animal welfare: trends, issues, and strategies · animal welfare: trends, issues, and strategies...

Animal Welfare: Trends, Issues, and Strategies

Ted Molter, Chief Marketing Officer, San Diego Zoo Global

Monday September 24th 2018

David Williams-MitchellCommunication Director

EAZA

Ted MolterChief Marketing Officer San Diego Zoo Global

Laura Van der MeerPartner

Kelley Drye

Animal Welfare: Trends, Issues, and Strategies

IAAPA

November, 2017• Jim Hekkers

(Retired) Managing Director, Monterey Bay Aquarium

• Jill Mellen PhD(Retired) Education & Science Director, Disney's Animal Kingdom & The Seas

• Jackie Ogden PhD

(Retired) Vice President, Animals, Science & Environment

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Disney's Animal Kingdom & The Seas

Methods

• Data from scholars and organizations world-wide.

• Recommendations from experts and literature.

4

Animal Welfare: Trends, Issues, and Strategies

I. What we found

II. What is animal welfare?

III. Who oversees animal welfare?

IV. Public perceptions

V. Recommendations from experts

5

What we found:

• Instantaneous and global awareness.

• More transparency and focus on animal welfare.

Social media has facilitated...

6

What we found:

• Neural basis for 7 emotions in mammals• fear, rage, panic, lust, seeking, care, play.

• Scientists declared that animals have conscious awareness.

• 8,500 scientific papers in 500 journals.

• Proliferation of scientific studies.

7

What we found:

• Pet owners see dogs or cats as members of the family.

• Animal law the fastest growing discipline in North American law schools.

•Concept of "nonhuman personhood" has gained traction.

8

What we found:• Increased media attention on animal issues.

• Animal protection organizations have developed increasingly sophisticated strategies and tactics.

• High-profile animal issues gained public attention –

• SeaWorld

• Harambe, the gorilla

• Ringling Brothers

• Cecil, the lion

• Copenhagen Zoo giraffe.

9

What we found:

• Laws prohibit certain species and/or breeding.

• Conservation mission does not resonate with all. Many focus first on the welfare of the individual animals.

• Increasing expectation that animal habitats should be large, naturalistic, and "clean."

10

What we found:

• Centers for study of zoo animal welfare: Brookfield Zoo, Detroit Zoo, San Francisco Zoo.

• WAZA developed an animal welfare strategy.

• Regional zoo and aquarium associations have enhanced standards.

11

What we found:

Growing constituency questions the very premise of animals in “captivity.”

12

Animal Welfare: Trends, Issues, and Strategies

I. Over the past decade…

II. What is animal welfare?

III. Who oversees animal welfare?

IV. Public perceptions

V. Recommendations from experts

13

WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED ANIMAL

WELFARE?

14

History of Animal Welfare

• Farm/food animals

• Laboratories

• Companion animals

• Zoos/aquariums

15

Animal Welfare: What is it?

• A scientific approach to assessing how animals are treated when they are cared for by humans.

• Can be ”good” or “bad.”

Negative Welfare

Positive Welfare

Yeates & Main, 2008

Boissey et al, 2007 16

Two interrelated components:

1) Physical health

…absence of diseases or physical/physiological

conditions.

2) Psychological well-being

…opportunity for animals to perform strongly

motivated, species-appropriate behaviors.

17

Animal Welfare: What is it?

The 5 FreedomsBrambell, 1965

• Freedom from hunger and thirst• Freedom from discomfort• Freedom from pain, injury, & disease• Freedom from fear & distress• Freedom to express normal behavior

18

The 5 Opportunities to Thrive(part of Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Accreditation Standards)

• Receive nutritionally complete diets.

• Receive appropriate environments & opportunities to self-maintain.

• Experience good physical health.

• Promote natural, species-appropriate and motivated behavior.

• Exercise control & choice and avoid chronic stress.

19

Inputs and Outputs

•Habitat design

• Lighting

•Diet

• Feeding schedule

• Inputs are…

20

21

Outputs are…

• Growth rate.• Coat, feather, scale condition.• Reproductive success, infant survivability,

longevity.• Immune, adrenal function.• Behavior (play, exploration, repetitive behavior).

•How does ‘animal rights’ differ from ‘animal welfare’?

22

The idea that (sentient) animals should have the same moral rights as humans

•A philosophical belief system

•Based on ethical concerns for animals

Animal Rights: What is it?

Few rights

Lots of rights

23

Animal Welfare: Trends, Issues, and Strategies

I. What we found

II. What is animal welfare?

III. Who oversees animal welfare?

IV. Public perceptions

V. Recommendations from experts

24

Legislative oversight:Animal Welfare

• First animal welfare legislation: 1635• Ireland (plowing and pulling wool).

• 37+ countries have animal welfare regs.

• United States Animal Welfare Act of 1966.

• State regulations.

• Species-specific regulations.

25

Examples of Accrediting bodies

• WAZA (280)• No accreditation process; Animal welfare strategy

• Association of Zoos and Aquariums- AZA (230)

• Zoo Aquarium Association –ZAA Australia (53)

• European Association of Zoos & Aquariums – EAZA (295)

• Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (63)

• American Humane Association (16+)

• Zoo and Aquarium Association – U.S. based (60)

26

Animal protection orgs

• Estimated 189,000+ organizations world-wide

• Some completely anti-zoo/aquarium

• PETA

• Born Free International

• Animal Legal Defense Fund

• In Defense of Animals.

• Some with areas of agreement with zoos/aquariums (but may be controversial)

• IFAW

• ASPCA -1.2 m members

• World Animal Protection

• HSUS - 11m members?

27

Animal Welfare: Trends, Issues, and Strategies

I. Over the past decade…

II. What is animal welfare?

III. Who oversees animal welfare?

IV. Public perceptions

V. Recommendations from experts

28

public perceptions

• Overall favorability has declined over past 10 years, down to 67%• “Local” zoo/aquarium viewed more favorably.

• Increasing concerns about “some animals” being in zoos/aquariums (35%, up from 27%).

• Concerns strongest amongst Millennials.

29

Public perceptions

• Priority for Millennials: welfare of individual animals.

• Focus on ”large and/or smart” animals.

• Preference for “naturalistic” spaces.

• Some concern regarding “shows.”

• Public perceptions of animal welfare are not the same as animal care professionals• Lions sleeping

• Natural spaces

• Habitat size.

30

Animal welfare is not an easy subject

• Mabel’s version of animal welfare is different from Fred’s.

• Value-laden • “Nobody cares about my animals more than I do.”

• Even (especially?) amongst animal care professionals. I AM AN

ENVIRON-

MENTALIST

31

Animal Welfare: Trends, Issues, and Strategies

I. Over the past decade…

II. What is animal welfare?

III. Who oversees animal welfare?

IV. Public perceptions

V. Recommendations from experts

32

Recommendations:

• Derived from literature and more than 20 experts and thought leaders.

33

Really smart people

Recommendations:

• First and foremost, take the best care of your animals and be transparent.

34

Ensure the best of care for your animals

• Develop an animal welfare statement.

• Create an animal welfare committee, including process to report welfare concerns.

• Integrate welfare into strategic plan.

• Develop/implement an animal welfare plan.

35

Do Less, better

• Should you be doing less?

• Evaluate *all* species under your care

• Are you meeting their needs?

• Do they appear ”happy”?

• Critically review habitats and night quarters

• Both quality and quantity of space.

• Evaluate experiences that may be viewed as only entertainment."

36

Don't go it alone

• Pursue accreditation with responsible zoo & aquarium association.

• Work with peers in IAAPA, z/a associations.

• Encourage IAAPA and z/a associations to lobby, advocate, and monitor legislation.

• Support scientific studies on welfare.

• Develop relationships with third-party advocates.

37

Communicate smartly

• Implement animal welfare plan.

• Then, talk about it – with pride.

• Understand visitors and public.

• Ensure staff are trained.

• Tell stories about animal care and caregivers• Social media and one-on-one.

• Don't be afraid of emotions - back up with science.

38

• Focus on the "movable middle."

• Build on the publics' love of their pets.

• Use care with your language.

• Then, talk about the work you do to care for animals in the wild.

39

Communicate smartly

Be prepared for an animal-related crisis

• Ensure you have a crisis communication/ management plan that addresses animal issues.

• Ensure that human and animal safety come first.

• Be transparent and responsive.

• Know that sometimes a crisis can become an opportunity.

40

Become advocates. Lead.

• Advocate on behalf of animal welfare

• or support your association to do so.

• Consider distancing yourself from those that do not meet accreditation standards.

• At least listen to those with differing views.

• First focus on care for animals in your facility.

• Then focus on caring for animals in the wild, and talk about it.

41

"Within a zoo environment, as custodians of animals, it is our absolute moral imperative to provide for animal welfare and wellbeing.”

Dave Morgan, Wild Welfare

“We must always review our practices and work to constantly improve the care we provide…but the biggest issue facing all of us – by far – is the extinction crisis.

Christina Simmons,

San Diego Zoo Global

42

For a “toolkit” of resources, including:• PowerPoint presentation.

• Summary of recommendations.

• Complete white paper with references.

• Welfare assessment process.

• FAQs for staff.

Contact IAAPA: animalinfo@iaapa.org

43

Thank you!Ted Molter, San Diego Zoo Global

Monday September 24th 2018