Status of Animal Welfare reflects the status of Human Civilization > World Animal Day Special

On the occasion of “World Animal Day”

Status of Animal Welfare reflects the status of Human Civilization

By:
Vijay Sardana
Advocate, Supreme Court of India

What can be a better example of Animal Welfare than this?

In the Bhagavad-gītā, God says that
"All living entities are My part and parcels."
Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7)

Indian religious scriptures and historical texts are full of examples that the human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviours considered essential to the health and well-being of both. 

The activities of ancient Indians were woven around the animals. Therefore, they knew the happenings of the animal world as much as today's ardent students of zoology and veterinary science. This vast knowledge has been recorded in the scriptures of the time. The Upanishads contain detailed descriptions of horses and cattle. The Garudapurana contains life-histories of fishes and turtles. There are also religious books dedicated to a specific animal. Nagamahdimya, Nandi-purdoa, Mayiratrahimya and Pashu-puriltia are only a few of them. These writings are older than other scriptures of the world; they contain very modern concepts such as the origin of life, organic evolution and environmental science. 

The bond includes but is not limited to the emotional, psychological, and physical interactions of people, animals, and the environment.  The role of society in the human-animal bond is to maximize the potential of this relationship between people and animals and specifically to promote the health and well-being of both. The emperors, kings and queens adopted different animals as their emblems.

Our History can teach us a lot about animal welfare

In todays’ world, Animal welfare is a complex and multifaceted subject with scientific, ethical, economic, cultural, social, religious and political dimensions. It is attracting growing interest from civil society.

Unfortunately, nowadays, social media is flooded with messages about cruelty against animals, illegal slaughtering, inhumane ways of transportation, pictures of starving animals or eating garbage and plastic. The reaction of the people to these pictures clearly indicates that society is concerned about animal welfare. That is why we have many court orders and laws to protect animal welfare.

World Animal Day and Animal Welfare Boards are spreading messages in this regard and animal lovers have a reason to cheer. 

What is Animal Welfare in modern scientific terms?

Protecting an animal's welfare means providing for its physical and mental needs. There are numerous perspectives on animal welfare that are influenced by a person's values and experiences. There are also various means of measuring animal welfare, including, but not limited to, health, productivity, behaviour, and physiological responses.

Animal welfare means how an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives. An animal is in a good state of welfare if, as indicated by scientific evidence, it is healthy, comfortable, well-nourished, safe, able to express innate behaviour, and if it is not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear, and distress. Good animal welfare requires disease prevention and veterinary treatment, appropriate shelter, management, nutrition, humane handling, and humane slaughter. 

Animal welfare refers to the state of the animal; the treatment that an animal receives is covered by other terms such as animal care, animal husbandry, and humane treatment. 

Animal welfare is the human responsibility

Ensuring animal welfare is a human responsibility that includes consideration for all aspects of animal well-being, including proper housing, management, nutrition, disease prevention and treatment, responsible care, humane handling, and, when necessary, humane euthanasia.

Animal Welfare Principles in modern Animal Husbandry

Many authorities for the health and welfare of animals, offer the following eight integrated principles for developing and evaluating animal welfare policies, resolutions, and actions.

• The responsible use of animals for human purposes, such as companionship, food, fibre, recreation, work, education, exhibition, and research conducted for the benefit of both humans and animals, is to be consistent with humanity.

• Decisions regarding animal care, use, and welfare shall be made by balancing scientific knowledge and professional judgment with consideration of ethical and societal values.

• Animals must be provided water, food, proper handling, health care, and an environment appropriate to their care and use, with thoughtful consideration for their species-typical biology and behaviour.

• Animals should be cared for in ways that minimize fear, pain, stress, and suffering.

• Procedures related to animal housing, management, care, and use should be continuously evaluated, and when indicated, refined or replaced.

• Conservation and management of animal populations should be humane, socially responsible, and scientifically prudent.

• Animals shall be treated with respect and dignity throughout their lives and, when necessary, provided a humane death.

• The veterinary profession shall continually strive to improve animal health and welfare through scientific research, education, collaboration, advocacy, and the development of legislation and regulations.

How to improve the future of Animal Welfare in Modern India?

• The establishment, implementation, and support of principles and standards designed to continuously improve animal welfare is a complex dynamic involving animal needs, human needs, societal expectations, and environmental and other sustainability concerns. 

• Actions employed to improve animal welfare should be informed by veterinary, ethological, ecological, economic, and ethical considerations. 

• Veterinarians and livestock farmers are, and must continually strive to be, the leading advocates for animal welfare in a continually evolving society.

• Livestock farmers, Livestock value chain participants, veterinarians, veterinary medical associations, animal control agencies, and animal welfare organizations should collectively promote responsible animal ownership and humane care of animals.  

• Law must consider Immunity from liability in any civil, criminal, or state action to any veterinarian and farmer who reports, in good faith, a suspected case of animal abuse or neglect to the proper authorities. 

What should be done by Indian authorities to ensure animal welfare?

1. Two thousand-year-old Panchatantra contains numerous stories in which the animals have been given prominence, and should be mandatory for all primary schools.

2. Creation of animal welfare standards for shelter houses so that the stray animals do not become a cause of concern for citizens and farmers.

3. Crowdfunding sources can be designed to ensure sufficient funding for these shelter houses.

4. Local communities should be encouraged and trained to take care of stray animals, in place of external NGOs. Local communities can act as guardians of the shelter and economic gains from these animal shelters should be dedicated for animal welfare activities within the village community, only for common causes related to animal welfare only like construction of water points, feeding points, community biogas plants at the shelter house, free immunization and vaccination for village animals, etc.

5. Teaching about animal welfare is key in providing a complete education in veterinary medicine. The Model animal welfare syllabus can be designed by the Veterinary Council of India and can serve as a guide to meet the core competencies that veterinarians need to learn before graduating.

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