Pet welfare taking care and being fair

As pet ownership is on the rise across the world, do we really understand enough about the meaning of animal welfare? Imagine a polar bear confined in a 300 square foot enclosure. Does it look as if its welfare is being considered? Then imagine a dog kept in a 100 or 200 square foot flat without outdoor access. To many, the former demonstrates compromised animal welfare. However, not many consider keeping pets in small flats to be a problem, especially in Hong Kong where the majority of households are of medium to small size.

What is animal welfare? It concerns sentient1 animals and according to a report by the British Brambell Committee in 19652 it depends on five criteria of assessment, namely the Five Freedoms which have influenced the perception of animal welfare in many contexts. They

by Monica Chan

include freedom from thirst and hunger, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and disease, freedom to express normal behaviour and freedom from fear and distress. The concept was developed in DJ Mellor’s Five Provisions, published in 2016, which have a similar intention but which emphasize positive protection.3

Research findings such as these have helped us understand the physiological, social and psychological needs of different species better while legislation in countries such as Switzerland and the UK protects animal welfare by specifying animals’ needs based on scientific evidence. For instance, Swiss legislation lists requirements of enclosure sizes for different species and require that social animals like guinea pigs should be kept in groups of at least two because they may feel stress when alone.

The core argument is not that a pet owner needs also to own a mansion, but that the natural needs of animals should be satisfied for pet ownership to be justified. This applies not only to nutrition and animal enclosures but also to forms of environmental enrichment that come with daily interaction with humans and animals, both of the same species and other species.

Many other points need to be borne in mind by potential pet-owners. Some are inevitably linked to the size of homes and access to other provisions listed by Mellor. For dogs, physical activity is important even for toy breeds which need sufficient space to run around and regular walks. Cats need shelter and access to vertical space to feel secure: they take comfort from heights. Rabbits need hiding spots and a proper diet if they are to avoid dental problems.

Even fish need tanks with appropriate water parameters and stocking densities while exotic species like pygmy gliders and ferrets have special needs that are even more important. Cute little pygmy gliders are known to selfmutilate (bite and scratch themselves) under stressful conditions and ferrets commonly suffer from adrenal gland disease. Compromising the needs of any pet will make them vulnerable to stress and fever and can predispose them to various infections as well as behavioural abnormalities.

According to this line of thinking, it is difficult to judge whether it is fair to keep pets in small flats. Instead, not only should we consider whether there is enough twodimensional space for them but we should also stop and think out of the box. Consider the specific needs of your chosen pet before taking it home and decide whether their Five Freedoms can be satisfied.

Mellor’s Five Provisions for Animals

Good nutrition Provide ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour as well as minimizing thirst and hunger and enabling eating to be a pleasurable experience.

Good environment Provide shade/shelter or suitable housing, good air quality and comfortable resting areas while minimizing discomfort and exposure and promoting thermal, physical and other comforts.

Good health Prevent or rapidly diagnose and treat disease and injury, and foster good muscle tone, posture and cardiorespiratory function while minimizing breathlessness, nausea, pain and other aversive experiences and promoting the pleasures of robustness, vigour, strength and well-coordinated physical activity.

Appropriate behaviour Provide sufficient space, proper facilities, congenial company and appropriately varied conditions while minimizing threats and unpleasant restrictions on behaviour and promoting engagement in rewarding activities.

Positive mental experiences Provide safe, congenial and species-appropriate opportunities to have pleasurable experiences while promoting various forms of comfort, pleasure, interest, confidence and a sense of control.

Monica Chan is studying veterinary science at the City University of Hong Kong and is the founding president of its Veterinary Medicine Society. In addition to several earlier scholarships, she is a 2021 awardee of an HKFYG Innovation and Technology Scholarship.

Sources

1. Criteria for animal sentience were suggested by Broom in 2014. His concept of sentience concerned the capacity to have feelings and the ability to: (1) evaluate the actions of others in relation to itself and third parties; (2) have some memory of its actions and their consequences; (3) evaluate risks and benefits; (4) have some feelings; and (5) have some degree of awareness. Read more wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1015&context=animsent

2. Brambell’s Five Freedoms originated in the UK in the 1960s as a result of the British parliament creating a committee to assess the welfare of livestock raised in factory farms. While originally intended for farm animals, the Five Freedoms can be applied to any animal that is kept by humans. Read more /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_freedoms

3. Source mdpi.com/2076-2615/6/3/21