Controversial Topics in Animal Welfare in Latin America: A Focus on the Legislation Surrounding the Human-Companion Animal Relationship and Animals Used for Recreational Practices.

Animal welfare is a societally relevant issue that is globally attracting increased attention. This is in addition to the importance placed on welfare for the animals themselves. However, the content and application of laws protecting animals' welfare vary across countries. In Latin America, there are a range of common practices or activities involving certain animal species, many of which are legal, that can impair an animal's quality of life. These include the performance of aesthetic surgical procedures; bull-, cock-, and dog fighting; and the existence of circuses that exhibit animals. The extent and impact of these practices being dependent on the socioeconomic, cultural, territorial, and regulatory landscape of each country. Particularly, Ibero-American regions face welfare challenges that might be influenced by traditions and relevant legal gaps. The objective of this article is to review controversial practices carried out in companion and entertainment animals in Latin America, with a focus on legal aspects, as well as the current efforts being made to address and incorporate global welfare standards into domestic and wild animal practice and regulation.

Abandonment of dogs in Latin America: Strategies and ideas.

In this article, we gathered information from postgraduate theses and scientific articles published in several databases using inclusion criteria that had been made in Latin America, in countries with similar economic conditions, and also in the USA to present a point of comparison. The objective of this review is to broaden the readers' understanding of the causes of the increasing numbers of stray dogs and the reasons why people abandon pets in the streets, specifically in Latin America. It also discusses adoption and responsible ownership, identifies what failed in promoting positive human-dog interaction, and suggests strategies to address this problem. It concludes that adoption alone is not an effective solution but that it is necessary to offer education and awareness programs for owners, organize sterilization campaigns, and develop and apply - with the corresponding authorities - measures to ensure animal welfare that will provide benefits for society and improve animal quality of life. The role of veterinarians is fundamental in education and in disseminating the necessary information to orient people before they acquire a pet and prevent animal abandonment to resolve this problem.

Controle populacional de cães e gatos - aspectos éticos

A reflexão ética vem ganhando importância na discussão pública sobre valores fundamentais para se viver com dignidade, numa sociedade justa e solidária, em que a saúde -compreendida como a expressão do maior grau de bem-estar que o indivíduo e a coletividade são capazes de alcançar através de um equilíbrio existencial dinâmico -pode e deve ser desfrutada como direito no exercício pleno da cidadania (FORTES; ZOBOLI, 2004). Nesse sentido, a saúde pública deve ocupar-se da dimensão biológica, das relações entre o ser humano e o meio ambiente, da reprodução das formas de consciência e de comportamento e das relações sociais e econômicas (PAIM; AlMEIDA FILHO, 2000).

Controle populacional de cães e gatos - aspectos éticos

A reflexão ética vem ganhando importância na discussão pública sobre valores fundamentais para se viver com dignidade, numa sociedade justa e solidária, em que a saúde -compreendida como a expressão do maior grau de bem-estar que o indivíduo e a coletividade são capazes de alcançar através de um equilíbrio existencial dinâmico -pode e deve ser desfrutada como direito no exercício pleno da cidadania (FORTES; ZOBOLI, 2004). Nesse sentido, a saúde pública deve ocupar-se da dimensão biológica, das relações entre o ser humano e o meio ambiente, da reprodução das formas de consciência e de comportamento e das relações sociais e econômicas (PAIM; AlMEIDA FILHO, 2000).

Importancia de la etología en la formación de los estudiantes de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia en la Universidad de la Salle reflexiones pedagógicas y aportes bibliográficos / Importance of ethology in the education of veterinary medicine and zootechnique at Universidad de la Salle

El siguiente documento surge del estudio, reflexión del ejercicio docente y profesional de los autores, con el fin de socializar argumentos, conceptos y metodologías que ofrecen las ciencias del comportamiento animal (entre ellas la etología) para la formación de los estudiantes del área agropecuaria. El documento también presenta una revisión bibliográfica de los principales textos sobre etología y bienestar animal, existentes en la biblioteca de la Universidad de La Salle