Animal Welfare at the Heart of Rescue & Rehoming Dr Sean Wensley FRCVS Senior Veterinary Surgeon, PDSA
Healthy & Happy Welfare Wellbeing Quality of Life
Escape Turned out unwanted Can t afford Diseased Unwanted breeding
Public Health (e.g. rabies) Nuisance (e.g. fouling, barking, taking food) Public Safety (e.g. road collisions) Poor animal health & wellbeing
Action Authorities: e.g. cull, pounds/shelters Animal Charities: e.g. catch/rescue, rehoming centres Public health (Hopefully) animal welfare Animal welfare Public health
Action Animal Charities e.g. catch/rescue, rehoming centres Why we re here, e.g. Mission: To bring about the day when all dogs can enjoy a happy life Vision: A lifetime of wellbeing for every pet Responsibility - practices, policies, allocation of funds: to put animals best interests/welfare first
Action Animal Charities e.g. catch/rescue, rehoming centres For veterinary professionals: Professional duty to put animals best interests first In practice: E.g. catching methods, transport, processing at centre, accommodation, planning for animal s future
How? Animal welfare assessment (what is?) Catching methods Stress, fear, discomfort Short lived Accommodation Ethics (what should be)? E.g. short-term welfare harm for chance of long-term happy life (like vaccination) Law (what must be)? E.g. must not cause unnecessary suffering
Animal welfare assessment Physical health & mental wellbeing Accommodation PDSA MOTs:
Accommodation Quality of Life now & likely A GOOD LIFE A LIFE WORTH LIVING A LIFE NOT WORTH LIVING Good Welfare Poor Welfare How bad? How long for? What if: Shelter full? Full, but a home abroad? Animal untreatable condition?
Accommodation & future planning for animal 1. Shelter too full A GOOD LIFE Good Welfare Best Interests Euthanasia A LIFE WORTH LIVING A LIFE NOT WORTH LIVING Poor Welfare Why?
People Best Interests Euthanasia Animals Potential barriers: Feeling of failure Donor policy Religion/custom Law
Ethics what s the most justifiable thing to do? 1. Shelter full i. Alternative options? ii. To euthanise or not (and new arrival or currently housed?) Consideration for - Euthanasia? Not euthanasia? Animal Organisation (staff & reputation) Society Life not worth living Back to poor home Poor animal welfare Donations Protection (e.g. if aggression) Rescued by abuser, e.g. adoption drive Young, likely rehomed Staff want to try Donations Concern, stress that shelter killing healthy animals Vet Not contributing to poor welfare Not kill healthy animal
Ethics what s the most justifiable thing to do? 2. Shelter full, but possible home abroad i. Alternative options? ii. To export or euthanise? Consideration for - Euthanasia? Export? Animal Organisation (staff & reputation) Society V stressed by travel/isolation Old and/or unwell High costs for papers & transport could help more animals in home country Donations Protection (e.g. if aggression) Disease risk to receiving country Young, likely rehomed PR story Donations Staff feel better trying Like to feel animals being given a chance
Ethics what s the most justifiable thing to do? 3. Space, but animal has untreatable injury or chronic illness i. To take in to shelter or euthanise? Consideration for - Euthanasia? Not euthanasia? Animal Organisation (staff & reputation) Society Vet Life not worth living e.g. pain, discomfort; stress/frustration of permanent confinement Little chance of rehoming Too many would -> overpopulation at centre High spend on individual cf. wider benefit Risk of normalising chronic suffering and overtreatment amongst animal owners Able to act in animal s best interests, as oath Moral stress if prevented from euthanising Can pay for long-term treatment PR story Donations Message that each individual is valuable If funds, achieve acceptable quality of life
Who decides? Tables give different perspectives but animals best interests must be first can be euthanasia in some cases Committee for shared decision-making different roles represented, including vet Consideration for - Action for? Action against? Animal Organisation (staff & reputation) Society Vet
Wider advocacy Education and community outreach to tackle root causes of relinquishment, e.g. to schools, owners & government/local authority Could include lobbying for law change or drug licensing to permit and enable euthanasia If low societal acceptance of euthanasia, professionals should stimulate debate (can t tell ), e.g. through media
Thank you! t: @SeanWensley www.pdsa.org.uk/petwise