1. An Overview of Animal Welfare & Animal Rights

2. Overview Definitions Activists charges
How producers can respond to activists views
Setting the standards
Animals in research

3. Why is this an issue? America’s idea of what a farm should be
Grazing pastures
Ideas come from children books, TV, etc.
What America’s farms are becoming
Confinement rearing
Large scale production

4. Where ag gets a bad reputation

5. Animal Welfare Proper care of animals
Humane treatment is supported by producers
Proper treatment keeps animals more productive
Humans have more rights than animals, BUT are responsible for humane treatment

6. Animal Rights Animals have legal and ethical rights, just as humans
Feel animals suffer unnecessary pain & stress
Want animal agriculture abolished
Extreme views are to eliminate animal use
food, clothing, leisure, or research

7. Activists charges producers:
Pumping drugs into animals
Undue stress on the animals
Confinement jeopardizes animal and human health
Raising animals in pens and crates is cruel treatment

8. Activists charges, continued…
Eating meat and eggs is unhealthy
Drinking milk is unhealthy
Grain fed to livestock should be used to feed starving people around the world
Using a growth-promoting hormone is cruel to animals
Produces meat that is not safe for humans to eat

9. Producers response to overcrowding...
Most producers won't overcrowd because it is very unprofitable
Animals must be kept reasonably comfortable
Animals are kept well fed to assure a productive growth or a profitable level of milk production
Overcrowding reduces rate of gain

10. Producers response to drugs and antibiotics...
All drugs that are used for livestock are regulated by the federal government
Regulations keep food safe for U.S. consumers
All animal health products are thoroughly tested and must be approved by FDA
On average, it takes 11 years to bring an animal pharmaceutical to the market
Only one in about 7,500 chemicals tested are ever approved

11. Producers response to growth hormones...
Increase feed efficiency which reduces food costs
Improve the ratio of meat to fat
Products are generally estrogen-like substances
Estrogen is a natural substance
There is more estrogen in a cup of green beans than in a comparable amount of beef from an implanted steer.

12. What producers are doing...
Support and promote human treatment of animals
Do all they can to make sure animals are not mistreated
Keep public and media well informed on what they are doing to protect the welfare of their animals

13. What does it mean to be treated humanely?
That means animals are
well fed
have adequate
water
space
shelter
kept healthy and comfortable

14. Setting the standards... In early times, each farmer decided
In current times
Pork Producers Code of Practice
Swine Care Handbook
Cattlemen's Philosophy
Three P's
prevention
preparation
prompt action

15. Economic benefits of good animal welfare...
Bruises meat reduces meat prices
Dairy animals produce less milk when stressed

16. Animals in research... Important for agriculture and human medicine
Limits on animal research would threaten advances in medicine
Public opinion nor scientist opinion is consistent
More concern over use of dogs & cats than rats & mice

17. Activity Look at the images you’re given
With your group, discuss each question

18. Animal Welfare Timeline
1641 – “The Body of Liberties” legal code passed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony
1828 – First anti-cruelty law passed by New York legislature
1866 – American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was formed
1867 – Henry Bergh drafted “An Act for More Effectual Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

19. Animal Welfare Timeline
1906 – “The Animal Transportation Act” was passed
1958 – “The Humane Slaughter Act” was passed
1964 – Ruth Harrison wrote “Animal Machines: The New Factory Farming Industry”
1966 – “Laboratory Animal Welfare Act” (AWA) passed
1970 – AWA was amended

20. Animal Welfare Timeline
1970 – “The Horse Protection Act” passed
Early 1970’s – modern animal rights movement began
1972 – “Marine Mammal Protection Act” was passed
1973 – “Endangered Species Act” was passed
1975 – Peter Singer writes “animal Liberation”

21. Animal Welfare Timeline
1976 – Horse Protection Act was amended
1985 – “Improved Standards for Laboratory Animals Act” was passed
1986 – Animal Liberation Front (ALF) destroys labs at Oregon State University
1989 – “The Farm Animal and Research Facilities Protection Act” was introduced

22. Animal Welfare Timeline
1990 – “Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act” was passed
1990 – “March for the Animals” in Washington D.C.
1992 – “The Animal Enterprise Protection Act” was passed
1999 – “Federal Law Enforcement Animal Protection Act” was passed

23. Animal Welfare Timeline
2002 – AWA amended
2002 – “Animal Fighting Enforcement Act” introduced
2002 – “Captive Wildlife Safety Act” introduced
2002 – 2014 Additional welfare legislation?

24. Discussion... Should California pass “ag-gag” laws?