INVOLVEMENT OF VETERINARIANS IN ANIMAL WELFARE
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Prof. Dr. Ghulam Muhammad
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Who a vet is and what the veterinary profession is all about
“He who can, with gentle hands and soothing words, calm the fears of a stricken animal has a gift reserved for few. He who can diagnose the sickness of a creature that cannot speak, one that cannot, either by a sign or gesture, give any indication of the seat of fatal illness is one endowed with knowledge, sympathy, and understanding far beyond that attained by ordinary men. He who, can, with the aid of medical science, brighten the eyes, stay the fever, energize the pulse, and build resistance against disease in an animal, has reached the goal only a favored few attain.
“And what is his reward? The knowledge that he has lived a life of true usefulness in helping creatures that cannot help themselves” (Stone, 1982)
“The veterinarian can and must be humanitarian. [….] We can and should arouse public sentiment in this regard, and in our work, we should study how best to alleviate and avoid suffering….”
(W.L. Williams, D.V.M. 1888)
A veterinarian by nature of his/her training and professional endeavors is routinely involved in animal welfare. The mere fact that veterinarians customarily take the Veterinarian’s Oath is proof and evidence of the interest in animal welfare by each and every veterinarian regardless of his/her professional pursuit. Veterinarian is synonymous with a person who respects life of all forms and to whom people can turn for guidance in matters of animal suffering and welfare.
Veterinarian’s oath and its animal welfare related implications
“Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health and the advancement of medical knowledge.
“I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics”.
“I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence”.
(Approved by the House of Delegates, 1954; Revision approved by the House of Delegates, 1969; Revision approved by the Executive Board 1999, 2010)
It is noteworthy that the word welfare was missing in the Veterinary Oath revised and approved by HOD in July 1969. The semantics may seem minor but the implication is major. Commenting on the addition of the word animal welfare, AVMA Executive Board Chair, Jhon R. Brooks issued a statement. “The message is we as the AVMA and veterinarians in general do recognize that protecting animal well-being is what we’re all about,” Brooks says
Dr. J. Bruce Nixon, Chairman-elect the AVMA’s Animal Welfare commission said “ From today forward, every graduate entering our profession will swear an oath not only to protect animal health but also welfare; to not only relieve animal suffering but to prevent it. That’s a powerful statement defining ourselves and our responsibilities, not a vague symbol”
Veterinary oath has the following important animal related implications (Veterinary Oath – Felipedia):
1. The notion that no animals or only some animals (e.g. species variant pain felt by a dog compared with a fish) do not feel pain is antiquated and cannot be fostered by any veterinarian. Pain is felt by all creatures, great and small and must, at all time, be addressed, or at least acknowledged.
2. In the use of animals as food production for humans, welfare during their life is paramount and their death given a modicum of dignity.
3. In the use of animals in experimentation, all animals are managed according to best animal welfare practices through informed, confident and proactive ‘industries’, with minimal harm and minimal experimentation procedures recommended.
4. To let an animal die a “natural death” when euthanasia is available is cruel, not only to the patient but to its loved ones. It has been shown that owners whose pets died naturally experienced significantly more total grief, social isolation, and loss of control compared to owners who had their pets euthanized.
5. To allow uncontrolled breeding or avoid pregnancy termination in animals whose offspring’s welfare cannot be guaranteed by the carer is to be ignorant of future pain by that animal(s) and is, by implication, negligent cruelty.
Some channels of veterinary actions in the realm of animal welfare
Veterinarians are expected to be involved in animal welfare activities on individual level in the following ways (ref ??):
* Practicing veterinarians should exercise humaneness in the practice of veterinary medicine. They should impart a tender, loving care (‘TLC’) to the patients in their practice. As a human, but more so as a veterinarian, an individual engaged in veterinary practice has ability through intelligence, training and compassion to offer mercy, care and protection to helpless creatures. The veterinarians are thus expected to be behaving as “angels of mercy”
* Practicing veterinarian ought to be a professional imbued with a spirit of altruism. They are expected to take their professional duties as labour of love and discharge their functions solicitously towards the animals given in their custody.
* -------------------- role of veterinarian in responsible use of animals in research, teaching, training and biomedical testing. Veterinarian is one of the members of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
* Veterinarians should foster family-pet-veterinary team bond is critically important. They are in a unique position to help not only pets, but also pet owners. By incorporating the notion of the Family-Pet-Veterinary Team Bond into their practice’s approach to products and services, they can become an even more beneficial part of their community.
“There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyages in their life
Is bound in the shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures”.
Brutus
Julius Casear, Act IV, Scene 3 (William Shakespeare)
The bond is the veterinary profession’s “full sea”, touching every shore, every continent. All of us involved in veterinary medicine are influenced by The Bond, and need to be good stewards of such a gift (Wayner, 2003).
* The prevention, control and eradication of animal disease have been and remain among the prime duties of veterinarians. Disease is a principal cause of suffering in animals and veterinarians play a crucial role in the promotion of animal welfare through their professional activities.
* Do not destroy an animal suffering from a treatable disease e.g. a puppy with a fractured leg even if the owner cannot afford to pay (Rollin, 2001). Researchers at Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (Saqib et al., 2006) have shown that equine glanders is a curable disease. There is thus a need to considered repealing the Glanders and Farcy Act of 1899 (Farani, 1983) in the interest of animal welfare.
* Veterinarian should espouse support for NGO’s , humane societies and for any one working for animal welfare.
* Animal confined due to any reason (e.g. hospitalization) should be exercised
* The proposed Punjab Animal Welfare Society Act, 2011 outlaws the following veterinary procedures:
a. Docking the tail of horse, bull , ox, bullock, steer, cow, heifer, calf or dog
b. Cropping the ears of a dog
c. Operating upon a dog for the purpose of preventing the dog from being able to bark (debarking operation),
d. Removing one or more of the claws of a cat,
e. Grinding, trimming or clipping one or more teeth of a sheep, or
f. Dehorning a performing animal, or
g. Hot or cold branding (microchipping is the recommended procedure of animal identification)
* Veterinarian should help owners develop a responsible pet/animal ownership imposes which following lifelong obligations on the owner/guardian of the pet/animal (Takeuchi, 2003):
a. Appropriate feeding and water supply,
b. Quick medical care of sick animals by veterinarians,
c. Facilities (housing buildings, space etc.) specifically considering the pet/animal species, its physiology and behavior
d. Interaction with conspecifics (i.e. providing chances of interaction and socialization with other individuals of the same species)
e. Measures to prevent soiling of surroundings (i.e. environmental pollution) by excreta and feathers (in case of bird),
f. Limiting the number of pets/animals according to the housing space available
g. Necessary birth control to keep the number of pets within appropriate limits and to prevent environmental problems. Neutering followed by release is the only method of birth control approved by WHO and World Society for the Protection of Animals (Butcher, 2003)
h. Arrangement for humane transport of animals when needed
i. Measures to prevent possible zoonotic problems
j. Measures to prevent escape of pet/animal so that it is not a public nuisance
k. Protection of human in case of keeping potentially dangerous animals
l. Shelter should be available for both owner and pet/animal at the time of disaster
* In a hospital setting take all possible measures for the prevention of nosocomial infections
* The maintenance and improvement of the welfare of animals also require the cooperation of many other disciplines. Veterinarians should seek contributions and cooperation, intellectual and practical assistance of biologists, behavioural scientists, farm, kennel, cattery, aviary, managers, environmental scientists, livestock owners and farm workers.
* Castration in bucks and rams using Burdizzo or other painful method should be performed after local infiltration of 5ml of diluted lidocaine into the spermatic cord. (Mallema et al., 2006 ; Shakoor et al., 1996).
* Discourage animal fights, unnecessary hunting, animal baiting etc.
* Offer your services in the time of disasters and natural calamities (floods, earthquake, droughts etc.)
* Denounce (to express strong disapproval of someone or something especially in public) beating and the abuse of animals at anytime by anyone! Speak up when you see it!
* Discourage castration of adult animals without anesthesia.
* Encourage dehorning in the first month of life preferably when the calf is __ dogs old--- discourage dehorning of calves over 4 months of age without anesthesia.
* Encourage herd’s health programs focusing on preventive (pro-active approach) rather than cure of animal diseases (the so called fire-engine practice of veterinary medicine). The greatest suffering occurs in animals deprived of proper environment protection and disease control programs.
* Confinement of animals is not violation of animal’s welfare. In most cases it is to the animal’s advantage when compared to the conventional system of animal production e.g..
* Encourage livestock producers to build proper animal handling and restraint facilities.
* Report animals that are suffering to local humane officers of SPCA. Don’t be afraid of getting involved.
* Organize the professional community and general public into Animal Welfare Societies, clubs, NGO’s etc.
* Quackery is one of the worst forms of violation of animal rights and welfare. Veterinarians should strive to root out this menace in every possible way by making use of all permissible means.
* Denounce the transport of sheep/goats on nets fastened in trucks.
* Encourage cities and towns to develop a model dog ordinance, to develop a dog pound and humanely handle captive dogs and cats.
* Participate in lectures on animal care to school groups, Youth clubs, scouts, and other interested groups.
* Offer your service to animal welfare organization like PAWS, Brookes Hospital for Animal.
* By way of practical demonstrations, veterinarian should help the animal ownership/guardians to be self-reliant in the daily care of their animals. Training animal owners will have a ripple effect i.e. the owners so trained will train their peers (other animal owners) who the veterinarians cannot reach out due to one reason or another. Care of animals is generally the responsibility of women in Pakistan. As such, training women in imparting the proper care and feeding (e.g. common salt @ ----grow per day for a donkey), watering, compassionate nursing etc. of the animals is particular poignant. School going kids should also be trained. By initiating an appreciation for animal welfare at a young impressionable age, we attempt to build a caring society for the future. This would help create a soft image of Pakistani society.
* local laws
* working with local administration religious and political leaders to save animals from abuse, neglect
* search tail dock---, ear cropping in dog
* donkey (--------------------) is perhaps the animal species that endures the highest degree of suffering. It is a familiar scene to see cachetic donkeys with festering wounds overworking and hauling loads much beyond their physical power in searing heat. The owners’ lack of understanding about animal welfare is fuelled by myths donkeys are evil…. and worse still immune to suffering (the illiterate donkey owner believe that donkeys feel no pain and harder you beat them, the harder they will work). Lack of understanding on the part of the owners often leads these helpless beasts being horrendously overworked, overloaded, relentlessly beaten or sometimes even goaded. Veterinarian should be holistic in his/her practice e.g. whenever a diseased, injured or wounded animal is presented for treatment, the attending veterinarian should try to educate the owner about the importance of proper feeding, housing, preventive medicine practices. Veterinarian should also work closely with local administration, clergyman, legislators/political leaders lawyers, media, local chieftains, NGOs, print and electronic humane societies, animal welfare groups etc. for advocacy of animal welfare and indoctorinating that healthy, happy animals are more productive. Encouraging owners to name their animals will reinforce the human-animal bond (Brooke News, Autumn, 2007).
* Veterinarians should offer their services in the face of natural disasters and calamites (e.g. flood, earthquakes, fires, droughts, oil slicks, nuclear accidents etc.)
* Every veterinary hospital/clinic should put up billboards depicting animal welfare messages.
There are also efforts that can be made by veterinarians as a group:
* Historically, veterinary medicine has held organizations dealing with animal welfare at a distance. Assist local humane groups with their endeavors. Learn to communicate with them and collectively assist them with their problems. This is the best approach to teach animal welfare and to ward off improper treatment and disposal of animals by lay personnel. Humane and welfare groups are making inroads in some areas into the practice of veterinary medicine in developed countries.
* In terms of number of animals, Pakistan is among the leading countries in the world. Therefore, in order to promote animal welfare in a well coordinated manner, it may be worthwhile to establish Pakistan National Animal Welfare Foundation as an affiliated body of Pakistan Veterinary Medical Association with the tag line ‘Love All Life’. The idea of this Foundation is borrowed from the Malaysian experience where the Malaysian National Animal Welfare Foundation was established in 1998 with the following objectives (Sivagurunathan, 2003):
a. To generate awareness and responsibility of all residents in the country on animal welfare as part of the national policy of creating a caring society.
b. To develop strategies and programs to promote animal welfare through the National Animal Welfare Council, public agencies, institutions, private bodies and organizations.
c. To undertake projects that will promote understanding and the practices of animal welfare as part of daily life of residents in the country.
d. To disseminate information on animal welfare through various media to the public, schools, community centers and other target groups
e. To collect and generate funds to undertake animal welfare projects
f. To establish linkages with other institutions locally and internationally in matters related to animal welfare.
* Develop educational programs for the country or city on items pertaining to animal welfare. Radio, television internet and newspapers are all media that can be used to get the animal welfare messages across to the public.
* Children that learn the needs of animals by owing one soon learn citizenship and have a greater appreciation for the needs of their fellowmen. Assistance in Youth clubs Veterinary Science programs and Scout animal projects are steps towards animal welfare and good citizenship.
Opportunities for veterinarian in the area of animal control
Unfortunately, the legacy of the spay clinic and random-source animal research controversies of the past few years has been to destroy much potential cooperation between shelters and veterinary groups. Interested parties who can agree to disagree on these divisive issues and cooperate in area of common accord can find a satisfying working relationship if it is based on mutual trust and respect.
Veterinarians can achieve improvements in their local shelter programs and offer their leadership and technical expertise to assist many worthwhile agencies and many millions of animals. With their unique access to companion animals and their owners, veterinarians can contribute to the solution of some animal control and animal welfare problems and thereby bring credit to the profession (AVMA, 1980).
Veterinarians can gain employment in management and clinical positions in animal shelters. They can serve on humane society boards, animal control commissions, and adhoc ordinance-review committees deliberating current issues such as restrictions or even bans on the ownership of pit bull terriers, pound seizure, cat licensing, or regulations on the transportation of dogs in pickup trucks. They can exchange their services with shelters in a creative, cooperative fashion (providing free examinations for adopted animals and reduced-cost neutering and emergency services in exchange for new client referrals and reduced-cost carcass disposal). They can educate their clients as to the importance of neutering, leash law compliance, and vaccinations, often in jointly sponsored events such as National Pet Week. They can report suspected abuse to proper authorities and serve as expert witnesses in cruelty prosecutions. They can join forces with shelters to conduct humane education programs, public service announcements, open houses, lost-and-found activities, rabies vaccination clinics, and other opportunities emphasizing common goals (Arkow, 1987).
Animal welfare is our responsibility. Let’s demonstrate this charge by leading out to show the public that we love animals, that we want to care for them and that we will make this attempt without necessitating monetary return. In this way and in many other undescribed ways, veterinarian can take charge of animal welfare and not allow the uninformed to assume leadership. The mere fact that you are a veterinarian makes you an animal welfarist. With your training and knowledge, you are the logical resource person on items pertaining to the welfare of animals.
Collaboration of PVMC with international animal welfare organizations
All domestic stock should live in conditions that respect their physiologic needs and are as close as possible to nature condition.
Any person who is keeping an animal or who is looking after it:
a. Shall give the animal adequate food and care suitable for its species; and he/she shall provide accommodation which takes account of its natural behavior.
b. Shall not permanently so restrict the needs of an animal of that species for movement and exercise that the animal is exposed to avoidable pain, suffering or injury.
List of prohibited acts include: overcrowding, abandoning, inciting one animal to attack another, force-feeding except on medical grounds, exhibitions, film productions etc. which entail suffering.
Veterinary profession can add significant value to the health and well being of pets, and therefore, indirectly, pet owner.
One of the most rewarding functions veterinarians can be involved with is helping an ‘animal owner’ develop into a responsible pet owner. This is the essence of the Family-Pet-Veterinary-Team Bond’ (Wayner, 2003).
Select bibliography:
Sivagurunathan, 2003. Importance of public education on animal welfare in developing countries. In: Proc. World Congress of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. 24-27 Oct. 2003 Bangkok, Thailand. pp: 29-32.
Takeuchi, A., 2003. Amendment of legislation for animal welfare in Japan. In: Proc. 28th World Congress of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. 24-27 Oct. 2003, Bangkok, Thailand. pp: 26-28.
Butcher, R., 2003. Companion animal welfare projects in Asia. In: Proc. 28th World Congress, The World Small Animal Veterinary Association, 24-27 Oct. Bangkok, Thailand. pp: 25-26.
Farani, M. 1983. The Glanders and Farcy Act, 1899. In: Livestock Laws Manual. FAO Rome, Italy, pp: 142-147.
Herrick, J.B., 1983. The veterinarian __ The original animal welfarist. Proc. 15th Annual Convention Am. Assoc. of Bovine Practitioners. Dec. 1-4, 1982. Nashville, Tennessee, USA. pp: 6-7.
Mallema, S.C., M.G. Doherr, B. Wechsler, S. Thueer, and A. Steiner, 2006. Influence of local anaesthesia on pain and distress induced by two blood less castration methods in young lambs. Vet. J. 172: 274-283.
Rollin, B. 2001. The fundamental question of veterinary ethics. Vet. Technician 22(12): 655-661.
Schwabe, C.W., 1984. Demonstrating humane value, chapter # 25. In: Veterinary Medicine and Human Health. 3rd Ed. Williams & Wilkins. Baltimore/London. pp: 632-644.
Shakoor, A., G. Muhammad and M. Athar, 1996. A new and humane method of castration of small ruminants. Pak. Vet. J. 16(1): 17.
Stone, R.M. 1982. Veterinarians must protect creatures more helpless than themselves. Modern Veterinary Practice. P: 185.
Wayner, C.J., 2003. The bond: The Veterinary Profession’s “global glue”. In: Proc. 28th World Congress, The World Small Animal Veterinary Association. 24-27 Oct. Bangkok, Thailand. pp: 237-238.
Arkow, P., 1987. Animal control, animal welfare, and the veterinarian. Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association. 191(8): 937-942.
------------, 1990.The veterinarian’s role in animal welfare. Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association. 197(8): 1001-1002.
Veterinary Oath – Felipedia, http://www.felipedia.org/-felipedia/wiki/index.php/Veterinary_Oath <http://www.felipedia.org/-felipedia/wiki/index.php/Veterinary_Oath> )
American Veterinary Medical Association, 1980. The veterinary profession and animal control. February, 1980.
