holistic assessments of animal welfare alongside other methods. Based on the examination of social dynamics in a family group of four black lemurs (Eulemur macaco), a primate whose social organisation is characterised by patterns of female dominance, it is demonstrated that SNA can be used to examine the affiliative and agonistic interactions between individuals living in human care. SNA showed species-typical forms of female dominance that were largely directed towards the two males, characterised by the initiation of aggressive interactions and male submission. More intricate relationships and consistent social roles across networks were revealed through the examination of SNA. It is concluded that SNA has wide-ranging benefits in the assessment of effects of environmental changes, such as informing social management decisions, developing enrichment and intervention programs, and guiding overall improvements to the housing and care of individual animals. SNA, as part of an animal welfare toolbox, could, therefore, be a pivotal technique for modern animal welfare assessment that considers individual animals and their social lives. By sharing a case study of the technique in use, it is hoped that animal collections may adopt similar modern and evidence-based assessment methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing controversy about the use of the whip as a performance aid in Thoroughbred horseracing and its impact on horse welfare. This paper offers a critical analysis of the British Horseracing Authority's (BHA) 2011 Report Responsible Regulation: A Review of the Use of the Whip in Horseracing. It examines the BHA's process of consultation and use of science and public opinion research through the application of current scientific literature and legal analysis. This analysis suggests that the BHA's findings on the welfare impact and justification for whip use are insufficiently defended by the report. These findings indicate that the report is an inadequate basis from which to draw any definitive conclusions on the impact of whips on racehorse welfare. Further review is needed, undertaken by an independent scientific body, to advance this debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erratum: Baker, S.E.; Maw, S.A.; Johnson, P.J.; Macdonald, D.W. Not in My Backyard: Public Perceptions of Wildlife and "Pest Control" in and around UK Homes, and Local Authority "Pest Control". The authors wish to make the following erratum to their paper [[1]]: The Funding information has now been corrected (see the corrected version below): Funding S.E.B. was supported by the HUMANE SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL UK, the ELINOR PATTERSON-BAKER TRUST and the ROYAL SOCIETY for the PREVENTION of CRUELTY to ANIMALS. References 1 Baker S.E., Maw S.A., Johnson P.J., Macdonald D.W. Not in My Backyard: Public Perceptions of Wildlife and "Pest Control" in and around UK Homes, and Local Authority "Pest Control". [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: Fish are widely used in research and some species have become important model organisms in the biosciences. Despite their importance, their welfare has usually been less of a focus of public interest or regulatory attention than the welfare of more familiar terrestrial and mammalian laboratory animals; indeed, the use of fish in experiments has often been viewed as ethically preferable or even neutral. Adopting a social science perspective and qualitative methodology to address stakeholder understandings of the problem of laboratory fish welfare, this paper examines the underlying social factors and drivers that influence thinking, priorities and implementation of fish welfare initiatives and the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) for fish. Illustrating the case with original stakeholder interviews and experience of participant observation in zebrafish facilities, this paper explores some key social factors influencing the take up of the 3Rs in this context. Our findings suggest the relevance of factors including ambient cultural perceptions of fish, disagreements about the evidence on fish pain and suffering, the language of regulators, and the experiences of scientists and technologists who develop and put the 3Rs into practice. The discussion is focused on the UK context, although the main themes will be pertinent around the world. Adopting a social science perspective and qualitative methodology on the problem of laboratory fish welfare, this paper examines some underlying social factors and drivers that influence thinking, priorities and implementation of fish welfare initiatives and the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) for fish. Drawing on original qualitative interviews with stakeholders, animal technologists and scientists who work with fish—especially zebrafish—to illustrate the case, this paper explores some key social factors influencing the take up of the 3Rs in this context. Our findings suggest the relevance of factors including ambient cultural perceptions of fish, disagreements about the evidence on fish pain and suffering, the discourse of regulators, and the experiences of scientists and animal technologists who develop and put the 3Rs into practice. The discussion is focused on the UK context, although the main themes will be pertinent around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The British people voted in 2016 to leave the European Union (EU). The UK has a unique history as a leader in animal protection policy. It has a relatively large economy and significant political power on a global basis. Brexit presents both threats and opportunities to animal protection in the United Kingdom (UK), EU, and internationally. This paper assesses the opportunities Brexit presents for animal protection in terms of five criteria. These are first, the political situation; second, regulatory changes; third, economic and trade factors; fourth, institutional considerations; and fifth, EU and international impacts. Brexit provides the opportunity to reform UK farming to promote high animal welfare outside of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Brexit means the UK can ban live animal exports and the import and sale of fur products and foie gras outside of the EU. Leaving the EU permits the UK to have stricter requirements for the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) to control puppy smuggling. Brexit provides an opportunity for the UK Government to reform policy-making for sentient animals. New sentience legislation could establish a fully independent UK Animal Welfare Advisory body and mandate Government to use animal welfare impact assessments on all policy that affects sentient species. Despite such opportunities, the UK Government appears uncommitted to major reforms. The drafting of the Agriculture Bill does not suggest a progressive animal welfare agenda. For live exports, the Government will consult on how to improve welfare, rather than outright prohibition. Similarly, rather than ban the import and sale of fur, the Government will use its influence to improve the welfare of fur-farmed animals outside the UK. Brexit provides some opportunities for animal protection. Pre-Brexit, the Government has not demonstrated the political will and commitment to realise these opportunities. The British people voted in a 2016 referendum to leave the European Union (EU). Brexit presents threats and opportunities to animal protection in the United Kingdom (UK), the EU, and internationally. This paper discusses opportunities for animal protection in terms of five criteria. These are first, political context; second, regulatory changes; third, economic and trade factors; fourth, institutional- and capacity-related factors; and fifth, EU and international considerations. Brexit permits reform of UK agricultural policy outside of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to reward high welfare as a public good. The Agriculture Bill, however, does not suggest a radical reform agenda for animal welfare. Brexit permits a ban on live exports, but the UK Government is consulting on improving welfare, not prohibition. Brexit provides an opportunity to ban the import and sale of fur, but the UK Government has signalled it will work to improve welfare in fur farming. Brexit permits the UK to prohibit the import and sale of foie gras, but the Government has stated a ban may be challenged at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Brexit allows more stringent Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) requirements to reduce puppy smuggling. Lucy's Law and stricter enforcement will also mitigate the problem. New sentience legislation provides the opportunity for a fully independent and properly constituted UK Animal Welfare Advisory body conducting animal welfare impact assessments and ethical appraisal. The Government has proposed sentience legislation but there is a major risk it will not be in place before the UK leaves the EU. The Government has expanded the remit of the Farm Animal Welfare Committee, which is not fully independent and is dominated by veterinary members and agricultural interests. Brexit provides some opportunities for animal protection with radical reform of agricultural policy, prohibition of live exports, and banning the import and sale of fur and foie gras. Pre-Brexit, the Government has not demonstrated the political will and commitment to realise these opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Early lactation health disorders and their treatment are an important cause of welfare issues and production losses in dairy herds. These losses could be mitigated if cows at greater risk of health problems can be identified prior to calving. Cow mounted devices designed to monitor certain aspects of cow behavior may offer the opportunity to predict prior to calving which cows are likely to be at greater risk post calving by providing an alert based on each cow's behavior. This study attempted to determine the level and accuracy of alerts provided by one such monitoring system. Results revealed an alert level of 38.7% with an accuracy of prediction of 62.5%. These findings reflect the level of early health disorders observed in commercial dairy herds. Further research is required to improve the accuracy of prediction for cows receiving treatments for ill health and to develop effective measures to prevent the occurrence of those treatments. Identifying cows that are at greater risk for disease prior to calving would be a valuable addition to transition management. Prior to the commercial release of software features in an automated behavioral monitoring system, designed to identify cows in the dry period at greater risk of disease postpartum, a retrospective analysis was carried out in five dairy herds to evaluate whether the software could identify prepartum cows that subsequently received health treatments postpartum and whether prepartum alerts (transition alerts) are associated with a reduction in milk production in the subsequent lactation. Herd management and production records were analyzed for cows receiving treatment in the first 21 d of lactation (days in milk, DIM) for clinical mastitis, reproductive tract disease (metritis, retained fetal membranes), metabolic disease (hypocalcemia, ketosis and displaced abomasum) and for cows exiting the herd by 60 DIM. Data was gathered for 986 cows, 382 (38.7%) of which received a transition alert and 604 (61.3%) that did not. During the first 21 DIM 312 (31.6%) cows went on to receive a disease treatment, of these 51.9% (n = 162/312) were transition alert cows and 48.1% (n = 150/312) non-transition alert cows, while 8.6% (n = 33/382) alert cows exited the herd by 60 DIM compared to 4.8% (n = 29/604) of cows that did not receive an alert. A cow receiving a transition alert (OR = 1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.27–2.44) and increasing parity (OR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.44–2.86) were both associated with increased risk of receiving a disease treatment in the first 21 DIM. The occurrence of a transition alert was negatively associated with both week 4 milk yield (daily average yield in fourth week of lactation) and predicted 305 d yield. Transition alerts correctly predicted 62.5% (95% CI: 59.3–65.5) of treatments with a sensitivity of 42.4% (95% CI: 37.4–45.5) and a specificity of 75.2% (95% CI: 71.5–78.6). Associations were identified between postpartum health and production outcomes and prepartum behavioral measures from an automated activity monitoring system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Plastic entanglement is well known for causing both conservation and welfare issues for marine mammals, but little is known about the impacts on terrestrial species. Following anecdotal reports in the media, we assessed the prevalence and consequences of plastic entanglement for the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) in Great Britain. Based on data provided by rescue centres and population modelling, we estimate that 4000–7000 hedgehog deaths occur annually occur as a consequence of plastic entanglement, representing a significant welfare issue and placing additional pressure on a declining species. A questionnaire to gather evidence on the plastic entanglement of the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) was sent to 160 wildlife rehabilitation centres in Great Britain. Fifty-four responses were received, and 184 individual admissions owing to plastic entanglement were reported. Death was the outcome for 46% (n = 86) of these cases. A high proportion of Britain's hedgehogs enter rehabilitation centres annually (approximately 5% of the national population and potentially 10% of the urban population), providing a robust basis for assessing the minimum impacts at a national level. We estimate that 4000–7000 hedgehog deaths per year are attributable to plastic, with the true rate likely being higher, since many entangled hedgehogs—in contrast to those involved in road traffic accidents—will not be found. Population modelling indicates that this excess mortality is sufficient to cause population declines. Although the scale of the impact is much lower than that attributable to traffic, it is nevertheless an additional pressure on a species that is already in decline and presents a significant welfare issue to a large number of individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The most common method of stunning cattle prior to bleeding in an abattoir is a penetrating captive bolt device, which is basically a piston driven forward by expanding gas produced by a blank cartridge. This creates a concussed state in the animal on impact with the skull, followed by penetration to prevent recovery by destroying key parts of the brain. The successful application of this device requires the correct cartridge strength for the species and accurate placement of the device. This paper examines the heads of animals that have received multiple shots in an attempt to ascertain the cause, to provide abattoirs with training material and an investigative tool to reduce the occurrences of multiple shots and reduce the consequent negative effects on animal welfare at slaughter. Ideally, the application of a penetrating captive bolt device to render cattle immediately unconscious prior to slaughter would be 100% effective. Unfortunately, due to various factors this is not always the case. This paper examined, as an initial proof of concept, 12 bovine heads which had received more than one shot from a penetrating captive bolt, collected from various abattoirs within the United Kingdom. The heads were frozen to facilitate splitting on the medial plane to prevent distortion of soft tissue and each sagittal section was examined macroscopically to ascertain if this method could be used to determine the reasons for repeated stun attempts. In 10 out of 12 heads, shot placement was the determining factor, in one other head it was felt that anatomical variation was the reason and the twelfth head demonstrated signs of gun malfunction as the likely cause. This work provides evidence for a larger trial to facilitate the production of guidance for the abattoir industry, the Animal Welfare Officer and regulators on the examination of heads as part of an investigation of failures of a mechanical stunning system and to provide training material for slaughter staff tasked with effectively stunning cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Dogs are considered property under U.K. law, while owners generally regard their canine companions as family. Reports that the number of stolen dogs in England and Wales rose from 1788 in 2016 to 1909 in 2017 led to public calls to change the law. Recognising that a more robust analysis of dog theft crime statistics is required, we gathered dog theft data for 2015, 2016, and 2017 from 41 of 44 police forces. This paper examines how dog theft crime statistics are constructed, assesses the strengths and weaknesses of these data, and categorises, maps, and measures dog theft changes temporally per police force in England and Wales. Our findings reveal there has been an increase in dog theft crimes, with 1559 thefts in 2015, 1653 in 2016 (+6.03%), and 1842 in 2017 (+11.43%), and a decrease in court charges related to dog theft crimes, with 64 (3.97%) in 2015, 51 (3.08%) in 2016, and 39 (2.11%) in 2017. The actual number of dog theft crimes will be higher as three forces could not supply useable data. There is a need for a qualitative study to understand dog theft crime in different parts of the country, and a standardised approach to recording dog theft by all police forces in England and Wales. We recommend classifying dog theft (or pet theft more generally) as a crime in itself under the Sentencing Guidelines associated with the Theft Act 1968. Dogs are considered property under U.K. law, while current discourses of pet ownership place canine companions as part of an extended family. This means sentences for those who steal dogs are not reflective of a dogs' sentience and agency, rather in line with charges for those who steal a laptop or wallet. This is particularly problematic as dog theft is currently on the rise in England and Wales, leading to public calls to change the law. Recognising that a more robust analysis of dog theft crime statistics is required, we gathered dog theft data for 2015, 2016, and 2017 from 41 of 44 police forces through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. This paper uses these data to examine how dog theft crime statistics are constructed, assesses the strengths and weaknesses of these data, and categorises, maps, and measures dog theft changes temporally per police force in England and Wales. Our findings reveal there has been an increase in dog theft crimes, with 1559 in 2015, 1653 in 2016 (+6.03%), and 1842 in 2017 (+11.43%), and a decrease in court charges related to dog theft crimes, with 64 (3.97%) in 2015, 51 (3.08%) in 2016, and 39 (2.11%) in 2017. There were police force inconsistencies in recording dog theft crime, which meant some data were unusable or could not be accessed or analysed. We recommend a qualitative study to understand stakeholder perspectives of dog theft crime in different areas, and a standardised and transparent approach to recording the theft of a dog by all forces across England and Wales. This could be achieved by classifying dog theft (or pet theft more generally) as a crime in itself under the Sentencing Guidelines associated with the Theft Act 1968. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The impact of pair compared to individual housing of pre-weaning calves has previously demonstrated benefits in terms of socialization and calf development. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of individual and pair housing on a UK commercial dairy farm and establish further behavioural impacts that housing groups can have on calves. Overall, we found an increase in the activity of pair-housed calves, with individually housed calves spending more time with their head out of the front of the pen, as well as spending longer engaged in self-grooming. There was no impact of housing type on average daily liveweight gain, but there was an increase in disease prevalence in individually housed calves, possibly due to the impact of stress induced by social isolation. Overall, pair housing had a positive impact on the health and behaviour of calves on a commercial UK dairy farm. Social pair housing of calves has previously demonstrated positive impacts for calves, so this study aimed to compare the health and behaviour of calves kept in individual compared to pair housing on a single commercial UK dairy farm. A total of 457 Holstein and Jersey heifer calves were recruited and systematically allocated to individual and pair housing. Weekly visits were conducted up to 8 weeks of age, with weight and presence of clinical disease measured using both a standardized scoring system and thoracic ultrasonography. A subset of calves (n = 90) had accelerometers attached to monitor activity, with CCTV placed above a further 16 pens to allow behavioural assessments to be made via continuous focal sampling at 1 and 5 weeks of age. During the study, there was a mortality rate of 2.8%, and an average daily liveweight gain (ADLG) of 0.72 kg/day, with no significant effect of housing group (p = 0.76). However, individually housed calves had increased odds of developing disease (OR = 1.88, p = 0.014). Accelerometer data showed that housing group had no effect on lying times, with a mean of 18 h 11 min per day (SD 39 min) spent lying down. The motion index was significantly higher in pair-housed calves (F1,83 = 440.3, p < 0.01), potentially due to more social play behaviour. The total time engaged in non-nutritive oral behaviours (NNOBs) was not impacted by housing group (p = 0.72). Pair-housed calves split their time conducting NNOBs equally between inanimate objects and on their pen mates' body. Individually housed calves spent significantly more time with their head out of the front of the pen (p = 0.006), and also engaged in more self-grooming than pair-housed calves (p = 0.017), possibly due to a lack of socialization. The overall findings of this study indicate that within a UK commercial dairy management system, pair-housed calves were healthier and more active than individually housed calves, while housing group did not influence ADLG or the occurrence of NNOBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Flat-faced (brachycephalic) dogs have increased in popularity despite growing awareness that extreme facial conformation with very bulging eyes compromises their health. Medial canthoplasty (MC) is a commonly performed surgical procedure in flat-faced dogs to improve their facial anatomy with the aim of decreasing eye irritation and discharge and reducing the likelihood of painful ulceration on the surface of the eye (cornea). This study analysed data from flat-faced dogs that were recommended and/or underwent MC. In addition, a questionnaire of owners' perceptions, including eye problems before and after the surgery, and overall satisfaction were collected. Nearly three-quarters of the dogs recommended surgery had a history of, or actively had, corneal ulceration. Under half of the dogs recommended MC went on to have surgery and three quarters of these were Pugs. MC significantly reduced eye discharge, frequency of owners cleaning around their dog's eyes, eye irritation and corneal ulceration with minimal complications and high owner satisfaction. These results demonstrate the value of MC surgery to improve the quality of life of flat-faced animals. Brachycephalic breeds have increased in popularity despite growing awareness of their predisposition to a wide range of conformation-related diseases. The extreme facial conformation of many popular brachycephalic breeds compromises their ocular surface health, increasing the risk of painful corneal ulceration. Medial canthoplasty (MC) is a surgical procedure to address ocular abnormalities in brachycephalic dogs, which are collectively referred to as brachycephalic ocular syndrome (BOS). This study retrospectively reviewed the records of dogs recommended MC at a referral hospital between 2016 and 2021. A questionnaire was designed to identify owners' perceptions pre- and post-operatively. From 271 brachycephalic dogs recommended MC, 43.5% (118/271) underwent surgery and 72.0% (85/118) were Pugs. The majority of dogs (73.7%, 87/118) that underwent surgery had current or historical corneal ulceration. Follow-up was available in 104 dogs, of which 5.7% (6/104) had corneal ulceration post-operatively. Sixty-four owners completed the questionnaire and reported post-operative corneal ulceration in 12.5% of dogs (8/64), reduced ocular discharge (70.8%, 34/48), reduced ocular irritation (67.7%, 21/31) and less periocular cleaning (52.5%, 32/61). Owners were satisfied with the clinical (85.9%, 55/64) and cosmetic (87.5%, 56/64) outcome. In conclusion, MC has high clinical relevance for the surgical management of BOS, restoring functional conformation and improving the quality of life of affected dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study aims to evaluate the use of ethical discussion groups for reducing moral stress in veterinary teams. The data analysis is based on focus groups and individual interviews with veterinary team members working in charity veterinary practice. Moral stress is described as an everyday experience in the lives of veterinary team members and is caused by uncertainty about their ability to fulfill their ethical obligations. Moral stress is shown to be cumulative and can interact with other forms of stress. Distinct practical and relational barriers to ethical action are identified and proposed as contributors to moral stress, whilst the potential impact of moral stress on team members' quality of life and mental health is highlighted. Results show that regular facilitated ethical group discussions may reduce moral stress in the hospital setting, particularly through familiarization with others' roles and perspectives and supporting one another's ethical decision-making. The article concludes that moral stress is an important and poorly understood problem in veterinary practice and that further development of regular facilitated ethical group discussion may be of considerable benefit to team members. This study examines experiences of veterinary moral stress in charity veterinary practice and qualitatively evaluates the role of ethical discussion in reducing veterinary moral stress. Results are drawn from a thematic data analysis of 9 focus groups and 15 individual interviews with veterinary team members from 3 UK charity veterinary hospitals. Moral stress is described as an everyday experience by participants and is caused by uncertainty about their ability to fulfill their ethical obligations. Moral stress is shown to be cumulative and can interact with other forms of stress. Distinct practical and relational barriers to ethical action are identified and proposed as contributors to moral stress, and different team members experience different barriers within their roles. The potential impact of moral stress on team members' quality of life and mental health is highlighted. Results show that regular facilitated ethical group discussions may reduce moral stress in the hospital setting, particularly through familiarization with others' roles and ethical perspectives and through supporting one another's ethical decision-making. The article concludes that moral stress is an important and poorly understood problem in veterinary practice and that further development of regular facilitated ethical group discussion may be of considerable benefit to team members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Many animal welfare laws, including those regulating animals used in scientific procedures, have been impacted by the EU. The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) is the main legislation in the UK governing animals used in scientific procedures and was amended with the introduction of Directive 2010/63/EU. Though in some ways it seemed that the Directive would improve the welfare of animals in scientific procedures, this may have not been the case. In light of Brexit, the UK faces challenges in maintaining the protection for these animals, particularly with no longer having access to REACH and the risk of duplicate experiments. There are also, however, opportunities to increase the protection already established and build upon the UK's reputation of being a leader in animal welfare. This includes more transparency of experiments carried out, utilizing more non-animal methodologies and ending severe suffering. This article will explore the potential implications of Brexit on the welfare of animals used in experiments, focusing on legislation surrounding their welfare and protection. It will also suggest ways in which this protection can be progressed, with potentially more freedom to amend or introduce legislation to do so. The UK has long been hailed as one of the world leaders in animal welfare. Within the UK, animals used in experiments are provided some protection under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). This Act was impacted by European Union (EU) Directive 2010/63/EU, and subsequently the ASPA was updated to reflect any changes required. While the Directive is very similar to the protection the UK already afforded to animals used in experiments, there were some advances that the Directive provided that were not present in the ASPA. On paper, the changes introduced were promising but may not have been achieved in practice. In 2016, the British public voted to leave the EU, which presented concerns over animal welfare protection and legislation provided by EU law. With the completion of Brexit, there may be an opportunity to diverge from the Directive to advance protection for animals used in experiments. This article explores the influence that the EU has had on animal experimentation in the UK, the potential implications of Brexit on the welfare of animals used in experiments and suggests ways in which this protection can be progressed, with potentially more freedom to amend or introduce legislation to do so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Horse owners are key to facilitating the care that their horse receives. This study sought to understand how management and health care decisions are navigated by owners of older horses. Online discussion forum threads were selected to explore everyday conversations between horse owners around issues of concern relevant to older horse care. Analysis identified seven common themes in owner decision making; the human–horse relationship, horse-related responses, integrated geography, purpose, influences on behavioural outcomes, resources and life worth living. The characterisation of each theme was unique for each human and horse; themes could change over time and were dynamically interrelated. A conceptual model was developed to demonstrate how themes can change in meaning and importance, affecting the human–horse relationship and impacting upon choices made for a horse. This model can be used in the development of practical tools to assist those involved in the care of older horses. The number of aged horses in the UK has been growing over recent years, with many horses remaining active and being cared for into old age. However, increasing age is paralleled with a heightened risk of morbidity and mortality; therefore, owners of older horses must manage changes in their horse, making decisions about management and health care provision. In this paper, we discuss data collected from an open-access online discussion forum, where forum users sought advice arising from concerns about their older horse. Qualitative data analysis was performed using grounded theory methods. A conceptual model was developed to demonstrate the multifaceted ways in which ageing affects the human–horse relationship and impacts upon outcomes for the horse. The model reflects the dynamic nature of caring for an older horse to accommodate change over time—outcomes for the horse shift as the context of day-to-day life changes. The model provides novel insight into how decisions around older horse care are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Dogs are the most common companion animal in the United Kingdom; however, the pet dog acquisition process is not fully understood. It is important that stakeholders, including those working in the canine welfare sector, understand this process to enable them to provide appropriate support for dog owners across the stages of acquisition and ownership. This paper reports on qualitative findings from interviews conducted with dog owners, which sought to understand their motivations for dog acquisition. It was found that many owners had not intended to acquire a dog. In some cases, people had taken on a dog when a relative or friend became unable to care for the dog, whilst others had happened upon a dog in need. Emotional connections with the dog or a desire to help an animal in need were commonly reported motivations for keeping the dog. More research is needed to understand how common unplanned acquisitions are. Understanding the factors that result in people becoming dog owners is key to developing messaging around responsible acquisition and providing appropriate support for prospective owners to ensure a strong dog–owner bond and optimise dog welfare. This qualitative study investigated factors that influence pet dog acquisition. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 142 sets of dog owners/caretakers at 23 Dogs Trust community events. Interviews focused on the motivations and influences that impacted how people acquired their dogs. Transcribed interviews and notes were thematically analysed. Two acquisition types were reported, that each accounted for half of our interviewees' experiences: planned and unplanned. Whilst planned acquisitions involved an intentional search for a dog, unplanned acquisitions occurred following an unexpected and unsought opportunity to acquire one. Unplanned acquisitions frequently involved a participant's family or friends, people happening upon a dog in need, or dogs received as gifts. Motivations for deciding to take the dog included emotional attachments and a desire to help a vulnerable animal. Many reported making the decision to acquire the dog without hesitation and without conducting any pre-acquisition research. These findings present valuable insights for designers of interventions promoting responsible acquisition and ownership, because there is minimal opportunity to deliver messaging with these unplanned acquisitions. Additionally, these findings may guide future research to develop more complete understandings of the acquisition process. Further studies are required to understand the prevalence of unplanned acquisitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Assessing the quality of life (QOL) in dogs is difficult but formal assessment tools exist, often in the form of owner-completed questionnaires. Use of these tools in veterinary practice has been recommended by various veterinary associations. This study investigated current awareness and use of canine QOL assessment tools in veterinary practice in the UK. An online survey was completed by 90 veterinary surgeons and 20 veterinary nurses. One third were aware of the existence of canine QOL assessment tools, but less than four percent were using one in practice. Most vets and nurses were willing to use one as a tool, but reported that lack of time and potential resistance from owners were barriers to use. Results suggest that QOL assessment tools developed by researchers are not well distributed to veterinary professionals, and that several barriers inhibit their use. The use of formal canine quality of life (QOL) assessment tools in veterinary practice has been recommended. An online survey investigated awareness, use and barriers to use of these tools in the UK. An anonymous 24-question survey was advertised through veterinary groups and social media. Ninety veterinary surgeons and twenty veterinary nurses responded. Thirty-two respondents (29.1%) were aware of the existence of formal canine QOL assessment tools. Of the three tools listed, current use was less than four per cent. No statistically significant influence of respondent age, role (veterinary surgeon or nurse) or possession of additional qualifications was found on the awareness of QOL tools (p > 0.05). Over half of respondents (55.5%) would 'certainly' or 'probably' be willing to use a QOL assessment tool. The main barrier to use was lack of time. Other barriers included a perceived resistance from owners. Although current use and awareness of canine QOL assessment tools in UK veterinary practice is low, veterinary professionals appear willing to use the tools within their daily practice. This discrepancy implies that QOL assessment tools are not well disseminated to veterinary surgeons and nurses in practice and that various barriers inhibit their use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Formal tools are available to aid veterinary assessment of canine quality of life. However, they are rarely applied in practice, and previous research suggests a veterinary perception of owner resistance to their use. Through an online questionnaire, we found that almost all UK dog owners (95.8%) were comfortable discussing their dogs' quality of life with their vets, yet only a third of owners (32%) reported this topic to have been raised by their vets. Furthermore, the majority of owners (70.8%) were interested in accessing tools to assess their dog's quality of life, but very few had experienced any form of formal health or well-being assessment tool (4.4%) with their vets. A subset of owners was interviewed about their experiences with such tools, and three main themes were generated from their feedback: 'Use of assessment tools supports client-vet relationship and empowers owners', 'owners want to talk about holistic dog care', and 'owner feelings on the wider application of assessment tools'. Overarching findings suggest that owners want to discuss QOL and are interested in using formal assessment tools. Indeed, the uptake of tools appears to be valuable in improving the vet-client relationship and owner confidence in the treatment of their dogs. Few veterinary professionals use formal quality of life (QOL) assessment tools despite their recommendation from veterinary governing bodies to enable holistic welfare assessments and target welfare improvement strategies. Perceived barriers include resistance from owners, and this study aimed to elucidate understanding of dog owner engagement with conversations and tools relating to QOL. An online survey that investigated owner experience, comfort, and opinions about vet-client discussions on topics connected to canine health and well-being, including QOL, was completed by 410 owners. Almost all owners (95.8%) were reportedly comfortable discussing QOL, yet only 32% reported their vets had addressed it. A high proportion of owners (70.8%) expressed interest in assessment tools, but only 4.4% had experienced one, none of which were QOL tools per se. Semi-structured interviews of a sub-set of four owners provided a more in-depth examination of their experience of a health and well-being assessment tool. Thematic analysis generated three themes: 'Use of assessment tools supports client-vet relationship and empowers owners', 'Owners want to talk about holistic dog care', and 'Owner feelings on the wider application of assessment tools'. Overall, our findings suggest that owners want to broaden the veterinary consultation conversation to discuss QOL and are interested in using tools, and therefore veterinary perceptions of owner-related barriers to tool application appear unfounded. Indeed, tool uptake appears to improve the vet-client relationship and boost owner confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The health of zoo-housed animals is of critical importance for their welfare and conservation. Since many wild species often do not show signs of illness, zoo veterinarians routinely carry out health checks in seemingly healthy individuals to identify issues requiring treatment. The benefits of these "elective" health checks must be balanced against the risk of injury or stress, and their financial cost. This study involved the analysis of data gathered from 74 examinations carried out at one UK zoological collection, on 33 gibbons between 2011 and 2018. More than half (n = 38) of these health checks resulted in veterinary intervention and/or a management change to the gibbon's care (referred to as an actionable outcome). Age was found to be an important and reliable determinant of health check outcome, with health checks in elderly gibbons being 13.64 times more likely to have an actionable outcome than those in non-elderly gibbons. X-ray abnormalities, such as osteoarthritis, were also 34 times more likely in this group. Zoo managers and veterinarians can use the methods and findings outlined in this paper to quantify the benefits of elective health checks in their own collections, and to inform evidence-based decision making about the frequency and intensity with which they are implemented. Elective health checks form an important part of the preventative healthcare of many zoo-housed animals. These procedures are not without risk or financial expenditure, meaning careful cost–benefit analysis is required when determining the frequency and intensity with which they are implemented. This study evaluated the value of elective health checks (n = 74) carried out on 33 gibbons at a single UK zoological collection from 2011 to 2018. Data were categorised by health check type, animal age, clinical findings and outcome. Univariable binary logistic regression and multivariable modelling were used to identify factors associated with the likelihood of actionable (clinically significant) outcomes. In total, 51.35% of all elective health checks resulted in an actionable outcome. Elderly heath checks had 13.64 times greater odds of an actionable outcome and 34 times greater odds of a significant radiographic finding, when compared to routine (non-elderly) health checks. Our findings suggest that 75% wild longevity is a suitable threshold for identifying elderly captive gibbons and increasing health check frequency. Whilst further work is needed to ascertain whether these findings can be extrapolated to other collections and/or species, this study demonstrates how the analysis of clinical data can aid in the implementation of an effective and evidence-based preventative healthcare plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Animal research conducted outside of the laboratory faces various unique challenges, but has received only limited attention in terms of official guidelines, support, and statistics. To improve understanding, we held a workshop bringing together experts familiar with a variety of nonlaboratory animal research contexts (e.g., wildlife field sites, farms, fisheries, veterinary clinics, zoos). We collectively identified five key areas that we propose require further discussion and attention, which we present in this paper. While the workshop focused on research in the UK, our conclusions may have implications for similar work overseas. Research involving animals that occurs outside the laboratory raises an array of unique challenges. With regard to UK legislation, however, it receives only limited attention in terms of official guidelines, support, and statistics, which are unsurprisingly orientated towards the laboratory environment in which the majority of animal research takes place. In September 2019, four social scientists from the Animal Research Nexus program gathered together a group of 13 experts to discuss nonlaboratory research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act (A(SP)A) of 1986 (mirroring European Union (EU) Directive 2010/63/EU), which is the primary mechanism for regulating animal research in the UK. Such nonlaboratory research under the A(SP)A often occurs at Places Other than Licensed Establishments (POLEs). The primary objective of the workshop was to assemble a diverse group with experience across a variety of POLEs (e.g., wildlife field sites, farms, fisheries, veterinary clinics, zoos) to explore the practical, ethical, and regulatory challenges of conducting research at POLEs. While consensus was not sought, nor reached on every point of discussion, we collectively identified five key areas that we propose require further discussion and attention. These relate to: (1) support and training; (2) ethical review; (3) cultures of care, particularly in nonregulated research outside of the laboratory; (4) the setting of boundaries; and (5) statistics and transparency. The workshop generated robust discussion and thereby highlighted the value of focusing on the unique challenges posed by POLEs, and the need for further opportunities for exchanging experiences and sharing best practice relating to research projects outside of the laboratory in the UK and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Optimizing equine wellbeing is of concern to horse owners and key stakeholders in the equine sector. However, the language horse owners use to discuss wellbeing is not well understood and terms such as quality of life and welfare are often used interchangeably. Little is known about how those providing day-to-day care of horses use terminology, or what this means for wellbeing assessment. This study collected qualitative data from focus group discussions with UK leisure horse owners. Analysis identified that horse owners did not clearly delineate between different terms. Individually constructed equine wellbeing assessments were ongoing, and shaped by factors such as the horse's purpose and owner's ideas about good horse care. Strategies to support owners and improve communication must pay attention to the dynamic and contextualised nature of horse owners' experiences. Human assessment of equine wellbeing is fundamental to ensuring the optimal care of domestic horses. However, terminology associated with wellbeing is still not fully defined and there are currently no validated quality of life (QoL) assessment tools. Furthermore, little is known about what equine wellbeing or QoL means to horse owners, or how their beliefs impact on the management decisions they make for their horse. This study sought to establish how UK leisure horse owners use wellbeing-related terminology by exploring their accounts within a focus group setting. Four online focus group discussions (FGD) were held and qualitative data were collected. FGDs involved a semi-structured discussion, followed by a group activity to compare seven equine wellbeing-related terms of interest introduced by the facilitator. The collected data were analysed using a constructivist grounded theory approach, and also by content analysis, to examine the frequency and subjective meaning of the terms of interest. The results showed that horse owners did not clearly delineate between different terms, rather, they used the terms in the context of their own assessments of their horse. The meanings assigned to what owners experienced with their horse were individual and subjective, shaped by past experiences, relationships with their animal, and peers or social groups. This individualised construction of equine wellbeing impacted on the meaning conveyed when using wellbeing-related terminology. In this study, we extend the literature on equine wellbeing terminology usage, and highlight differences between the academic literature and the real-world experiences of horse owners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: New dog owners are given a plethora of advice on how to socialise their puppy, but such advice is often outdated and based on very few experimental studies. The resulting inadequate socialisation can lead to behavioural problems in adult dogs. This review aims to describe all relevant literature regarding canine socialisation. Many of the 29 studies identified were retrospective owner-filled questionnaires, which are susceptible to bias. Few modern studies experimentally investigated the effects of different socialisation methods. We, therefore, recommend studies on the minimum necessary level of socialisation and breed differences in the optimum timing for socialisation. We hope this future research helps owners and breeders to produce well-adjusted dogs. There are over 10 million pet dogs in the UK alone, and they have become a member of modern human families. If not properly socialised as puppies, dogs have a higher risk of problematic behaviours during adulthood, yet socialisation studies are lacking. Much of the experimental research was carried out at least 50 years ago, and the importance of socialisation was demonstrated so clearly that further studies with unsocialised controls would be deemed unethical. In this review, the aim was to evaluate all literature relevant to canine socialisation. This review used PRISMA-P guidelines to identify 29 studies: 14 were questionnaire-based studies (two of which also had a testing element), 15 included some form of experimental manipulation relating to socialisation, and one was a purely observational study. Based on this literature review, we recommend future research into minimum necessary socialisation levels, as well as breed differences in the timing of effective socialisation. Such studies will help owners and breeders produce well-adjusted adult dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Yoga is a holistic discipline originating in ancient India. Yoga has links with Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism based on a shared philosophical framework of unity with all beings and belief in ahimsa, meaning non-harming. There is debate in the international yoga community about the spiritual, ethical and health-related links between yoga and plant-based diets. This questionnaire-based research investigates the beliefs about the moral status of farmed animals and attitudes towards plant-based diets of UK yoga teachers. The research found that: (i) UK yoga teachers have very progressive beliefs about farmed animals; (ii) around 30% of UK yoga teachers follow a plant-based diet, which is 25 times the proportion in the general UK population; (iii) nearly 75% desire to follow a plant-based diet; (iv) over two thirds regard plant-based diets as best aligned to their yogic practice; and (v) UK yoga teachers with more progressive beliefs about farmed animals and greater knowledge of agriculture abstain from consuming animal products to a greater extent. The high proportions of UK yoga teachers following vegetarian and plant-based diets, relative to the wider population, are likely based on applying the principle of ahimsa, or non-harming, to farmed animals and abstaining from consuming their products. Yoga is a holistic discipline originating in ancient India. Yoga has links with Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism based on a shared philosophical framework of unity with all beings and belief in ahimsa, meaning non-harming. There is debate in the international yoga community about the spiritual, ethical and health-related links between yoga and plant-based diets. This mixed methodology research investigates the beliefs about the moral status of farmed animals and attitudes towards plant-based diets of UK yoga teachers. A sequential mixed-methods design employing a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews is used. This paper focuses on the questionnaire-based phase of the research. Key results are: (i) UK yoga teachers have very progressive beliefs about the moral status of farmed animals; (ii) 29.6% of UK yoga teachers follow a plant-based diet (n = 446), which is 25-fold the proportion in the wider UK population; (iii) 73.9% desire to follow a plant-based diet; (iv) 68.6% regard plant-based diets as best aligned to their yogic practice; and (v) UK yoga teachers with more progressive beliefs about farmed animals and with more self-reported knowledge of agriculture abstain from consuming animal products to a greater extent. The far higher proportions of UK yoga teachers following vegetarian and plant-based diets, relative to the wider population, are likely based on applying yogic teachings such as the principle of ahimsa through abstaining from the consumption of animal products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: To ensure that up to date equine welfare advice is communicated as effectively as possible, it is important to understand where equine stakeholders seek information and their preferences for the way that information is communicated. In this study we surveyed horse owners, equine veterinarians, and livery yard owners. We found that although the three groups differed in the information sources they used most frequently, there was a tendency to consult other people rather than organisations, or digital and printed resources. There was a preference for information to be communicated in a neutral or positive way. Horse owners in particular would like practical information on the process of implementing equine welfare improvements included alongside the information. Equine veterinarians are important sources of information for all three stakeholder groups. Information on the management of animals within domestic environments is freely available to animal owners and caregivers either online, or in paper form by request. However, awareness is growing within the animal welfare sector that simply providing written guidelines or educational material is not enough to affect a positive change in owners in relation to animal welfare. In the quest to improve equine welfare, understanding the way that owners and other stakeholders seek information and their communication preferences is key to effective dissemination of up to date equine welfare information and research findings. Three UK equine stakeholder groups—horse owners, livery yard owners, and equine veterinarians—were surveyed online to find out where they sought equine information. Their awareness of equine welfare Codes of Practice, how they respond when they are asked to give advice to horse owners and their communication preferences were included within the survey. All three stakeholder groups tended to seek information from people rather than from organisations, or digital and printed resources. Veterinarians were the most used information source across all three stakeholder groups This highlighted the importance of ensuring that equine veterinarians have access to up to date, evidence-based equine welfare information. While the majority of participants were aware of the equine welfare Code of Practice, fewer had actually read it, this was true particularly amongst horse owners. The primary reasons for this were the features of the Code as well as the issuing organisation. The stakeholders expressed a preference for information to be communicated in a neutral or positive way rather than focusing on negative aspects. Our findings suggest that industry professionals, particularly veterinarians, have an important role to play in knowledge transfer and the dissemination of research findings to horse owners. The efficacy of equine welfare communication could be improved if the information delivery preferences of equine stakeholders are were taken into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing concern worldwide in both human and veterinary medicine. Biosecurity and the ability to limit bacterial contamination on farms are crucial in the fight against disease, including AMR bacteria. This study aimed to investigate whether the recommended concentrations of five commercial disinfectants (A to E) were sufficient to inhibit growth and inactivate a panel of bacterial strains, including some that carry multidrug resistance to selected antimicrobials. The effectiveness of each disinfectant was expressed as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The results indicate that the type of disinfectant and its concentration influence the inhibitory and bactericidal efficacy. The glutaraldehyde/quaternary ammonium-compound-based (disinfectant D) and chlorocresol-based products (disinfectant B) were the most effective in this study. Varying results were observed for the other compounds, depending on the bacterial species tested. The iodine-based (disinfectant C) and potassium-peroxymonosulfate-based (disinfectant A) products were less able to inhibit or inactivate the bacteria. The disinfectant products were less effective against the strains of E. coli with different phenotypic profiles of antimicrobial resistance compared to sensitive strains. The growing threat of antimicrobial resistance worldwide has led to an increasing concern in the human, veterinary, and environmental fields, highlighting the need for strategies to effectively control bacterial contamination. Correct biosecurity practices, including the appropriate use of disinfectants, play a crucial role in controlling bacterial contamination. This study aimed to verify whether the recommended concentrations defined according to the Defra General Orders concentration (GO, published by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' disinfectant-approval scheme) of five commercial disinfectant preparations (peroxygen-based, phenol-based, two halogen-releasing agents, and glutaraldehyde/quaternary ammonium compound-based; disinfectants A to E, respectively) were sufficient to inhibit growth and inactivate selected bacterial strains, including some that carry known phenotypic patterns of multidrug resistance. The effectiveness of each disinfectant was expressed as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values, determined by the broth-microdilution method. The results indicate that the type of disinfectant and its concentration influence the inhibitory and bactericidal efficacy. The glutaraldehyde/quaternary ammonium compound-based (disinfectant D) and chlorocresol-based products (disinfectant B) were the most effective, and the GO concentration was bactericidal in all the strains tested. The efficacy of the other compounds varied, depending on the bacterial species tested. The GO concentrations were at least able to inhibit the bacterial growth in all the products and bacterial strains tested. A greater tolerance to the compounds was observed in the strains of E. coli with multidrug-resistance profiles compared to the strains that were sensitive to the same antimicrobials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Every year an estimated 1.5–2.7 billion wild fish are caught by UK commercial sea fishing fleets subjecting most to severe stressors. Scientific research shows that fish are sentient beings, but UK animal welfare laws do not protect commercially caught wild fish. For example, stunning fish before slaughter is rare and gutting them alive is a common practice. There are therefore major welfare issues in wild capture sea fisheries, no laws to protect the welfare of wild fish at sea, and great potential to reform practice to improve the lives of billions of sentient fish. The article investigates this through reporting findings from interviews with 18 experts with a stake in wild fish welfare. The article reviews the UK fishing industry, policy context and scientific evidence that fish are sentient, linked to stakeholder views about what fish experience during wild capture. The article then analyses industry practices, resultant welfare harms and stakeholder attitudes towards them. No participant disputed that fish are sentient and all were able to identify key stressors to fish in different stages of the capture process, together with potential mitigations. Interviews revealed that harms can be worsened by their hidden nature along with conservative industry attitudes towards brutal practices which would be unacceptable in other areas of animal food production. The article raises awareness of an under-researched welfare problem in UK wild capture sea fisheries but should have wider significance to many fishing nations. An estimated 1.5–2.7 billion wild fish are caught by UK commercial sea fishing fleets annually. Most are subjected to severe stressors during capture; stunning is rare and gutting alive is common practice. Fish are recognised in UK law as sentient beings, but commercially caught wild fish are excluded from welfare protections. Animal welfare impacts in wild capture sea fisheries are therefore on a massive scale, with major potential for legislative and market-based reforms. Interviews were conducted with 18 experts working within the fishing and seafood industry, fisheries management, scientific research and animal/fish advocacy organisations. The findings reveal a significant welfare gap between societally acceptable ways to treat sentient animals and the reality of capture fisheries. The participants pointed to harms caused to fish throughout different stages of the capture process caused by combinations of variables from fishing gear and methods to biological, environmental and other factors, noting that all require mitigation. Interviews revealed that the nature of harms may be exacerbated by conservative attitudes towards brutal practices in the industry, driven by profit and efficiency and free from legal restraint. To address the welfare gap, stakeholders favour engagement with the industry to improve understanding of harms and to identify mutually beneficial and shared objectives through alleviating stressors to fish in the capture process. This empirical research is focused on UK wild capture sea fisheries. However, given the dearth of welfare legislation globally, it has significance for fishing nations and the many billions of wild sea fish captured each year around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: There is increasing appetite to understand how we can provide quality of life to farm animals. A framework to evaluate positive welfare opportunities for dairy cattle was developed using a participatory approach where farmer's recommendations were integrated into a scientific framework and piloted on farm by vets. When provided with the opportunity to collaborate, farmers and scientists broadly agree on what constitutes "a good life" for dairy cattle and worked together to develop an assessment framework. Farmers did not agree equally on the value of each positive welfare opportunity. However, farmers supported positive welfare assessment as a means of recognition and reward for higher animal welfare, within existing farm assurance schemes, and to justify national and global marketing claims of higher animal welfare. On-farm welfare assessment tends to focus on minimising negative welfare, but providing positive welfare is important in order to give animals a good life. This study developed a positive welfare framework for dairy cows based on the existing scientific literature which has focused on developing positive welfare indicators, and trialled a participatory approach with farmers; refining the framework based on their recommendations, followed by a vet pilot phase on farm. The results revealed that farmers and scientists agree on what constitutes "a good life" for dairy cattle. Farmers value positive welfare because they value their cows' quality of life, and want to be proud of their work, improve their own wellbeing as well as receive business benefits. For each good life resource, the proportion of farmers going above and beyond legislation ranged from 27 to 84%. Furthermore, barriers to achieving positive welfare opportunities, including monetary and time costs, were not apparently insurmountable if implementation costs were remunerated (by the government). However, the intrinsic value in providing such opportunities also incentivises farmers. Overall, most farmers appeared to support positive welfare assessment, with the largest proportion (50%) supporting its use within existing farm assurance schemes, or to justify national and global marketing claims. Collaborating with farmers to co-create policy is crucial to showcase and quantify the UK's high welfare standards, and to maximise engagement, relevance and uptake of animal welfare policy, to ensure continuous improvement and leadership in the quality of lives for farm animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Owners of dogs, cats, and other companion animals increasingly make use of the internet to find out how to best care for their animals. This may affect owners' relations with veterinarians in both positive and negative ways. A positive consequence could be that owners are better informed when they approach a veterinarian. However, there can also be challenging situations in which the owners may question veterinarians' professional advice based on online information. Using a questionnaire, we found that a majority of Austrian, Danish, and UK veterinarians (n = 641) surveyed were occasionally confronted with clients who question their medical advice based on information obtained from the internet. In addition, the veterinarians were concerned about the potential for clients to misunderstand information found on the internet, or to develop unrealistic expectations of what is possible in small animal practices. As internet use becomes ever more widespread, we suggest that the types of resources that are available and used by animal owners should be further explored. Veterinary medicine is increasingly affected by animal owners having the opportunity to become better informed on pet health issues by using various internet resources. Using an online questionnaire including a section on clients' use of internet resources to obtain medical information, this study aimed to investigate veterinarians' estimates of the percentage of clients using internet resources, how often clients question veterinarians' professional medical advice based on online information, and veterinarians' attitudes towards clients' use of internet resources, across Austrian, Danish, and UK veterinarians (n = 641). The results show that 48.8% of respondents estimated that 40–79% of their clients use internet resources to find medical information. Further, 70–80% of respondents stated that they are occasionally challenged by clients questioning their advice based on online information. Although veterinarians recognized the potential advantages related to clients' use of internet resources, such as an increased acceptance of advanced diagnostics and treatments, they also highlighted clients' increased expectations or false impressions of small animal practices as potentially negative aspects in this context. As internet use increases, it seems likely that these issues will become increasingly important in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The overpopulation of domestic cats (Felis catus) is an important welfare concern and can be a particular problem in socio-economically deprived areas. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) activities are a humane way of managing unowned cat populations; however continued movement of cats into an area can derail the TNR effort. Consequently, for sustainable change, it is recommended that TNR activities are linked with community engagement to encourage positive behaviours towards cats, such as continued reporting of unowned cats for neutering. We investigated the impact of a community-based partnership approach to TNR, in order to (1) determine the acceptability of the project within the community; (2) determine whether the project leads to sustainable behaviour change and (3) assess the potential benefits of participation in activities. We found residents had increased self-efficacy and confidence to help the cats within the community and were more likely to report unowned cats for neutering now compared to previous years. Engaging communities with programs to control cat numbers, can effectively overcome barriers to helping cats. We hope that the promising results from this program will encourage future efforts to consider community participation when cat management is being delivered, to overcome barriers to helping cats in often hard-to-reach populations. The overpopulation of free-roaming domestic cats (Felis catus) is fuelled by uncontrolled breeding of both owned and unowned populations and has been identified as a particular problem in socio-economically deprived areas. Consequently, for sustainable change, it is recommended that Trap-Neuter-Return activities are linked with community engagement to encourage positive behaviours towards cats. This paper assesses the acceptability and impact of a community-partnership program called "Bulwell Cat Watch" (BCW), set-up to control cat numbers in Bulwell, UK. The data are based on a (1) cross-sectional survey (n = 478); (2) pre-post analysis (n = 21); and (3) targeted survey of people known to engage with BCW (n = 34). We found significant associations between awareness of BCW and an increased likelihood of reporting unowned cats now compared to previous years. Respondents reported increased self-efficacy and confidence to help cats. Our pre-post study corroborated these findings with residents significantly more likely to report unowned cats compared to when surveyed pre-BCW. An indirect benefit to residents engaged with the program was the positive impact on confidence and self-esteem. Taken in combination these results show community partnerships can effectively engage often hard-to-reach populations and foster sustainable management by overcoming barriers to helping cats, alongside the potential for wider community benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The words used to communicate farm animal welfare to non-specialists may be more important than knowledge of welfare itself. Framing research finds that human perception is influenced, not by what is said, but by how something is said. By increasing the emphasis placed on animals having positive experiences, positive animal welfare changes the framing of farm animal welfare. Yet, we do not know how such framing of animal welfare may influence the perceptions of key animal welfare stakeholders. In response, this study uses qualitative interviews to explore how citizens and farmers frame positive animal welfare and what this means for the effective communication of this concept. This study finds that 'positive' evokes associations with 'negatives' amongst citizens. This leads them to frame positive animal welfare as animals having 'positive experiences' or being 'free from negative experiences'. Farmers rely more on their existing frames of animal welfare and integrate positive welfare into this. As such, most farmers frame positive welfare as 'good husbandry', a smaller number frame it as 'proactive welfare improvement', and a small number frame it as an 'animal's point of view'. The implications of such internal frames for effectively transferring positive welfare from science to society are further discussed. Human perception can depend on how an individual frames information in thought and how information is framed in communication. For example, framing something positively, instead of negatively, can change an individual's response. This is of relevance to 'positive animal welfare', which places greater emphasis on farm animals being provided with opportunities for positive experiences. However, little is known about how this framing of animal welfare may influence the perception of key animal welfare stakeholders. Through a qualitative interview study with farmers and citizens, undertaken in Scotland, UK, this paper explores what positive animal welfare evokes to these key welfare stakeholders and highlights the implications of such internal frames for effectively communicating positive welfare in society. Results indicate that citizens make sense of positive welfare by contrasting positive and negative aspects of welfare, and thus frame it as animals having 'positive experiences' or being 'free from negative experiences'. Farmers draw from their existing frames of animal welfare to frame positive welfare as 'good husbandry', 'proactive welfare improvement' or the 'animal's point of view'. Implications of such internal frames (e.g., the triggering of 'negative welfare' associations by the word 'positive') for the effective communication of positive welfare are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The use of decapods (such as lobsters and crabs) and cephalopods (such as octopuses and cuttlefish) by humans for food, experimentation and education (e.g., in zoos and aquariums) is on the increase. Growing evidence that these species have feelings and can experience emotions has highlighted the need for a tool to monitor the welfare of these species in captivity. This study adapted a welfare monitoring tool, the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid, that has been successfully used with a variety of mammal and bird species, for use with decapods and cephalopods. This tool was then trialed at a zoological institution (Marwell Zoo, UK) and, for the first time, a public aquarium (National Marine Aquarium, UK), with the intention of showing how data collected on invertebrates in a zoological environment can be both efficiently and easily applied to implement positive welfare. This study highlights how evaluating the welfare impact of management processes using animal-based indicators can lead to improved welfare outcomes. Consumer demand for invertebrates is on the rise as their numbers in the wild dwindle. However, with the growing conservation efforts of modern zoos and aquariums, and evidence from over 300 studies showing that invertebrates are capable of sentience, public interest, and moral concern for welfare of invertebrates have increased. The challenge for zoos and aquariums is in developing an objective and repeatable method for evaluating welfare that can be applied to invertebrates in zoological collections. Recently introduced into zoological collection management is the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG). The AWAG helps to identify negative and positive welfare states, through assessing animal- and environmental-based indicators to make changes that lead to a better quality of life. Originally developed for the assessment of laboratory primates, the system has been successfully adapted to assess a variety of taxa across different environments, facilitated by the development of cloud-based software. In this study, the AWAG has been adapted to assess the cumulative lifetime experience of captive decapods and cephalopods at two different institutions, Marwell Zoo and National Marine Aquarium. This study has provided further evidence that the AWAG is adaptable and demonstrates the first time any objective scoring system has been successfully adapted for use in invertebrates. Through graphical representation, the results show that the AWAG identifies changes in welfare scores that can be attributed to specific events and can be used to predict the future vulnerability of species to welfare changes and suggest alternative management methods. This monitoring tool provides a versatile method of implementing practical welfare monitoring in zoos and aquariums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Zoo visitors can have a positive, negative, or neutral impact on animals. Primates are cognitively very advanced and their interactions with human visitors are complex. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a prolonged absence of visitors in zoos. This enabled an opportunity to compare how primates behaved when the zoo was open to visitors as opposed to when it was closed. We studied four primate species housed in the UK: bonobos, chimpanzees, and western lowland gorillas held at Twycross Zoo and olive baboons held at Knowsley Safari. Bonobos and gorillas spent less time alone when facilities were open to the public. Gorillas also spent less time resting when the facility was open to the public. Chimpanzees ate more and engaged more with enrichment when the zoo was open to the public. Olive baboons performed less sexual and dominance behaviour and approached visitor cars more frequently when the safari park was opened to the public than the ranger's vehicle during closure periods. The results suggest that the zoo closures had variable impacts on the primates and that the closure periods were neither "negative" or "positive" for all of the studied species. There are likely to be differences between individuals due to prior experiences. We recommend that future work seeks to understand the impact individual differences and animal environments have on animals' experiences with visitors. Primates are some of the most cognitively advanced species held in zoos, and their interactions with visitors are complex. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to understand the impact of zoo visitors on animals, in comparison to "empty zoos". This study sought to understand the impact of facility closures and subsequent reopenings on behavioural and physiological parameters of welfare in four primate species housed in the UK: bonobos (Pan paniscus) (n = 8), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) (n = 11), and western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) (n = 6) held at Twycross Zoo (TZ); and olive baboons (Papio anubis) (n = 192) held at Knowsley Safari (KS). Behavioural data were collected from April–September 2020 (KS) and November 2020–January 2021 (TZ). Faecal samples were collected during morning checks from October–November (TZ) and July–November 2020 (KS). Faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs) were measured using ELISA kits. Statistical analysis for behavioural observations was undertaken using general linear models. Enclosure usage was assessed using t-tests and Mann–Whitney U-tests as appropriate. Bonobos and gorillas spent less time alone when facilities were open to the public (p = 0.004, p = 0.02 respectively). Gorillas spent less time resting when the facility was open to the public (p = 0.04), and chimpanzees engaged in more feeding (p = 0.02) and engagement with enrichment (p = 0.03) when the zoo was open to the public than when it was closed. Olive baboons performed less sexual and dominance behaviour and approached visitor cars more frequently when the safari park was opened to the public than they did the ranger's vehicle during closure periods. There were no significant changes in physiological parameters for any of the study species. The results suggest variable impacts of the zoo closures on zoo-housed primates. We recommend future work that seeks to understand the impact of individual-level differences on "visitor effects" and that differences between animal experiences in zoos and safari parks are further explored in a range of species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Being a prey species, horses evolved to rapidly react to potential danger and loud noises may be perceived as such. Therefore, they can exhibit several anxiety behaviors during noisy events, including sweating, trembling and escape attempts, which may cause severe accidents for the horse and the rider/handler. Since noise anxiety can significantly impact on horse welfare, the aim of the present study was to investigate owners' perception of noise anxiety severity in their horses, their management strategies and perceived efficacy. In a survey, 409 out of 1836 owners reported that their horse shows unusual behavior during a noise event. Among those, two noise anxiety clusters could be identified: very and slightly anxious horses. Very anxious horses were reported to have higher frequency of all anxiety behaviors and higher frequency of signs of noise reactivity; furthermore, their anxiety did not improve with time. The most frequently used management strategies were providing hay throughout the night or turning out or moving horses to a paddock; though, most of these techniques were reported to be effective only in the slightly anxious subjects. Our results confirmed that noise anxiety is a widespread behavioral problem (22% of our respondents reported that their horse had ever shown any unusual behavior in relation to loud noises) that can lead to negative welfare consequences for horses. Noise anxiety is an over-reaction to loud noises commonly detected among pets and can greatly impact on their welfare and on their management. When exposed to noisy events, horses can show intense escape attempts, which may cause severe accidents for the horse and the rider/handler. The aim of the present study was to investigate, through a web survey, UK and US owners' perception of noise anxiety severity in their horses, their management strategies and perceived efficacy. The questionnaire was shared via social networking and advertised as "What is your horse afraid of?". Over a total of 1836 questionnaires filled out; 409 owners reported that their horse has shown unusual behavior during a noise event. A two-step cluster analysis identified two groups: very anxious (VA) and slightly anxious (SA). VA horses were reported to have higher frequency of anxiety behaviors; higher frequency of signs of noise reactivity; and their anxiety did not improve with time. The most used management strategies consisted in providing hay throughout the night, turning in/out their horse or moving it to a paddock. A binomial logistic regression identified that horses that have reported injuries during noise events were more likely to be clustered as VA (OR = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.08–0.76); while providing hay throughout the night was more likely to be very effective management strategy in SA horses (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.16–1.01). Our results confirmed that noise anxiety is a growing behavioral problem that can lead to important welfare concerns for horses. New management strategies, including the use of medicinal products, should be considered to reduce behavioral and physiological signs and help horses to cope with noisy events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disease prevention and control practices are frequently highlighted as important to ensure the health and welfare of farmed animals, although little is known as to why not many practices are carried out. The aim of this study was to identify the motivators and barriers of dairy cattle farmers towards the use of biosecurity measures on dairy farms using a health psychology approach. Twenty-five farmers on 24 farms in Great Britain (GB) were interviewed using the Theory of Planned Behaviour framework. Results indicated that farmers perceived they had the ability to control what happened on their farms in terms of preventing and controlling disease, and described benefits from being proactive and vigilant. However, barriers were cited in relation to testing inaccuracies, effectiveness and time-efficiency of practices, and disease transmission route (e.g., airborne transmission). Farmers reported they were positively influenced by veterinarians and negatively influenced by the government (Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)) and the general public. Decisions to implement practices were influenced by the perceived severity of the disease in question, if disease was diagnosed on the farm already, or was occurring on other farms. Farmers described undertaking a form of personal risk assessment when deciding if practices were worth doing, which did not always involve building in disease specific factors or opinions from veterinarians or other advisors. These results indicate that further guidance about the intricacies of control and prevention principles in relation to specific animal diseases may be required, with an obvious role for veterinarians. There appears to be an opportunity for farm advisors and herd health professionals to further understand farmer beliefs behind certain attitudes and target communication and advice accordingly to further enhance dairy cattle health and welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moles are considered pests in Britain, but this issue has been little studied. Lower welfare standards have been tolerated for moles than for most other managed wild mammal species, as use of both the controversial poison, strychnine, and unregulated traps have been permitted. Strychnine was withdrawn in 2006 and there were fears that mole populations would increase as a result. In 2007, we conducted a comprehensive, nationwide survey of land manager perceptions, opinions and behaviour regarding moles and mole control on farms, amenities and domestic gardens in Britain. We surveyed 2150 land managers (achieving a 59% response rate) and ground-truthed 29 responses. Moles were reported to be present on most farms and amenities, and 13% of gardens, and were more common in lighter soils. Where present, moles were usually considered pests, this being more likely inWales, Scotland and northern England, on livestock and mixed farms, and on large, high-value amenities, e.g., racecourses and golf courses. Mole control followed similar patterns to mole presence. More control may occur than is economically, and therefore potentially ethically, justified. Control should be more carefully considered and, where necessary, more effectively targeted. Kill-trapping was the favoured recent and future method on farms and amenities, even if strychnine was to be reintroduced; however, because mole traps are currently unregulated, some might not meet current welfare standards if tested. We found no evidence for an increase in moles since a farm questionnaire survey conducted in 1992; this could have wider implications for future wildlife management policy changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]