Integrating animal welfare into disaster management using an 'all-hazards' approach.

Statistics show that disasters have expanded in scope and scale, with impacts on both humans and animals. As animals are valued not only for their economic value, but also for their companionship, people sometimes risk their lives to protect them, and emergency responders are expected to safeguard their welfare during emergencies. This paper discusses experiences from different regions of the world in animal disaster risk reduction and management in terms of legislation, funding streams, planning, capacity development, and communications. It is widely recognised that human, animal and environmental well-being are interconnected; therefore, as this is the case, and as veterinarians are at the forefront in ensuring animal welfare, they should be involved throughout the disaster management cycle. While animals and their welfare should always be considered in national disaster management plans, sub-regional authorities must be empowered to integrate animal welfare principles when responding to emergencies and implementing risk reduction programmes. Capacity development is key for Veterinary Services personnel who work in the fields of disaster management and risk reduction. Training tools and curricula developed by different organisations are available to foster skills such as incident coordination, risk communication, or response planning using tools such as the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS). Intergovernmental organisations also play a significant role in setting the standards and frameworks within which professionals operate.

Les données statistiques montrent un accroissement de l'amplitude et de la portée des catastrophes ainsi que l'impact qu'elles peuvent avoir sur les populations humaines et animales. La valeur des animaux n'étant pas seulement économique mais également affective, en cas de catastrophe c'est parfois au péril de leur vie que des personnes tentent de sauver animaux et il est attendu des services de secours d'urgence qu'ils prennent en compte le bien-être animal lors de leurs interventions. Les auteurs examinent l'expérience acquise dans diverses régions du monde en matière de réduction et de gestion des risques de catastrophes affectant les animaux, notamment en termes de législation, de mécanismes de financement, de planification, de renforcement des capacités et de communication. Il est désormais établi que le bien-être humain et animal et la qualité environnementale sont étroitement interconnectés ; par conséquent, il est important que les vétérinaires, qui assurent en première ligne la protection du bien-être animal, soient également associés à toutes les phases du cycle de la gestion des catastrophes. S'il est indispensable que les plans nationaux de gestion des catastrophes prennent en compte les animaux et leur bien-être, les autorités locales devraient également être habilitées à intégrer les principes du bien-être animal lors des interventions d'urgence et de la mise en œuvre des programmes de réduction des risques. Il est crucial de renforcer les capacités des personnels des Services vétérinaires qui travaillent dans les domaines de la gestion des catastrophes et de la réduction des risques. Un certain nombre d'outils et de programmes de formation conçus par différentes organisations sur la base des Normes et directives pour l'aide d'urgence à l'élevage (LEGS) permettent de mettre en place des compétences spécialisées dans la coordination en cas d'incidents, la communication sur les risques et la planification des interventions d'urgence. Les organisations intergouvernementales jouent également un rôle important en établissant les normes et les cadres d'intervention applicables aux professionnels.

Los datos estadísticos demuestran que tanto el alcance como la escala de los desastres van en aumento y repercuten en poblaciones tanto humanas como animales. A veces las personas arriesgan la vida para proteger a sus animales, pues el apego a ellos responde no solo a su valor económico, sino también a consideraciones afectivas. Por este motivo, del personal que interviene en situaciones de emergencia se espera que salvaguarde también el bienestar de los animales. Los autores describen experiencias de distintas regiones del mundo en materia de reducción y gestión del riesgo de desastre ganadero, deteniéndose en aspectos como la legislación, los flujos de financiación, la planificación, la adquisición de medios de acción y las comunicaciones. Poca duda cabe de que el bienestar humano, el animal y el ambiental están conectados entre sí. Si tal es el caso, y dado que los veterinarios son los primeros responsables de velar por el bienestar animal, es obvio que habría que integrarlos en todas las fases del ciclo de gestión de desastres. A la vez que en los planes nacionales de gestión de desastres siempre se debe tener presente la cuestión de los animales y su bienestar, también es preciso que las autoridades de ámbito infrarregional estén capacitadas para integrar los principios del bienestar animal en la respuesta a situaciones de emergencia y en los programas de reducción del riesgo que implanten. La adquisición de capacidad es un elemento clave para el personal de los Servicios Veterinarios que trabaja en la gestión de desastres y la reducción del correspondiente riesgo. Existen herramientas de formación y planes de estudios elaborados por diversas organizaciones que sirven para potenciar competencias como las de coordinación en caso de incidente, comunicación del riesgo o planificación de la respuesta con empleo de las directrices y normas para emergencias ganaderas (Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards, LEGS). Las organizaciones intergubernamentales cumplen también una importante función a la hora de establecer las normas y marcos de referencia que encuadran la labor de los profesionales.

Development of a new welfare assessment protocol for practical application in long-term dog shelters.

In many European shelters, dogs may spend many years confined. A poor environment and inappropriate management may lead to a low quality of life. The absence of harmonised European regulatory frameworks defining the minimum requirements for shelter facilities makes the definition of welfare standards for kennelled dogs challenging. Here, a new protocol was developed and tested to help identify the main welfare issues for shelter dogs. Twenty-six indicators were identified including management, resource and animal based measures. Accuracy and interobserver reliability were checked between four assessors. The protocol was applied in 29 shelters (n=1308 dogs) in six European countries. Overall prevalence of poor health conditions was below 10%. Test-retest reliability and validity of the protocol were investigated with encouraging results. A logistic regression was carried out to assess the potential of the protocol as a tool to identify welfare hazards in shelter environments. Inappropriate space allowance, for example, was found to be a risk factor potentially affecting the animal's cleanliness, skin condition and body condition. The protocol was designed to be concise and easy to implement. Systematic data collection could help identify welfare problems that are likely to arise in certain shelter designs and thus determine improvement in animal care standards.

Effects of surgical and chemical sterilization on the behavior of free-roaming male dogs in Puerto Natales, Chile.

Population management of free-roaming domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) is of interest due to the threat these animals pose to people, other animals and the environment. Current sterilization procedures for male dogs include surgical and chemical methods. However, little is known about how these procedures affect their behavior. The primary objective of this study was to investigate changes in selected behaviors following chemical and surgical sterilization in a male free-roaming dog (FRD) population in southern Chile. We also examined the association between serum testosterone levels and behaviors thought to be influenced by circulating androgens. A total of 174 dogs were randomly assigned to either a surgical or chemical sterilization group, or a control group. At the onset of the intervention period, 119 dogs remained and 102 dogs successfully completed the study. Each dog was monitored pre- and post-intervention using video recordings, GPS collars, and blood samples for the measurement of testosterone. Analysis of behavior revealed that surgically castrated dogs showed no reduction of sexual activity or aggression when compared to their pre-intervention behavior. Chemically sterilized dogs showed a statistically significant increase in dog-directed aggression, but no change in sexual activity. There was no change in home range size in any groups between the pre- and post-intervention measurement. We found no consistent association between levels of serum testosterone concentration and behavioral changes in any of the groups. This study presents the first detailed behavioral observations following surgical and chemical sterilization in male FRDs. The information generated is highly relevant to communities struggling with the control of FRDs. Complementary studies to further our understanding of the effects of male sterilization on the behavioral and reproductive dynamics of FRD populations are needed.

Drivers for animal welfare policies in Europe.

The European region has been, and remains, a global leader in the development of animal welfare policies. The region has a great diversity of cultures and religions, different levels of socio-economic development, and varied legislation, policies and practices. Nevertheless, there are common drivers for animal welfare policy based on a history of animal welfare ethics and obligations to animal users and society in general. A unifying goal of countries in the region is to achieve sustainable compliance with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) standards on animal health and welfare. Ethics isthe overarching driver, supported by the actions of governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental activities, markets and trade, science and knowledge. Historically, organisations involved in promoting animal welfare have tended to act in isolation. For example, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have run campaigns to influence retailers and the welfare policies of their farmer suppliers. Increasingly, different organisations with common or complementary goals are working together. For example, competent authorities, inter-governmental bodies and NGOs have combined their efforts to address dog population control across several countries in the region. Also, animal welfare is becoming integrated into the corporate social responsibility targets of private companies. Science and knowledge, as drivers and tools, are assisting with the harmonisation of welfare standards, e.g. by providing a common basis for measuring welfare impacts through animal-based measures and widespread sharing of this information. Current trends suggest that there will be greater collaboration among the organisations driving change, and increasing convergence of animal welfare strategies and welfare assessment tools. The result will be increased harmonisation of animal welfare standards throughout the region.

Free-roaming dog populations: a cost-benefit model for different management options, applied to Abruzzo, Italy.

Since 1991, Italian free-roaming dogs have been under government protection and euthanasia is restricted by law. Management measures are regulated at the regional level and include: kennelling, adoptions, conversion of stray dogs into block dogs, and population control of owned dogs. "Block dogs" are free-roaming dogs that have been collected by the veterinary services, microchipped, sterilised, vaccinated, and released under the responsibility of the local municipalities. The present paper describes a cost-benefit model for different management options and applies it to two provinces in Abruzzo, central Italy. The model considers welfare, nuisance and direct costs to the municipality. Welfare is quantified based on the expert opinions of 60 local veterinarians, who were asked to assign a score for each dog category according to the five freedoms: freedom from pain, physical discomfort, disease, fear, and freedom to express normal behaviour. Nuisance was assessed only for comparisons between management options, using the number of free-roaming dogs per inhabitant as a proxy indicator. A community dog population model was constructed to predict the effect of management on the different subpopulations of dogs during a ten-year period. It is a user-friendly deterministic model in Excel, easily adaptable to different communities to assess the impact of their dog management policy on welfare, nuisance and direct monetary cost. We present results for Teramo and Pescara provinces. Today's management system is compared to alternative models, which evaluate the effect of specific interventions. These include either a 10% yearly increase in kennel capacity, an increase in adoptions from kennels, a doubling of the capture of stray dogs, or a stabilisation of the owned dog population. Results indicate that optimal management decisions are complex because welfare, nuisance and monetary costs may imply conflicting interventions. Nevertheless, they clearly indicate that management actions that would act on dog ownership patterns to reduce the number of free-roaming dogs would have the most favourable outcomes. These include reducing the reproductive capacity of the owned dog population, stronger enforcement of mandatory dog identification, reducing abandonment and increasing adoptions. This would increase welfare and free resources for implementing public campaigns. Block dogs may be an important intermediary means to reduce stray dogs, but adoption would be preferable.

Free-roaming dog control among OIE-member countries.

A questionnaire was distributed to the state veterinary services of all 172 OIE countries to collect data on the different national approaches to dog population control. We used all 81 completed questionnaires with ≥80% of the question answered to identify the different national approaches to the issue. The intensity of the free-roaming dog (FRD) problem was negatively correlated with the value of the UN's human development index recognized for each country. Dog bites/attacks and rabies were the main problems associated with FRDs, and these problems were reported disproportionately by less-developed countries. Dog-control programs (DCP) were more widely used among the more-developed countries. In less-developed countries, DCPs (when they existed at all) tended to employ killing methods (including poisoned baits), that are not recommended on animal-welfare grounds.

[Earthquake in Abruzzo, public health interventions. Preliminary report]. / Interventi sanitari in occasione del sisma in Abruzzo. Rapporto preliminare.

On 6th April 2009, at 3.32 AM, there was in L'Aquila and in some neighbouring villages, after an earthquake swarm last some months, an earthquake of M(L) = 5.8 (Richter magnitude scale) on depth of 8.8 km. The event was sensed in a very broad area, till in Rome and Ancon. The operative committee of the Civil Protection Department immediately gathered and a first operating group was despatched in the epicentre; the voluntary association of civil protection were in a pre-alarm situation and then were activated. This work want describe all the activities from 6th April 2009 till 31th August 2009, giving too a synthesis of the normative lines in case of catastrophic events typology C, otherwise all that events impossible to manage without national intervention.

Global perspectives on animal welfare: Europe.

Effective implementation and enforcement of legislation is essential to ensure animal welfare. In the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) European Region the well-established body of national and European Union laws in existence is growing continuously. The growth is due to various factors, such as new technology in animal farming and experimentation, exploitation of wildlife, new understanding of animal needs, and increasing public awareness and concern. The latter, in particular, determines the need for new animal welfare legislation to regulate and discipline the 'use' of animals for different purposes, such as food production, companionship, work and leisure. This paper intends to provide an overview of the more relevant activities carried out by the Council of Europe and the European Union in the field of animal welfare. The authors identify eLearning as a tool to harmonise the interpretation and the implementation of animal welfare legislation.