VN October 2021

Vetnuus | Oktober 2021 12 In 2009, the EU passed legislation declaring that vertebrate animals and some invertebrates are sentient creatures. Therefore, their care, living conditions and treatment must take this into account because it may impact negatively on their emotive states and species-specific behavioural needs. This has led to the phasing out of battery cages for egg-laying hens, abolition of farrowing crates for pigs and other similar husbandry developments and interventions in the animal production industry, as well as throughout general EU society. Sadly, many industries cause immense suffering to animals that are not protected by effective welfare legislation. Intensive farming and scientific research in many parts of the world are included in this. In the face of the overwhelming evidence for animal sentience, the question may be asked “Why is this negative treatment of animals continuing?” Is it merely because the scientific evidence is not strong enough, or is it a case of human indifference, insensitivity and social conditioning? This is particularly evident with regards to society’s cognitive dissonance regarding the intensive farming of food production animals. However, farming does not necessarily have to conflict with animal welfare. Dawkins (2017) argues that the improvement of animal welfare can, in fact, bring financial benefits to both individual farmers and society, through reduced morbidity and mortality, as well as decreased risks of zoonoses and foodborne diseases 8,9 . If society is simply‘blindand ignorant’, this presents agoldenopportunity for education and animal welfare advocacy. Vets can play a crucial role here to sensitise people to the existence and nature of animal sentience. Promoting an understanding of animal sentience is a pathway to promoting empathy and compassion for the animals we eat and utilise in so many ways. It is a tool that can be used by veterinarians, animal welfare advocates, educators, scientists and legislators to advance the humane treatment of animals. It also, at a personal level, gives us pause for thought: when we are about to impale a live earthworm or insect on a fish hook, or drop a live crustacean into boiling water, that these are sentient beings in their own right with their intrinsic value. Ethically, the way we as humans treat non-human animals makes no sense at all. This is especially poignant when people argue that it is our humanity that sets us apart from other animals, yet we treat them as though they are merely inanimate objects. South Africa, with its liberal and progressive constitution, needs to acknowledge and affirm animal sentience through the development of new and progressive legislation which promotes welfare and prevents suffering before it occurs. This is in contrast to the existing Animals Protection Act (Act 71 of 1962), which is outdated and essentially calls for cruelty and suffering to have been inflicted before actions can be taken. REFERENCES: 1. Sandøe P, Simonsen HB. Assessing Animal Welfare: Where Does Science End and Philosophy Begin? AnimWelf. 2020;1(4):257–67. 2. Dawkins MS. Behaviour as a tool in the assessment of animal welfare. Zoology. 2003;106(4):383–7. 3. Mellor DJ. Operational details of the five domains model and its key applications to the assessment and management of animal welfare. Animals. 2017;7(8). 4. Proctor H. Animal sentience: Where are we and where are we heading? Animals. 2012;2(4):628–39. 5. Nuffield Council on Bioethics. The ethics of research involving animals. Hepple B, editor. Plymouth: Latimer Trend & Company Ltd; 2005. 6. Brown MJ, Symonowicz C, Medina L V., Bratcher NA, Buckmaster CA, Klein H, et al. Culture of Care: Organizational Responsibilities. In: Weichbrod R, Thompson G, Norton J, editors. Management of Animal Care and Use Programs in Research, Education, and Testing [Internet]. 2nd Ed. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2018. p. 11–26. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/ NBK500402/?report=printable 7. BroomDM. Animal welfare: future knowledge, attitudes and solutions. In: Australian Animal Welfare Strategy Conference Proceedings [Internet]. 2008. Available from: PRINTED 8. Dawkins MS. Animal welfare and efficient farming: Is conflict inevitable? Anim Prod Sci. 2017;57(2):201–8. 9. McInerney JP. Animal welfare, economics and policy. J R Agric Soc Engl. 2004;165(February). v Article Animal Sentience and its role in Animal Welfare<<< 9 24-Hour, Toll-Free Helpline: 0800 21 21 21