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ICAWC 2013 - Welfare Assessment and Quality of Life - Steve Goward
1. Animal Welfare and
Quality of life
Some thoughts and ideas to promote
the improvement of animal welfare
in our organisations.
2. How do we perceive animals?
• From Aristotle to Darwin to your individual
beliefs………..
• Aristotle's views influenced views for
hundreds of years.
• Other great thinkers of the time did not share
Aristotle's views that we could treat animals
as we like.
4. Darwin challenged many previous
thoughts on animals
• Where they came from
• How they survive
• What their needs were
• What drives them to pass on their genes
5. So why do we still treat animals
poorly?
• When an idea or belief has been around for a
long time it is hard to extinguish.
• I equate this poor welfare of animals to the
same problems I see with training methods
employed by some trainers.
9. • Behaviours that owners find problematic are
widespread in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris)
population (Voith et al.,1992; Wells and Hepper,
2000; Bradshaw et al., 2002; Kobelt et al., 2003;
Hiby et al., 2004)
• and are a common cause of dogs being
abandoned, sent to re-homing centres, or
euthanized (Bailey, 1992; Miller et al., 1996;
Patronek et al., 1996; Serpell, 1996; Salman et al.,
1998, 2000; Scarlett et al., 1999; New et al., 2000;
Marston and Bennett, 2003; Shore et al., 2003;
Mondelli et al., 2004; Shore, 2005).
10. • So education to the dog owning
public is still a very important tool to
improve animal welfare.
• If better training methods are
employed along with a greater
understanding of the species there
are likely to be less dogs handed over
to shelters for behavioural reasons.
12. How do we know when they are
suffering if they can’t communicate?
• We must understand the animals ethology
• We must be able to interpret their vocalisations and
body language properly
• We must appreciate the impact of denying them
freedom to express certain behaviours
• We must improve our knowledge and understanding of
the species we are trying to help
13. Questions we need to try and answer
• Are all dogs needs the same?
• Is there one environment that suits all dogs?
• What is an acceptable level of welfare?
14. Where to start
• There are a number of methods that
have been used to assess welfare in
the past; Bramble’s 5 freedoms are
always a good base to begin but
there is much more information we
are now aware of that helps us
identify poor welfare.
15. • 1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst - by ready access
to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and
vigour.
• 2. Freedom from Discomfort - by providing an
appropriate environment including shelter and a
comfortable resting area.
• 3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease - by
prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
• 4. Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour - by
providing sufficient space, proper facilities and
company of the animal's own kind (if appropriate}.
• 5. Freedom from Fear and Distress - by ensuring
conditions and treatment which avoid mental
suffering.
16. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst
• “The dogs have plenty of food”
• How, when, where, how often, how much,
what there fed all can have an impact on
quality of life.
• Water bowls, troughs, containers.
17.
18. Freedom from Discomfort
• Ask yourself what makes you feel
uncomfortable.
• Beds, temperature regulation, noise, clean
resting area. A place to feel safe
• Choices make the difference here.
26. Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour
• Ethology
• Do the research
• Have a good understanding of what your dogs
needs are.
27. Freedom from Fear and Distress
• Possibly the hardest to achieve.
• Arguably the most important of the five.
• Understand what creates fear and distress in
dogs.
28.
29.
30. How to improve welfare
• First thing to do is never say it is good enough!
• Second thing to do is identify achievable goals
• Take ideas and knowledge from where ever
you can get them and prioritise welfare and
quality of life
31. How to improve welfare
• We need to be able to identify both above and
below basic welfare
• We need trained people to identify areas that
need to be improved and how to do it!
• We need to understand the importance of
quality over quantity
32. Individual welfare scores
• To be completed by 2-3 carers
• Aims to identify areas to work on
• Can be used as a tool to corroborate
euthanasia requests
• Subjective
33. Welfare Assessment
Always think to yourself when filling in this
assessment how this dog would fit into your
own family life? Would you consider living
with this dog?
Will this dog be able to live a full life in our
shelter?
34. Section One - Home-ability
Description
Best
0
1
2
3
4
5
x
Worst
Home-ability
Excellent
No
Known person directed aggression/reactivity
Low
Stranger directed aggression/reactivity
Low
x
High
Other animal directed aggression/reactivity
Low
x
High
Car Travel
Excellent
On leash aggression towards people
Low
x
High
On leash aggression towards dogs
Low
x
High
Muzzle Trained
Yes
x
No
Is the dog comfortable being alone
Yes
x
High chase drive (cars, cyclists, joggers)
Low
Recall when off the lead
Immediate
x
High
x
Poor
x
x
High
x
Totals
0
2
6
No
20
20
Never
48
35. Section Two - Dog to Dog Interactions
Description
0
1
2
3
4
5
x
Sociability with other dogs?
All dogs
Can the dog share kennel space?
Always
x
Never
Will the dog eat safely around other dogs?
Always
x
Never
On lead meetings - calm
Calm
x
Excitable
On lead meetings - vocalisation
Quiet
x
Excessive
On lead meetings - aggression
Never
x
Always
On lead meetings - confident
Confident
Possessive/guarding towards other dogs
Low
Play Style
Calm
No dogs
x
x
High
x
Totals
0
Worried
16 25
Rough
41
36. Section Three - Human Interactions
Description
0
Best
Physical Handling
Excellent
Does the dog initiate contact
Always
Impulse control
Excellent
Retrieving of toys
Always
Relinquishing of Toys
Happy/Eager
Interaction with the handler
Excellent
Possessiveness (Guarding)
Low
Play interaction with the handler
Interactive
Focus on handler with distraction
Excellent
Play Style
Forgiving
1
2
x
5
Worst
Never
x
None
Never
x
x
x
Unwilling
None
x
High
Avoidant
x
x
None
Rough
x
0
4
Impossible
x
Totals
3
4
6
10
37. Section Four - Manageability in Kennels
0
Description
1
2
3
4
5
Reactive entering or leaving kennel?
Low
x
High
Ease to remove the dog from its kennel?
Easy
x
Impossible
Is the dog calm when shut in?
Calm
Can the dog be taken off site safely
Yes
Placing a harness on the dog
Easy
Reactive when dogs pass the kennel
Low
Probability of redirection behaviours
Low
x
High
Placing a muzzle on the dog
Easy
x
Impossible
Risk to unfamiliar staff
Low risk
x
High risk
Reactivity on the lead
Low
Ease of placing a muzzle on
Easy
x
Difficult
Risk to volunteers
Low risk
x
High risk
Does the dog cope with routine change
Copes well
x
Unable
Resistance returning to kennel
Low
Stressed
x
x
Impossible
x
x
High
x
0
3
High
High
x
Totals
No
2
3
28
10
46
38. Section Five - Stress Levels
0
Description
1
2
3
4
5
Is the dog calm in the kennel?
Yes
x
No
Visible signs of stress
Minimal
x
Excessive
Self Mutilation
None
x
Excessive
Stereotypies/OCD’s
None
x
Excessive
Tail chasing/spinning
None
x
Excessive
Vocalisation
None
Does the dog hide away
Never
Does the dog show obsessive behaviours
Never
Sleeping
Normal
Wall bouncing
None
Ability to settle
Easy
Appeasement behaviours
Normal
x
Excessive
Avoidance behaviours
Normal
x
Excessive
Toileting
Normal
x
Abnormal
New environments
Copes well
Time to recover from stressful situation
Immediate
Excessive
x
Always
x
x
Always
No Sleep
x
x
Excessive
Impossible
x
Unable
x
Hours/Days
x
Totals
0
3
6
9
8
0
26
40. Observational welfare assessment
• A simple walk around the shelter on a weekly
basis can help identify areas of poor welfare
• For people that work regularly at the shelter
the noise and fights or lack of behaviour
becomes normal
• So education to all staff & volunteers on
normal and abnormal behaviours is essential
41. Can assessing the welfare of
individuals tell us about the shelter?
• 100 dogs
• 15 cases of stereotypy
• 10 cases of shut down behaviour
• 15 cases of veterinary shortfall
• No enrichment
42. Welfare Audit
• Fill in the welfare audit by marking one circle on
each question.
•
•
•
•
Within this welfare audit there are 45 questions.
1 = Above welfare standard
2 = Acceptable welfare standard
3= Below welfare standard
43. • The top mark for this audit would be 45 the
worst would be 135 and an average 90.
Although this audit may give an overall score
rating for the welfare of dogs in the kennels,
care is needed when interpreting these results
as it is possible to get a “pass” of 90 yet many
aspects of the audit may have scored poorly
and some above average. The main use for
this audit tool is to identify areas that could be
improved.
44. Kennel floor space (ref 1)
1. Larger than the dimensions indicated in category 2.
2.Small dogs (less than 12kg (26lbs) – sleeping area not less than 1.1 sq m (12 sq feet), width and length not less than 0.9 m (3 feet). Adjoining exercise area not less than 3.7 sq m (40 sq feet), width not less than 0.9m (3
feet).
2.Medium dogs (12kg (26lbs) to 30kg (66lbs) – sleeping area not less than 1.4 sq m (16 sq feet), width and length not less than 1.2m (4 feet). Adjoining exercise area not less than 5.5 sq m (60 sq feet), width not less than 1.2
m (4 feet).
2.Large dogs (more than 30kg (66lbs)) – sleeping area not less than 1.4 sq m (16 sq feet), width and length not less than 1.2 m (4 feet). Adjoining exercise area not less than 7.4 sq m (80 sq feet), width not less than 1.2 m (4
feet).
3. Smaller than the dimensions indicated in category 2.
Kennel temperature regulation
1. Individually controlled, to change temperatue for individual housed in the kennel
2.Adjustable to control temperature in the block of kennels
3.No ability to regulate temperature in the facility
Material used for kennel
1. un-damaged, Fit for purpose, non porous, easy to clean & maintain
2.Un-damaged, fit for purpose
3.Damaged, dangerous & unable to clean
Kennel drainage
1. Drainage for individual kennels to reduce cross contamination
2.Drainage for the whole block
3.No drainage
Numbers of kennels Per block
1. Below 10
2.Between 10 & 20
3. Above20
Dogs per kennel(size of kennels & dogs dependant)
1. Varied due to size and temperament
2.From 1 to 4 dogs
3. social isolation or above 4 dogs
Toileting options
1. Multiple opportunities to toilet away from the kennel, preference tested
substrate within the kennel
2. Area away from the sleep and feeding area
3. No options to toilet away from sleep area and feeding area
Kennel lighting (Ref 4)
1. Both natural and artificail light, with options to reduce and increase as
required
2.When using artifical light it should closely mirror that of natural light in
both intensity and duration
3.No lighting
Kennel floor
1. Un-damaged, non porous, non slip & comfortable
2.Un-damaged, non porous
3.Damaged, porous & unable to clean
Kennel weather resistance
1. adaptable shelter to meet the needes of individuals
2.Provides shade and shelter from the elements
3.No shelter from the elements
Kennel noise level (Ref 2)
1. Effective sound proofing within the kennel environment and around
the site. Noise levels maintained below 80dB
2. Some sound proofing between the kennels. Noise levels between 80
& 100dB
3. No sound proofing. Noise levels above 100dB
Sleeping options
1. As for 2 but with options for types of bedding and area away from
sources of stress
2. Dry, clean bedding away from the elements.
3. No bedding or wet dirty & exposed to the elements
Kennel orientation
1. Variation of choices for the dog to enable self reguation of
temperature
2. Not exposed to the elements
3. Exposure to the elements without the option to seek shelter
45. Access to water
1. As for 2 with the addition of water presented in a
variety of options as per the individuals needs.
2. Access to clean fresh water.
3. Limited or no access to clean fresh water
Feeding regime
1. As for 2 with the addition to be able to provide chewing
material and variety in the dogs diet as neccessary. More than
once per day.
2. Dogs fed sufficient to ensure good body condition.
3.Insufficient dietry needs met, unsafe feeding regime.
Time away from kennel
1. As for 2 with multiple opportunities to express natural
behaviours and interact with people and other dogs as
appropriate.
2. The opportunity to exercise and express natural
behaviours away from the kennel on a daily basis.
3. No opportunity to express natural behaviours away from
the kennel.
Kennel cleaning regime
1. As for 2 with attention paid to all items in the kennel and ability to
remove dogs from the area being cleaned.
2. Estaablished cleaning regime using appropriate materials that are fit
for purpose resulting in a clean and disinfected kennel.
3. No cleaning regime or incorrect use of materials and equipment.
Behaviour in kennels
1. Calm, relaxed and living mostly without negative emotions.
2. Dogs coping with the environment and able to adapt.
3. Stereotypies, obsessive behaviours and frequent aggressive
responses. Shut down behaviour with no ability to choose a
behaviour
Social interactions (human)
1. Repeated opportunities to interact and play whilst acting out
natural behaviours creating a positive emotional state.
2. Opportunity to interact witht the emphasis on positive
emotions on a daily basis.
3. No opportunities to interact with people or that the
interactions induce a negative emotional state.
46. Kennel temperature regulation
1. Individually controlled, to change temperatue for individual housed in the kennel
2.Adjustable to control temperature in the block of kennels
3.No ability to regulate temperature in the facility
Kenne
49. • Some people say that dogs understand us
better than we understand them?
• This is a difficult subject to cover but vital that
we work together to improve our animals
quality of life wherever they are in the world
This is not a comprehensive collation of all the recent research on animal welfare and QOLThese are my thoughts based on working for DT for over12 years and being fortunate enough to travel to many countries and observe the difficulties faced in animal welfare around the worldThere are people much smarter than me, spending a lot longer researching this topic out there but I do hope to share some thoughts that may be useful to your organisations
Aristotle's view was that animals were ours to do as we pleasedPythagoras (c.500BC) believed that humans and animals were made of the same elements as us and opposed cruelty to animals.Theophrastus a student of Aristotle believed that it was wrong to kill animals and make them suffer because animals and humans were made up of the same fluids and tissues and they had emotions and feelings.But it was Aristotle's views that remained popular and that were taken up by subsequent parties
And this has provided often heated discussions from religious groups and scientists about where we came from.But Darwin was a scientist and believed in the use of animals to further knowledge and understanding so depending on your stance on animal welfare you may or may not agree with him.But surely if we believe that we all share our evolutionary past then why wouldn’t we share some element of the right to appropriate welfare and quality of life?
As we say with dog behaviour the longer a behaviour is practiced the harder it is to undo
I am not comparing these two guys as great philosophers but both have huge popularity and are recognisable and therefore influential.With Influence there should be attached great responsibility, potentially even more so these days with the advent of social media and the truth that is presumed by many that if its on TV then it must be true?? I am not here to talk about individuals but there is a direct correlation between training and welfare
Well for any of you that have heard me speak previously will know how I feel about aversive and punishment based training methodsThe research does show the benefits of positive reinforcement training But common sense and good ethics should get us to that same place, who wants to hit dogs and electrocute them to get them to comply?
You can see from this slide that the most successful strategy in dealing with training and behaviour issues is positive reinforcement.
And the research also tells us that unwanted behaviours from our dogs may be a factor in the arrival of dogs at our shelters.
I know this isn't a factor for many of you operating in countries where dog ownership is a relatively new concept but the same message has to go out to the public whether they are dealing with street dogs or dogs in their homes.So back to suffering…….
I think Jeremy Bentham posed a very good question back in the 18th centuryWE hear about animal suffering all the time so I would imagine everyone in this room will agree they can suffer
Without this we can only perceive the animal from our perspective and our priority of needs. I will come back to point 2 at the end
When I talk about training dogs and changing their behaviour I always stress the importance of the individual.A generic training programme is likely to be less successful than a tailor made one.So therefore it suggests that individual dog needs vary.
When I visit shelters it is often said that the dogs have plenty of food.I know money is always a factor when feeding large amounts of animals but to improve on quality of life this is often an area that can be addressed without too much financial strainOften a simple thing that can improve the lives of dogs living in groups is to have multiple access points to fresh water. (observation of groups)
By observing interactions throughout the shelter day we can identify situations that can improve the welfare of individuals and a whole group
So a simple observation from a far can highlight issues that may be overlooked when you are in amongst the busy schedule of a shelter
Adlib feeding isn't going to be the answer for all shelters but there needs to be a recognition that there is a problem before you can start finding the solutions
Sitting in these chairs may make you feel uncomfortable but you know that it wont be long before you get the chance to move and find comfort elsewhere.If we were here in August and the aircon broke down how would you feel about sitting in close proximity to others and that my presentation ran over by an hour ( not unheard of by the way, once I start talking about dogs its often difficult for me to stop)By giving dogs choices we enable them to have some control over their environment and this I believe is one of the greatest factors on improving welfare of captive animals.
Most of us agree that animal hoarding does not go hand in hand with good welfare
So by changing the owner of the dogs to a rescue shelter are we improving the welfare??Our definition of animal welfare cannot change to suit our needs it should be a constant.
Choices within the environment gives back some control to the dogs and this can vastly improve their welfare.Being able to move out of the heat or the cold and move away from things that scare you all impact on the dogs quality of life.
I say easy with an understanding that its not the cheapest thing and that the veterinary budget may be your largest outgoing.BUT…. I do believe to have good welfare that all dogs in your care should receive the correct treatment.If…. You cant afford it then is right to have X numbers of dogs in your facility?***You.. May say that’s easy for you to say but I have been to shelters saving the lives of dogs only to keep them in a prolonged state of pain and discomfort for the want of veterinary treatment so I do not apologise for this statement.
This situation has nowbeen addressed and I give the shelter huge credit for the work they do in incredibly difficult circumstancesThe vets here were constantly repairing injuries from dog fights that had become infected Their time was dominated by potentially preventable conditions.Sometimes its hard to see the wood for the trees
And that’s why having someone not used to the daily routines of the shelter are often best placed to give an honest opinion of the processes and procedures Remember this is not about criticising but gaining important information so you can help improve the welfare of the dogs in your care
I don’t know if you have heard the expression “opening a can of worms” but essentially it means this is a topic that causes much discussion and debate.
We need to know what are normal behaviours and try to allow these behaviours to be practicedSocial needs, food acquisition and consumption, play, exploration, exercise are all natural behaviours that can be hard to fulfil in a shelter.I haven't got time to go through the dogs ethology but it is a vital piece of the welfare jigsaw.
With the very nature of the way we house dogs in shelters we are always going to see fear and distress.What we must not do is let it become the normal base line emotion of dogs in our care. By this I mean we shouldn’t become sensitised to fearful behaviour from dogs.Kennel design and retro fitted screens or strategic planting can help reduce how threatened dogs feel whilst in shelters.Raised platforms, indoor kennels inside compounds can give a place for fearful dogs to hide if they feel threatened.
Poor handling and the use of force will cause fear and distress so in turn reduce welfare
I am lucky enough to work for an organisation that has been able to consistently improve the welfare of the dogs in our care with new ideas and an understanding of the species we work with.This is vital if you operate a no kill organisation.This has been achievable through education and the understanding that welfare and quality of life is a constant battle and an individual thing because some dogs are able to adapt to shelter life more readily than others
We have developed a welfare score sheet for individuals in our care and have trained our staff and volunteers to use this tool to help us identify areas of poor welfare.It is very difficult to use one form for all situations but I have tried to develop a shelter welfare assessment form to try and help identify areas to improve.I do think it would work better if each shelter developed their own in conjunction with an external (not emotionally connected) partyI will go through some of the measures we have come up with and for the most part they are working well
For those dogs that represent a serious welfare concern this is a good tool to help you identify where to target your efforts to improve the dogs situation Even if you operate a no kill shelter there may be situations that dictate the need for euthanasia due to the poor welfare of an individual.This welfare assessment is subjective and getting a variety of people to complete the assessment can provide a more balanced picture of the dogs welfare.
If your shelter operates as a rehoming centre and your primary goal is to move dogs on there is an area dedicated to help identify how probable that is.If your shelter is taking dogs in with a limited rehoming option it is in my opinion vital to have some measure of welfare in your facility.
This is really an opinion based on the behaviour categories seen here.If this area scores badly it is important that the stress and the dog or human interactions score well as the dog is likely to be with us for some time.
Many dog owners in the uk are concerned about taking on a dog that is not sociable and therefore this section is of particular interest to potential adopters.And helps us understand what areas to work on with an individuals social skills
This section is important from a rehabilitation point of view.Being able to handle the dog and interact with it in a positive way is essential to promote a change in a dogs behaviour.
From a safety point of view the staff and volunteers working at the shelter should be able to manage the dog in a way that reduces stress, anxiety and fearLong term kennelling can have a detrimental effect on the dogs welfare and a deterioration of behaviour can be sign of reduced ability to cope
Having a list of stress related behaviours is important as a reminder that some of our dogs do not cope in our kennels and that we shouldn’t get used to their behaviour and consider it as normal for them
This welfare score is something that has been developed and continues to be updated and improved over timeThis assessment as it is may not suit your organisation but I do feel that all animal welfare organisations that house animals either in the short or long term should have a welfare assessment
To get an overview of the numbers of welfare cases in a shelter a simple walk around with a focus on abnormal or fear driven behaviours can give us clues to where the problems lie.
I only used 100 dogs to make my own life easier as my maths isn't great !!For those of you that say to me we have too many dogs to do this with then my answer is probably not what you want to hear.IF YOU CANT DO WELFARE ASSESSMENTS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TOO MANY DOGS THEN THE LIKLIHOOD IS THAT YOUR DOGS ARE LIKELY TO BE TO SOME DEGREE EXPERIENCING POOR WELFARE
As part of a recent course on shelter dog behaviour we were asked to come up with a welfare audit to try and help identify areas of poor welfare in the design and routines of shelters.
We must be careful not to interpret this score as a pass or fail but to help identify areas to work on to improve
This was developed with the kennels I have worked in within the uk and is not a definitive welfare audit of all types of shelters but as a template may be of
These are just tools to help us understand how to move forward and by sharing each others mistakes and success we can help more dogs use to your organisation when trying to establish what areas need to be addressed.This is a 10 page word document so If anyone wants a closer look at this welfare audit I will happily email it to you and you can change it, adapt it to suit your needs.
. I come from a country that is sadly one of the worst for not taking the time to learn other languages.When I go to other countries to work do I feel anxious about not understanding what everyone is talking about? You better believe I do!! What do I worry about? Asking where the toilet is or asking for a drink or asking directions to get somewhere! How is this anxiety relieved by meeting up with people who have taken the time to learn my language and can understand my needs - I am the dog in this scenarioI don’t want you to feel sorry for me but please understand that when you take the time to truly listen to your dogs needs they will thank you for it ! As I thank you for taking the time to understand my needs.
For those of you that know me You will know I like people to enjoy my presentations, the reason for this is not so you will buy me a beer in the bar later (although im not saying don’t) But because i believe if you enjoy the presentation you will go away thinking about it and what you can do to influence animal welfare in your organisationAnd just in case there is anyone left in the world who hasn’t seen this I always like to end with a smile