Tag: welfare

Do fish feel pain? Diving in to the deep end of fish welfare

Post author By Human Animal Science
Post date February 19, 2015
No Comments on Do fish feel pain? Diving in to the deep end of fish welfare

Do fish feel pain?

Do fish really feel pain?

You might assume yes, but you’d be wrong.

Kind of.

You see – it’s complicated.

Dr. Ben Diggles has worked with government, aquaculture industry, recreational fisheries, and commercial fisheries throughout New Zealand, Australia, Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Ben’s core work includes import risk analysis, fish and shellfish health, fish welfare, development of feeding attractants for aquaculture, and development of medicated feeds for aquacultured finfish.

In his spare time Ben studies the effects of declining water quality on our estuaries, and is active in his local community developing solutions to these problems, like Oyster Reef Restoration.

In this episode, we catch up on the latest scientific findings relating to fish pain and learn more about the Ikijime method for killing fish captured for eating.

So let’s find out if fish feel pain.

Podcast

Publications

How to ikijime fish with Dr. Ben Diggles — Dr. Ben Diggles – How to ikijime fish

Rose, J. D., Arlinghaus, R., Cooke, S. J., Diggles, B. K., Sawynok, W., Stevens, E. D., & Wynne, C. D. L. (2014). Can fish really feel pain?. Fish and Fisheries, 15(1), 97-133

Diggles, B. K., Cooke, S. J., Rose, J. D., & Sawynok, W. (2011). Ecology and welfare of aquatic animals in wild capture fisheries . Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 21(4), 739-765.

Diggles, B. K. (2013). Historical epidemiology indicates water quality decline drives loss of oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) reefs in Moreton Bay, Australia. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 47(4), 561-581.

See more of Dr Ben Diggles’ publications here

Ben also writes monthly columns on fish biology for the Australian Anglers Fishing World Magazine (since 1995) and Sport Fishing Magazine (since March 2003)

Ikijime tool Australia

Ikijime Tool app via iTunes

Ikijime Tool app for Android via Google Play

Links

Ikijime website

DigsFish Services (Dr Ben Diggles) website

Grey matter matters when it comes to feeling pain (University of Queensland) – do fish feel pain?

Video – How to ikijime fish

How to care for your catch – ikijime & do fish feel pain?

Header image: Flickr/phwff-nova

Behaviour Cognition

Emotions, memory and social networks – of Goats

Post author By Human Animal Science
Post date January 5, 2015
No Comments on Emotions, memory and social networks – of Goats

Do goats have emotions?

“Do goats have emotions?” is something rarely searched for on Google, but if you think about it, it’s a very good question.

The answer is yes, goats do have emotions.

Believe it or not, they also have social networks, puzzle solving skills, and impressive long term memories?

We’re not even kidding! Alan McElligott is based at the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at the Queen Mary University of London, where he and his team research cattle, fallow deer, and goats.

In this episode, we talk about their recent work, and how it contributes to improved understanding of animal behaviour and behavioural ecology, raising important considerations for animal husbandry and welfare of goats in companion animal, livestock and pest contexts.

It’s time to learn about the emotions of goats!

Podcast

Publications

Dr. Alan McElligott - Do goats have emotions? — Dr. Alan McElligott

Briefer, E. F., Tettamanti, F., & McElligott, A. G. (2015). Emotions in goats: mapping physiological, behavioural and vocal profiles. Animal Behaviour, 99, 131-143.

Briefer, E. F., Haque, S., Baciadonna, L., & McElligott, A. G. (2014). Goats excel at learning and remembering a highly novel cognitive task. Frontiers in zoology, 11(1), 20.

Briefer, E. F., & McElligott, A. G. (2013). Rescued goats at a sanctuary display positive mood after former neglect. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 146(1), 45-55.

Briefer, E. F., de la Torre, M. P., & McElligott, A. G. (2012). Mother goats do not forget their kids’ calls. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0986.

Alan McElligott: Google Scholar profile with further publications

Links

Alan McElligott: research website

Alan McElligott on Twitter

Goats, the boffins of the farmyard (BioMed Central)

Happy goats: How animal rehab works (BBC News)

Header image: Flickr/tcmorgan

Animal Welfare Community Research

Horse racing’s big hit: why use whips on horses?

Post author By Human Animal Science
Post date November 3, 2014
No Comments on Horse racing’s big hit: why use whips on horses?

Why are whips used in horse racing?

Do whips make horses run faster or win races?

Are jockeys using whips to steer and stay safe, or are they simply whipping tired horses?

These are questions that prompted Professor Paul McGreevy of the University of Sydney to research the use of whips in horse racing.

Paul is recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons as a specialist in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine.

His research focuses on the behaviour and welfare of horses and dogs, and he is the author of six books and over 120 peer-reviewed articles on animal behaviour.

Paul’s award-winning research examining the use of whips in horse racing aims to further our awareness of the experience of horses, extending to a recent experiment capturing the thermographic effects of his own leg being hit with a padded whip.

As the Spring horse racing carnival hits its peak in Melbourne, Australia this week, we asked Paul to discuss his findings and what it means for horses, beyond the glamour and excitement of race day.

Podcast

Publications

Paul McGreevy - Why are whips used in horse racing? — Paul McGreevy – Why are whips used in horse racing?

Thomson, P., Hayek, A., Jones, B., Evans, D., McGreevy, P. (2014). Number, causes and destinations of horses leaving the Australian Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing industries. Australian Veterinary Journal, 92(8), 303-311.

McGreevy, P., Caspar, G., Evans, D. (2013). A pilot investigation into the opinions and beliefs of Australian, British, and Irish jockeys. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: clinical applications and research, 8(2), 100-105.

McGreevy, P., Hawson, L., Salvin, H., McLean, A. (2013). A note on the force of whip impacts delivered by jockeys using forehand and backhand strikes. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: clinical applications and research, 8(5), 395-399.

McGreevy, P., Ralston, L. (2012). The distribution of whipping of Australian Thoroughbred racehorses in the penultimate 200 m of races is influenced by jockeys’ experience. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: clinical applications and research, 7(3), 186-190.

McGreevy, P., Corken, R., Salvin, H., Black, C. (2012). Whip Use by Jockeys in a Sample of Australian Thoroughbred Races – An Observational Study. PLoS One, 7(3), 1-6. [Open Access]

Evans, D., McGreevy, P. (2011). An Investigation of Racing Performance and Whip Use by Jockeys in Thoroughbred Races. PLoS One, 6(1), 1-5. [Open Access]

McGreevy, P., Oddie, C. (2011). Holding the whip hand – a note on the distribution of jockeys’ whip hand preferences in Australian Thoroughbred racing. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: clinical applications and research, 6(5), 287-289.

Paul McGreevy: Google Scholar profile with further publications

Links

Paul McGreevy: University of Sydney

The Conversation: Whips hurt horses – if my leg’s anything to go by

RSPCA Australia position on racehorse whips

Header image used with permission © Liss Ralston

Behaviour Research

The importance of bees: more than honey

Post author By Human Animal Science
Post date October 23, 2014
No Comments on The importance of bees: more than honey

The importance of bees

Ever wondered why you should care about bees?

Here’s a fact: bees are responsible for the successful production of around a third of the food you eat.

As one of our oldest domesticated animals, bees and people share an amazing history.

But the future is uncertain, with devastating global declines in both feral and managed populations.

Boris Baer and Barbara Baer-Imhoof, in conjunction with their colleagues at the Centre for Integrative Bee Research at the University of Western Australia, are researching many aspects of honey bees, in the field and in the lab.

In our first episode featuring an invertebrate species, we learn more about our relationship with bees, what would happen if they vanish and ways we can help them thrive.

Podcast

Video – More Than Honey Trailer

Bees! More than Honey trailer

Publications

Boris Baer & Barbara Baer-Imhoof – The importance of bees. Photo: Andrew Ritchie

Stuerup, M., Baer-Imhoof, B., Nash, D. R., Boomsma, J. J. & Baer, B. When every sperm counts: factors affecting male fertility in the honeybee Apis mellifera, . Behav. Ecol. 24(5): 1192-1198. View online at Behavioral Ecology.

Baer, B. (2009) CIBER: A new research initiative for the study of honeybees in Western Australia. The Australian Beekeeper. 111:16-17.

Imhoof B., Schmid-Hempel, P. 1999. Colony success of the bumble bee, Bombus terrestris, in relation to infections by two protozoan parasites, Crithidia bombi and Nosema bombi. Insectes Sociaux 46: 233-238.

Links

Centre for Integrative Bee Research (CIBER)

CIBER on Facebook

Header image: Flickr/StephenBegin

Community

Hope and freedom: Street dogs of Bosnia

Post author By Human Animal Science
Post date May 27, 2014
No Comments on Hope and freedom: Street dogs of Bosnia

Street dogs of Bosnia

Stephen Jenkinson is the United Kingdom’s only specialist in behavioural psychology and its practical application to influence the behaviour of walkers with dogs.

Stephen holds a Master of Science (MSc) and post-graduate Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling.

In 2013, the United Nations Development Program contacted International Fund for Animal Welfare for help in managing the issue of roaming dogs in Bosnia as a serious community safety issue.

Dog advocates had been attempting to control packs of street dogs through limited catch-sterilize-and-return programs or placing dogs into newly constructed shelters, but the programs were not working and people did not feel safe.

Bosnia needed a different approach – and that’s where Steve became involved…

Podcast

Links

International Fund for Animal Welfare: Partnering with UN Development Program to help dogs in Bosnia

Your Dog (Feb 2014) article: A better life for the Street dogs of Bosnia? By Stephen Jenkinson (PDF)

Publications

Lowe, C. N., Williams, K. S., Jenkinson, S., & Toogood, M. (2014). Environmental and social impacts of domestic dog waste in the UK: investigating barriers to behavioural change in dog walkers. International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 13(4), 331-347. (PDF)

Jenkinson, S. (2014) Commercial Dog Walkers in the Outdoors: Attitudes, Engagement and Opportunities (PDF)

Jenkinson, S. (2013) Planning for dog ownership in new developments: reducing conflict – adding value (PDF)

Images: Flickr/viciousbits

Tags animal, animal welfare, anthrozoology, Bosnia, Canine, community, Dog, dogs, Human Animal Science, human-animal interaction, IFAW, pets, podcast, Science, shelter, Stephen Jenkinson, street dogs, welfare

Psychology

Hal Herzog: animals, culture & us

Post author By Human Animal Science
Post date March 25, 2014
No Comments on Hal Herzog: animals, culture & us

Hal Herzog animals culture and us

Hal Herzog is recognised as one of the world’s leading anthrozoology experts, having researched human-animal relations for over two decades.

He is particularly interested in how people negotiate real-world ethical dilemmas, and has studied animal activists, cockfighters, animal researchers and circus animal trainers.

A professor of psychology at Western Carolina University, Hal blogs at Psychology Today and his work has been widely published in journals and books.

It was our absolute pleasure to talk with Hal about some of the themes from his book, Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: why it’s so hard to think straight about animals.

Amongst many tangents, we discuss why people keep pets, charismatic mega-fauna and the variation in the way humans relate to animals across cultures.

Podcast

Publications

Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: why it’s so hard to think straight about animals – Amazon Australia, Amazon US.

Knight, S., & Herzog, H. (2009). All creatures great and small: New perspectives on psychology and human–animal interactions. Journal of Social Issues, 65(3), 451-461.

Herzog, H. A. (2007) Gender differences in human-animal interactions: A review. Anthrozoos. 20:17-21.

Other publications via WCU website

Links

Western Carolina University Profile

Twitter: @herzoghal

Psychology Today Blog: Animals and Us

Psychology

Animal hoarding: a complex mess

Post author By Human Animal Science
Post date January 28, 2014
No Comments on Animal hoarding: a complex mess

Animal Hoarding

Dr Kersti Seksel, registered specialist in veterinary behaviour medicine and behavioural science major in human psychology, explains the complicated and sensitive topic of animal hoarding.

This issue is difficult to research and complex to resolve, but help is available.

Find out more about animal hoarding in our interview with Kersti.

Podcast

Links

RSPCA: Animal Hoarding information

The hoarding of animals research consortium (Tufts University)

Snowdon, J., Halliday, G., & Banerjee, S. (2012). Severe Domestic Squalor. Cambridge University Press. Chapter 5: Animal Hoarding.

Get help and support by visiting your GP doctor, or contact:

Beyond Blue

Lifeline

Image credit: Banksy via Flickr/JoelRae

Anthropology Pets Psychology Research

Anthropomorphism: are we guilty?

Post author By Human Animal Science
Post date December 24, 2013
No Comments on Anthropomorphism: are we guilty?

anthropomorphism in dogs

Are we guilty of anthropomorphism in dogs? As dog owners it’s very easy to humanise our pets.

Julie Hecht, MSc, is a researcher and science writer fascinated not just by animal behaviour and welfare, but how we think about animals and the consequences of those thoughts.

Take anthropomorphism (attributing human characteristics to animals or objects) as a key example.

In this episode of Human Animal Science we explore what actually happens when we think that dog is guilty; or that cat is grumpy.

We discuss why we anthropomorphise and how it impacts on the animals.

Podcast

What is anthropomorphism in dogs?

Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics to non-human entities.

In dogs, it can manifest as attributing emotions such as love, loyalty, and happiness to dogs, or expecting dogs to understand and communicate with us in ways that they do not. At least not in the same ways we do.

Do dogs know the difference between humans and dogs?

Dogs are intelligent creatures who are capable of complex social interaction, which means they’re able to pick up on our cues and learn from us.

However, studies show dogs actually see us as a member of their pack, not a separate species.

This means dogs do not necessarily know the difference between humans and dogs, but are capable of forming attachments to both.

Links

Dog Spies: www.dogspies.com | Dog Spies Blog on Scientific American

Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab (Barnard College, Columbia University, New York)

The Bark magazine

Do You Believe in Dog?

Publications

Hecht, Miklosi, & Gacsi (2012) Behavioral assessment and owner perceptions of behaviors associated with guilt in dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 139. 134-142.

Do dogs feel guilty? Jason Goldman | Scientific American

Hecht & Horowitz (2012) Physical prompts to anthropomorphism of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) Third Canine Science Forum, Barcelona, Spain. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 8, e30.

Horowitz (2009) Disambiguating the “guilty look”: Salient prompts to a familiar dog behavior. Behavioural Processes, 81, 447-452.

Horowitz (2007) Naturalizing anthropomorphism: Behavioral prompts to our humanizing of animals. Anthrozoös, 20, 23-35.

Image credit: Flickr/Brainware3000

Behaviour Pets

A duty of care: shelter dog rehoming assessments + science

Post author By Human Animal Science
Post date November 12, 2013
No Comments on A duty of care: shelter dog rehoming assessments + science

shelter dog rehoming assessments

In this episode, Kate Mornement, PhD candidate from the Anthrozoology Research Group and Monash University, talks to Mia and Tim about her research exploring the science of shelter dog assessments for rehoming suitability.

Shelter dog rehoming is a topic with significant outcomes for everyone: our communities, shelter staff, and of course – the dogs.

Podcast

How many dogs are in shelters in Australia?

In Australia we do not have a national system for tracking the number of dogs in animal shelters or municipal council pounds.

An estimated 200,000 or more dogs enter a pound or shelter annually in Australia, and many of these dogs (approximately one in three) are euthanised.