Well-being animal

What is the Well-being Animal, (BA)?
It lacks formal definition in Argentine professional Literature and currícula was not even taught to it until today in veterinary ours (safe in the University of El Salvador). Nevertheless, there are abundant foreign data, where this topic is if one looks for it in INTERNET like ?Welfare Animal? (AW).

In the world it was born mainly like a preoccupation by the farm animals, with great preoccupation of the society in European countries. Most of the initial cuestionamiento and that still persists, was of mainly touching characteristics, that judged these subjects in anthropomorphic form and that, often, reached conclusions that did not have a real base.

Nevertheless, the preoccupation was real and this analysis is not peyorativo nor light. I want that we now remember a famous phrase of Mahatma Ghandhi with which usually I finish my presentations: according to a nation to its animals treats I can know if it is or not civilized?.

How we can define it?
It is all relative to the comfort the animal, and that is beyond the mere lack of disease, including the complete state of physical well-being. It is the reality that considers to the animal in a state of harmony in its atmosphere and the form by which it reacts as opposed to the problems of means, taking into account its comfort, its lodging, treatment, care, nutrition, prevention of diseases, taken care of responsible, humanitarian handling and eutanasia when it corresponds.

He is advisable and it is preferred to speak of BA instead of doing it on the ?Rights of the Animal' since, philosophically, this term in Spanish is subject to controversies not yet explained. It is considered that the animal is not, basically, frees of the intervention of the man in absolute form and that this uses it normally.

The position to which I adhere personally, indicates that this intervention can be done in responsible form and for established intentions: food, clothes, company, investigation, etc.

How the BA at world-wide level is pronounced.
Like all group of organized interest, it has around the world certain ?lobbys? that promotes these premises. Thanks to these groups people have thought more on the roll of the animals about a modern society. Nevertheless and like in all group of interest and social activity, they oscillate between the most radical concepts of the ?pro? and the ?con? with respect to the use animal. They are ?anti-I use? radical and absolute, even violent; ?pro-absolute?, near Maquiavelo when justifying the everything for the sake of a certain aim (generally praiseworthy, like the health?).

The World-wide Association of Veterinarios (AMV), accepts and affirms primacía of the profession in the diagnosis, treatment and control of the diseases animals but also recognizes responsibility mainly the necessary thing to diminish the suffering, pain and distresses, promoting the BA.

The Permanent Committee of the AMV, from the month of May of 1990, adopted a policy on BA with world-wide reach, the one that is spread and promoted through the representing members by the continents and subcontinents (Africa, Latin America, Asia, Australasia and Europe) before the respective Committee on ?BA and Etología?. Through the activities of this Committee, one is to stimulate the implementation in all the countries of the Policies on BA approved by this AMV.

The same ones, specifically, show that the NECESSITIES of the animals are due to respect, that they are essential for this BA:

- That does not undergo hunger nor thirst.
- That does not undergo physical malaise nor pain.
- That does not suffer wounded nor diseases.
- That does not undergo fear nor distresses.
- That can adjust to their normal and essential behavior.
Obvious, this express one that a fundamental landmark in the well-being of an animal is its health: without her there are no type of well-being. A lodged animal properly will have less infections of the environmental pathogens and also if I allow the suitable interaction between the mother and her young I will allow the crossing of passive immunity.

The veterinary organizations are numerous that anywhere in the world that has in their sine professional organisms that take care on the BA. The following list is simply declarative and for those who have interest, I make available the corresponding directions:

In the EE.UU.:

Veterinary Medical association of the EE.UU., Committee of BA.
Association of Méd. Vet. of California, Committee of BA.
Center of Human-Animal Relations, Veterinary Medicine School, University of Davis, California.
Training center of the Relations between the Man, the Animal and Means. University of Minessota.
Center of Interaction between the Animals and the Society Veterinary Medicine School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Society Delta, Renton, WA.
Latham foundation.
Institute of BA, Washington D.C.
Association of Veterinarians for the Rights of the Animal.
Citizens for an Ethical Treatment of the Animals.
Information center on BA, National Bookstore of Agriculture, Beltsville, Md.
Center of Scientists by BA, Bethesda, Md
In the United Kingdom:

Universal federation for the BA, Herts
Association of Méd. Veter. British, Committee of BA.
Advice of Animal Well-being of Farm.
Lamentably, in our country and even in the rest of Latin America, the veterinarians not yet have nucleado themselves in this type of organizations. The first antecedent that can be found is the Program of Well-being Animal of the SENASA, created in 1992 and soon the Commission on Well-being Animal that in 1995 settles down in the Professional Council of Veterinary Doctors.

Considering the deep impact that this subject has in world-wide the public opinion and the leadership that the veterinary medicine exerts on the well-taken care of animal, they have been the Veterinary Faculties the one that they have led these movements, mainly in the referred thing to the biomedical experimentation. In the same way mentioned previously, this subject is absent in ours currícula national (except for an exception) and even in the South American woman, except for the National Independent University of Mexico. Nevertheless, considering the recommendations of the last World-wide Congress of Veterinary medicine and of the Pan-American one of Chile, it is necessary that it is corrected as rapidly as possible

The mentioned exception happens in the University of El Salvador. Through effective Curriculum for the Race of Veterinary medicine, it has established that is the Well-being Animal a subjet with own right, and in addition has arranged that all educational activity and of investigation that is made it will be considering these concepts.

Such point this discipline is recognized world-wide, that considers it in the European Parliament with the character of a specific Commission. Through her, members also spread to all the countries and towards the countries that as we dealt with them, the regulations demanded on BA.

So that it begins to think about the BA?
The urbanization of the nations through world, has caused situations in which many people do not know the historical relation between the animals and the man. When taking into account that ignorance, arose in the professional and even philosophical scopes a preoccupation by its study. It includes from the domestic systems of care to the appreciation of the relation between the wild animals and other organisms in its ecosystem.

When the people are transferred between the rural scopes and the urban ones, many take with himself their animals, like mascots or animals of company. This form of possession animal, rare for 50 years in countries like the EE.UU., now has been including/understanding a great segment of the population total animal in that country (where esteem dogs and cats exist themselves 110.000.000 of) and towards them the veterinary effort is dedicated most of. Those animals share the home, eat next to their owners and they grant comfort, pleasure and friendship to them.

The mascots (?pets? in English) have become a frequent replacement of the children who when growing leave the families or of the passed away spouses, mainly between the pairs of old. It does not have to astonish to us that, for many western families, these animals are another ?member? of the group, with which they share luxuries and they think on them about anthropomorphic terms. When in daily form the ?right? is granted to him to the animal of the house to sleep with the owner, to eat in the table, etc., is not difficult to understand so that for those people it is easy to extend those ?rights? to all the other animals.

Which is the forum that can guide an international discussion.

Without thinking that it exhausts all the possibilities, the ?Committee of Well-being Animal and Etología before the World-wide Association of Veterinary medicine? are a valuable scope of discussion. After laborious loss of its creator, the remembered one and loving Prof. Ely Mayer, have been chosen the prestigious Dra. Catherine Smith, of New Zealand.

Which is the responsibility of the veterinarian.

The society watches towards our profession looking for a guide. He expressed it therefore the Prof. Franklin Loew, at the moment Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary medicine of the University of Cornell, EE.UU., ?? the change of estatus moral of the animals, will be the subject more visible than she will confront to the veterinary profession in ´90?

Like professionals of the veterinary medicine, in many countries we are considered like only authority in the care and the well-being of the animals. He is essential that our formation in this field allows that all understand the reasons by which, like human beings, we interacted with the animals of the form in which we do it.

In other countries, the society in general, whereas it requires to use origin products animal, also looks for that those animals live a life in the conditions that are adapted to their own nature. Our responsibility must be to do all the possible one, through the investigation and of the experience that our practice indicates to us, so that this is not an utopia but a reality.

The simple subject, mentioned previously, to explain if rights? or ?necessities? of the animals can be considered ?; like adopting a maintenance area and philosophically adapted that allows us to determine what to our criterion it is valid or no, it makes an international discussion necessary.

When we treated an ill animal, which is most of the veterinary work in the world, we are improving its well-being. The professional activity, nevertheless and unfortunately, often benefits to the owner of the animal of farm or mascot, with adverse effects in the animal. The same it happens when the veterinarian does not act when an animal needs it, or it treats it about a disease but without worrying about his conditions of lodging or maintenance. This is to act negligently default.

In some countries when graduating the veterinary oath that ?? its constant preoccupation will be to assure the well-being the animals submissive my care?. And the reality takes them to take this exactly and act considering the interest of the animals with which they are during the exercise of his profession.

We must try that our professional activity fills to us of the confidence that the society has perhaps in that is and will be not the unique one, but the ideal and the natural lawyer of the kingdom animal.

From this cybernetic space I will try to contribute the greater information possible on this as complex subject as exciting and to favor therefore the nonexistent sprouting of the today but necessary future specialists.

For it I will be to your disposition through this space and, for those who wish a more personal contact, in the University of El Salvador.

 

 

Gentility: Association Argentina de Feline Medicina

Author: Dr Leopoldo Estol
University of Salvador-Argentina
estolbienestaranimal@gmail.com 
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/8309/

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