Digital Commons Network^™

Celebrating Animals

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

Photos from our readers.

Digging For Their Lives, Michael Sharp

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

Rescuers and volunteers converge on a Florida construction site to unearth members of a threatened but ecologically critical species who would otherwise be entombed alive.

Ecological Agriculture. Integrating Low Input, High Productive Farming With Wildlife Conservation. Results From The Experimental Farm La Combe, Drome France, Marthe Kiley-Worthington

Ecological Impacts of Animal Agriculture Collection

Wildlife conservation must be integrated with energy and resource efficient agriculture for the human population to survive. Modern high input energy and resource inefficient agriculture does not address these problems. An efficient food producing system which marries wildlife conservation with resource and energy efficient human food production is needed. This is Ecological Agriculture, modelled on how natural ecosystems work. It is defined as: The establishment and maintenance of a diversified, self-sustaining low input farming system managed to maximize net production without causing large or long term changes to the environment. It must be economically viable, and ethically and aesthetically acceptable …

Environmental Factors Associated With Success Rates Of Australian Stock Herding Dogs, Elizabeth R. Arnott, Jonathan B. Early, Claire M. Wade, Paul D. Mcgreevy

Sport and Working Animal Welfare Collection

This study investigated the current management practices associated with stock herding dogs on Australian farms. A parallel goal was to determine whether these practices and the characteristics of the dog handlers were associated with success rates. Success rate refers to the proportion of dogs acquired by the farmer that were retained as working dogs. Data on a total of 4,027 dogs were obtained through The Farm Dog Survey which gathered information from 812 herding dog owners around Australia. Using logistic regression, significant associations were identified between success rate and seven variables: dog breed, housing method, trial participation, age of the …

Who's Lying About Not Eating Meat?, Harold Herzog

'Animals and Us' Blog Posts

New research says some of us eat more meat than we claim. Find out who.

What Enables Size-Selective Trophy Hunting Of Wildlife?, Chris T. Darimont, K. Rosie Child

Big-Game and Trophy Hunting Collection

Although rarely considered predators, wildlife hunters can function as important ecological and evolutionary agents. In part, their influence relates to targeting of large reproductive adults within prey populations. Despite known impacts of sizeselective harvests, however, we know little about what enables hunters to kill these older, rarer, and presumably more wary individuals. In other mammalian predators, predatory performance varies with knowledge and physical condition, which accumulates and declines, respectively, with age. Moreover, some species evolved camouflage as a physical trait to aid in predatory performance. In this work, we tested whether knowledge-based faculty (use of a hunting guide with accumulated …

Considering A New Paradigm For Alzheimer’S Disease Research, Gillian R. Langley

Experimentation Collection

Using Alzheimer’s disease as a case study, this review argues that it might be time to consider a new paradigm in medical research and drug discovery. The existing framework is overly dependent on often unvalidated animal models, particularly transgenic mice. Translational success remains elusive and costly late-stage drug failure is common. The conventional paradigm tends to overlook species differences and assumes that animal-based findings are generally applicable to humans. Could pathways-based research using advanced human-specific models probed with new tools, including those of systems biology, take centre stage? The current transition in chemical toxicology to a 21st-century paradigm could be …

Attitudes Of Canadian Pig Producers Toward Animal Welfare, Jeffrey M. Spooner, Catherine A. Schuppli, David Fraser

Farm Animal Welfare Collection

As part of a larger study eliciting Canadian producer and non-producer views about animal welfare, open-ended, semi-structured interviews were used to explore opinions about animal welfare of 20 Canadian pig producers, most of whom were involved in confinement-based systems. With the exception of the one organic producer, who emphasized the importance of a ‘‘natural’’ life, participants attached overriding importance to biological health and functioning. They saw their efforts as providing pigs with dry, thermally regulated, indoor environments where animals received abundant feed, careful monitoring and where prospective disease outbreaks could be minimized and controlled. Emphasis was also placed on low-stress …

Infrared Thermal Image For Assessing Animal Health And Welfare, Irenilza Alencar Nääs, Rodrigo Garófallo Garcia, Fabiana Ribeiro Caldara

Assessment of Animal Welfare Collection

Infrared thermal imaging is a non-destructive testing technology that can be used to determine the superficial temperature of objects. This technology has an increasing use in detecting diseases and distress in animal husbandry within the poultry, pig and dairy production. The process can identify changes in peripheral blood flow from the resulting changes in heat loss and; therefore, have been a useful tool for evaluating the presence of disease, edema, and stress in animals. This paper reviews the current literature related to the use of infrared technology and discusses their results and implications in animal welfare issues, poultry, pig and …

Indigenous Knowledge And Science Unite To Reveal Spatial And Temporal Dimensions Of Distributional Shift In Wildlife Of Conservation Concern, Christina N. Service, Megan S. Adams, Kyle A. Artelle, Paul C. Paquet, Laura V. Grant, Chris T. Darimont

Population Distribution and Habitat Collection

Range shifts among wildlife can occur rapidly and impose cascading ecological, economic, and cultural consequences. However, occurrence data used to define distributional limits derived from scientific approaches are often outdated for wide ranging and elusive species, especially in remote environments. Accordingly, our aim was to amalgamate indigenous and western scientific evidence of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) records and detail a potential range shift on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. In addition, we test the hypothesis that data from each method yield similar results, as well as illustrate the complementary nature of this coupled approach. Combining information from …

Strategic Focus On 3r Principles Reveals Major Reductions In The Use Of Animals In Pharmaceutical Toxicity Testing, Elin Törnqvist, Anita Annas, Britta Granath, Elisabeth Jalkesten, Ian Cotgreave, Mattias Öberg

Application of Alternative Methods Collection

The principles of the 3Rs, Replacement, Reduction and Refinement, are being increasingly incorporated into legislations, guidelines and practice of animal experiments in order to safeguard animal welfare. In the present study we have studied the systematic application of 3R principles to toxicological research in the pharmaceutical industry, with particular focus on achieving reductions in animal numbers used in regulatory and investigatory in vivo studies. The work also details major factors influencing these reductions including the conception of ideas, cross-departmental working and acceptance into the work process. Data from 36 reduction projects were collected retrospectively from work between 2006 and 2010. …

Should Pets Be Banished From The Bedroom?, Harold Herzog

'Animals and Us' Blog Posts

Is it OK to sleep with your pets?

Long-Term Health Effects Of Neutering Dogs: Comparison Of Labrador Retrievers With Golden Retrievers, Benjamin L. Hart, Lynette A. Hart, Abigail P. Thigpen, Neil H. Willits

Endocrinology Collection

Our recent study on the effects of neutering (including spaying) in Golden Retrievers in markedly increasing the incidence of two joint disorders and three cancers prompted this study and a comparison of Golden and Labrador Retrievers. Veterinary hospital records were examined over a 13-year period for the effects of neutering during specified age ranges: before 6 mo., and during 6–11 mo., year 1 or years 2 through 8. The joint disorders examined were hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear and elbow dysplasia. The cancers examined were lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, mast cell tumor, and mammary cancer. The results for the Golden Retriever …

Artificial Neural Network Approach For Revealing Individuality, Group Membership And Age Information In Goat Kid Contact Calls, Livio Favaro, Elodie F. Briefer, Alan G. Mcelligott

Sentience Collection

Machine learning techniques are becoming an important tool for studying animal vocal communication. The goat (Capra hircus) is a very social species, in which vocal communication and recognition are important. We tested the reliability of a Multi-Layer Perceptron (feed-forward Artificial Neural Network, ANN) to automate the process of classification of calls according to individual identity, group membership and maturation in this species. Vocalisations were obtained from 10 half-sibling (same father but different mothers) goat kids, belonging to 3 distinct social groups. We recorded 157 contact calls emitted during first week, and 164 additional calls recorded from the same individuals at …

Semi-Wild Chimpanzees Open Hard-Shelled Fruits Differently Across Communities, Bruce Rawlings, Marina Davilla-Ross, Sarah T. Boysen

Ethology Collection

Researchers investigating the evolutionary roots of human culture have turned to comparing behaviours across nonhuman primate communities, with tool-based foraging in particular receiving much attention. This study examined whether natural extractive foraging behaviours other than tool selection differed across nonhuman primate colonies that had the same foods available. Specifically, the behaviours applied to open the hard-shelled fruits of Strychnos spp. were examined in three socially separate, semi-wild colonies of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) that lived under shared ecological conditions at Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage, and were comparable in their genetic makeup. The chimpanzees (N = 56) consistently applied six techniques to open …

Male Brush-Turkeys Attempt Sexual Coercion In Unusual Circumstances, David A. Wells, Darryl N. Jones, David Bulger, Culum Brown

Reproductive Behavior Collection

Sexual coercion by males is generally understood to have three forms: forced copulation, harassment and intimidation. We studied Australian brush-turkeys, Alectura lathami, to determine whether some male behaviours towards females at incubation mounds could be classified as aggressive, whether males were attempting sexual coercion and, if so, whether the coercion was successful. We found that some male behaviours towards females were significantly more likely to be followed by the cessation of female mound activity, and hence could be classified as aggressive, while others were significantly more likely to be followed by the commencement of female mound activity, and hence could …

President's Note

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

No abstract provided.

Community

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

No abstract provided.

We Are The Hsus

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

From retiree to activist

To The Rescue

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

Desert tortoises find new homes.

Humane Backyard

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

CHEAP THRILLS

Soda bottle bird feeders, pie plate butterfly pools: You don’t have to go broke to create a backyard haven.

Where Are They Now?, Michael Sharp

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

“I don’t know why everything’s happened to them that has. But I do know they have a reason to be here”: Meet nine animals who have found their way home from desperate situations.

At The Care Centers

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

A new life for lovable Les; a wildflower blooms in Texas

Q&A

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

TUESDAYS WITH PRANSKY

A dog walks into a nursing home; her owner walks out with enough material for a book.

Front Lines

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

AHEAD OF THE GAMES NOW; THAT’S A WALKING HORSE; VICTORY FOR VEAL CALVES

In The Limelight

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

Jenna Dewan-Tatum on staying beautiful and cruelty-free in Hollywood; book reviews

All In A Day's Work, Michael Sharp

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

They serve on the front lines of animal protection, lobbying legislators, assisting rescues, helping shelters and so much more. They’re the HSUS state directors: the first point of contact and often the last hope for animals in need.

In The Kitchen

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

MEATLESS MONDAY, TEXAS-STYLE

Tofu chili garlic noodles offer a lean, green alternative to mesquite-smoked hamburgers and inch-thick steaks.

Hometown Heroes

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

FROM CHAINED TO CHERISHED

“Their devotion to the dogs in their care is without bounds”: Jasmine’s House shelters dogfighting victims.

Celebrating Animals

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

Photos from our readers