The AWSELVA Journal provides a commentary on animal welfare science, ethics and law topics aimed at the broad audience who work in these fields or who have an interest in these subjects. Papers are invited from academics, researchers and students in these areas and may be submitted to the Editor, David Williams at [email protected].

AWSELVA invites peer commentaries on the draft paper. Commentaries should be no longer than 1000 words, in UK English, referenced as appropriate and sent to [email protected] with the subject entitled "AWSELVA Journal [and the title of the paper]"    

AWSELVA invites peer commentaries on the draft paper. Commentaries should be no longer than 1000 words, in UK English, referenced as appropriate and sent to [email protected] with the subject entitled "AWSELVA Journal [and the title of the paper]"  

This journal – and this Association – focuses on three topics. Indeed, this issue contains good examples of all three – animal welfare, ethics and law – in some cases in the same papers. This multi- and inter-disciplinarity is why the newly developed author instructions still allow authors flexibility to choose the style that best seems to fit the discipline. It’s also why the journal is moving...

One hardly needs to explain the significance of Ruth Harrison and her seminal book Animal Machines to an animal welfare oriented audience. Ruth Harrison’s book marked a change in the language surrounding animals. She argued that the animal cruelty vocabulary could not articulate the ways in which animals suffered in intensive production systems and as a consequence “Animal Welfare...

Responsibility for animals used by man rests with us both morally and legally, including for animals we “watch”. This association chose to discuss at its most recent symposium the topic of Animals in Entertainment. One of the papers considered the subject of ethical tourism. When I was in New Zealand earlier this year I engaged in watching sperm whales, dusky dolphins, fur seals, yellow eyed and...

A lot has happened since the last AWSELVA Journal issue. Most notably, we have seen the formation of the European specialisation centre for animal welfare science, ethics and law as part of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine. AWSELVA members were central to this success, not least Dr Mullan, Professor Morton and Dr Main, just as AWSELVA was vital in setting up the...

Once again the Association hosted a well attended meeting on the effects of the current economic position on animal welfare. This meeting, held at the Wellcome Foundation meeting rooms in London, brought together speakers on a wide range of topics and finished with a workshop session which was actively and thoughtfully presented as a feedback report at the end of the day. We were also pleased to...

The Bristol meeting in May, which included a well attended AGM, was an excellently conceived and organised scientific meeting with an added bonus package. Combining our meeting with the Bristol Festival of Ideas was a master stroke by the meeting conveners which enabled us to benefit from the opportunity to hear from Peter Singer 35 years on from the publication of his book ‘Animal Liberation’....

As I look forward to our spring meeting in Bristol and the Peter Singer Lecture to follow, both with their reflective flavour, it is clear to see that animal welfare and associated ethical considerations have advanced almost beyond recognition over the past 50 years or so, yet equally we have not lost sight of former philosophical positions. As an example of how current scientific techniques...

With this column coming hot on the heels of our recent meeting in London (of which you can read elsewhere in the edition) it allows some reflection of the importance of the policy debate. This is timely given the recent publication of FAWC’s report 'Farm Animal Welfare in Great Britain: Past Present and Future’. Importantly reflecting on the ethical basis for the humane treatment of farm animals...

At a recent meeting I was challenged (and not for the first time) to say whether or not a wild mouse experiences less of a welfare insult than its laboratory cousin, when subject to similar injury. This is not a new question but does present an interesting scenario which many of us will have considered, I expect. If the nociceptive event is similar, do possible differences in the perception and...

International animal welfare concerns continue to attract the attention of the public. Usually these are highly charged issues and, as with any polarised “debate” such as the morality of using animals in scientific research, there seem to be few fora in which an objective or even, dare I say, rational debate can be held, and which will engage all the protagonists. In the case of the use of...

The total income of the animal welfare “industry” over the past five years, raised in the United Kingdom, mostly through charitable donation, was in excess of £½ billion Sterling. Add to that sum the public money spent by local authorities, central government and regional institutions and the figure more than doubles. In return for public investment, how much better off are our animal populations...

The Animal Welfare Act and the implications of the duty of care towards animals as set out in the Act have tended to dominate the agendas of animal welfare organisations over the past year. In this Spring quarter I would like to move the focus of AWSELVA’s efforts to the world’s poorer countries and international development. Sustainable development is the holy grail of the development sector and...

It is with great enthusiasm that I hand over the reins of office to Bill Swann as Chair of AWSELVA. He has a track record in the area of strategic planning that I hope will consolidate the small steps that I have taken during my term. I very much look forward to working with Bill as part of the old and the new team leading the organisation. This is yet another formative period in our history as...

I would like to thank all members of the AWSELVA Committee (only I wasn’t!!) who were involved in the Duty of Care seminar in London in November for what was a very successful meeting. I also include the speakers who so generously gave of their time and effort. Bill Swann particularly deserves thanks for being the brains behind the programme and speakers, ably and enthusiastically supported by...

Since my last column the Executive Committee have been very active putting together two conferences that we hope you will attend and enjoy. The long-term strategy is to hold two meetings a year: one in conjunction with species specific veterinary group, and the other to be one of our own choosing. To begin this programme we are aiming to look at the duty of care of veterinary surgeons under the...

Pedants will, at once, recognise from the position of the apostrophe that this Column is not the work of a single author. Your retiring Chairman John Webster completed his stint with “And so farewell” in the previous edition and has no plans for a comeback. Unfortunately James Kirkwood, who had planned to take over the Chair, decided with regret that this could conflict with his position as...

A.J. Webster, age 65¾ And so farewell, John Webster. “Five Freedoms for the Animals!” That was your cry. A modest number. But F.D.R. thought four sufficient for his fellow Americans. So five seems fair. If this article carries a hint of end-of-term euphoria, it is for good reason. This will be my last column as Chairman of AWSELVA. I shall officially retire from the University of...

One of the most demanding tasks required of the Chairman of AWSELVA is to produce an article for each magazine according to the commands laid down by the editor, namely that said article should appear personal, contentious and immediately. Under such pressure, and in the light of the 2003 Farm Animal Welfare Council Report of the Welfare of Farm Animals at Killing and Slaughter: Part 1, Red Meat...

The Veterinary Profession has got itself into a fine mess over the issue of kidney transplants for cats. The full spectrum of human emotions is exposed: cant, compassion, cowardice, greed, honour, pomposity (I list them in alphabetical order to avoid any suggestion of ranking). In this column I shall try to use the tools of practical ethics to unravel some of this disorder.   The first...

AWSELVA, by its very title, recognises that a professional concern for animal welfare must incorporate principles of both science and ethics, and these principles should govern present and future laws. We have become accustomed to hearing politicians within the European Community pronounce that any new animal welfare legislation must be based ‘on sound scientific principles’. This sounds all...

Ethics is a good thing. We can all agree on that. However, for those of us who can afford the luxury of middle-class morality, it is also, usually, an easy thing. We can take the cable car to fashionable areas of moral high ground (third-world poverty, animal welfare) and make impeccable moral judgements without losing a bead of metaphorical sweat. It becomes much more difficult when one is...

I write this column just after a successful meeting held in Langford, Bristol on the welfare, ethical and legal aspects of the foot and mouth epidemic. It seems that the outbreak, at last, has been brought under control but at some cost to many of the stakeholders. Farmers have been upset at the loss of their herds and flocks, animals which they may have spent a lifetime breeding (and even their...

Do we learn from history? Are the welfare problems of the foot and mouth epidemic different from those of 1967/68? I suspect not, but I do not recall the same outcry then as now, but why not? Has our moral conscience changed or is it simply that the recent publicity over our declining agricultural industry and the spectre of globalisation are having an impact that any straw will be grabbed and...