AWF debates animal welfare
This year's Animal Welfare Foundation forum quickly became fully booked and after listening to the quality discussions on offer, it was clear to see why so many people were eager to participate in it.
The programme began with three very interesting talks - all of which came under the heading of 'Using and abusing: animals for human benefit'. David Martin (BVA Ethics and Welfare Group) based his discussion on livestock shows and a secret underworld of manipulation that breeders carry out on their livestock in a bid to win. There were some shocking revelations, especially involving super glue and steroids.
Andrew Coe (College of Animal Welfare) talked about hobby farming and the pros and cons of small holdings. Often comparing the quality of life for animals on a hobby farm to those within a commercial venture, Andrew Coe reflected that you will always get good and bad pet owners and hobby farmers and that education is the best way to increase the number of responsible owners.
Ben Mayes (BEVA President) looked at horses as performance animals and provided many statistics regarding horse racing and the risks (or lack of) that race horses are facing. It was an interesting discussion and one that many of the audience engaged with.
The next session was grouped as 'The green green grass of home, do cows belong in fields? Behavioural and clinical evidence'. John Fishwick (RVC) gave an explanation of practises used within large and small scale systems of cattle farming and talked of his experiences of 'mega dairies' in Saudi Arabia. Becky Whay (University of Bristol) continued the discussion and looked at the behavioural needs of cows and cited some interesting research carried out.
There was then a brief update on the current AWF projects and this included a new study into contagious ovine digital dermatitis.
The closing discussion was the most contentious of the day and was entitled 'Is pro bono too close to the edge: Public expectations of vets vs vets' responsibilities and views of their role'. Comprising of three situations that vets may commonly experience, Robin Hargreaves (Chairman, BVA Member Services Group) and Alison Lambert (Onswitch) acted out the scenarios and gave the audience the chance to vote on outcomes. Members of the audience actively engaged with the discussion and the profession shared ideas and experiences in a thought-provoking and constructive way.
The 2012 AWF forum was a huge success, provoking many ethical discussions and certainly gave attendees food for thought.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
