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Some Rights For Animal Therapists: Better Science And Better Welfare, Dana H. Murphy

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

"Animal-facilitated therapy" is a phrase with a friendly, solid ring to it. It also sounds like an idea that nearly everyone could agree to endorse, like democracy and vacations. However, there are some real problems in two areas: the low level of scientific rigor in some of the reports on animal-facilitated therapy, and the scant consideration is given to the animal therapists' welfare.

Letter To Editor: Animal Suffering: Ethical Dimensions, Judith E. Hampson

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The author comments that the report (in IJSAP 3(3):254) of the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS) meeting has a misleading description of her exchange with Professor Dollery. The relevant text in the BAAS proceedings of the meeting is quoted.

Letter To Editor: Firm Support For Culture Training, H. C. Rowsell

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

Dr. Rowsell corrects a report in the Journal (IJSAP 3(3): 185) regarding official funding support for a tissue culture training course offered by Professor Sergey Federoff at the University of Saskatchewan.

The Ld50-The Beginning Of The End, Andrew N. Rowan

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

It has long been recognized that the LD50 measure (usually conducted using rats or mice) provides only a rough estimate of the acute toxicity of a chemical in humans. The Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry and the UK Chemical Industries Association have spoken out against the production of precise estimates of LD50 in rodents. However, the UK Home Office Report on the LD50 recommended that the LD50 should be allowed to continue. But scientific support for the test, as exemplified by recent papers in academic journals, has eroded significantly in the last few years.

Occlusion Of Vision In Old English Sheepdogs, Michael W. Fox

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

It is common for owners of Old English Sheepdogs to allow the dog’s facial hair to cover the eyes. This practice is often justified by a claim that Old English Sheepdog eyes are very sensitive to light because, when the hair is cut away, the dog may blink its eyes, and the eyes may water. However, any animal whose eyes are not exposed to daylight will demonstrate photophobia when the eyes are exposed. The hair screen over the eyes may also lead to chronic conjunctivitis. Finally, the dog often shows a significant positive temperament change when the hair screen is …

Abundance And Distribution Of Large Mammals In The Upper Ogun Game Reserve, Oyo State, Nigeria, T. A. Afolayan, K. R. N. Milligan, S. O. Salami

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

Three different methods for estimating wild animal populations were used to assess the density of different species in a game reserve in the Sahel region of Nigeria. Hunting for bushmeat by local communities living around the reserve was identified as one of the threats to wildlife populations. Bushmeat was an essential resource for communities around the reserve.

Feral Dogs Of The Galapagos Islands: Impact And Control, Bruce D. Barnett, Robert L. Rudd

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The history of feral dogs on the Galapagos Islands is described. The authors discuss feral dogs' prey of domestic animals and wildlife, such as marine iguanas, and the urgent need for effective dog control programs and the attempts to control the feral dog populations.

The Effects Of Ethostasis On Farm Animal Behavior: A Theoretical Overview, A. F. Fraser, M. W. Fox

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

Ethostasis – the effect of constraining husbandry practices on animal behavior – is described and discussed. The review describes specific husbandry practices that may give rise to behavioral anomalies and how these anomalous behaviors may be of diagnostic value. Ready identification may facilitate correcting problems leading to lower productivity, diseases, and economic losses.

News And Analysis

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

Includes reports on the humaneness of electro-immobilization, humane enforcement in New Jersey, methods for killing unwanted baby chicks, attitudes to companion animals, downer cows, non-human primate mortality in transport, the development of a “Disturbance Index” to assess the welfare of different laboratory procedures. Laboratory animal trends in Great Britain and the use of alternatives to animals in NIH-supported research.

Meetings And Announcements

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

A report of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science annual meeting held in Washington, DC, in October 1982 is provided. The meeting included sessions on the care and use of farm animals, current US Federal regulations on laboratory animal use, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees, and the use of pound animals in laboratories. Other meeting reports include one on the ethical dimensions of animal use in veterinary education and another in Denver on “The Place of Animals in Religion.” Several books are briefly reviewed, including one on the Canadian Seal Hunt, the Proceedings of an NIH meeting on …

Legislation And Regulation

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The development of legislation in Great Britain covering zoos is described. In 1945, there were only 14 zoos in Great Britain. By 1971, there were over 100 captive animal facilities in the country, but no legislation governed their activities. After a decade of lobbying, the Zoo Licensing Act was passed by Parliament on July 27, 1981.

Vivisection And Misanthropy, George P. Cave

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The author comments on several articles in the media that imply or state that antivivisectionists are misanthropes who like animals more than people. The author notes that one commentator mistakenly claims that Peter Singer, author of Animal Liberation, equates animals and people. Singer does not claim that animals and people should be treated identically. Instead, Singer argues that animals and people are entitled to equal consideration of their interests. Different treatments will be justified if there are relevant differences between animals and people.

Thoughtful Use Of Animals, Hyram Kitchen

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The Dean of the Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine responds to a question regarding the need for more animal protection legislation to address the use of animals in higher education. He notes that there has been considerable evolution in attitudes toward the proper treatment of animals since he was a veterinary student. While legislation may change how animals are used, legislation is less successful in changing attitudes. He argues that there are strong arguments supporting the use of animals in veterinary training but that such use comes with a moral responsibility toward animals.

Aquaculture- Now, Factory Fish Farming, M. W. Fox

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The author describes issues raised at a 1983 conference on Aquaculture held in Washington, DC. The intensive raising of fish and shellfish produces many of the same problems as the intensive rearing of chickens, pigs, and cattle. The fish experience high levels of stress and disease that must be addressed by treating the system with antibiotics and vaccines.

Letter To Editor: The Limits Of Science, Rosemary Deblois

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The author comments on the results of the Reader Survey (IJSAP 3_4, 265-266).

News And Analysis

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The section includes brief reports on anti-dog sentiment in Russia, defining the term “free-range” for poultry, a potential alternative to the Draize eye test, an art project by Christo in Biscayne Bay, a new cat disease described in the UK, an update on the Provimi group housing project for veal calves and a history of Japanese whaling.

Achieving A Concensus On Dog Control Strategies: A Brief Primer, D. B. Wilkins

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The author discusses challenges in developing effective policies for stray dog control. Stray dog symptoms vary from country to country. In Cyprus, the presence of echinococcus that stray dogs exacerbate is a problem across the Mediterranean. Rabies spread by stray dogs is a problem in many other countries, while anti-social dog behaviors (fouling, barking, biting) are an issue in large cities in developed countries. Considerable differences of opinion as to the best approaches to stray dog control exist among animal welfare organizations. One approach to developing effective and agreed stray dog control policies has been forming a national NGO umbrella …

Too Much Of A Good Thing: Protein And A Dog's Diet, Dana Murphy

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

Murphy examines messages promoting the benefits of high-protein dog foods and then discusses the health effects of too much protein in a dog’s diet.

Letter To Editor: Exceptions To Vertebrate Pest Conference Report, Dale Kaukeinen

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The author responds to a description of his owl mortality presentation. He notes that only one of the six owls that had died had any trace of the brodifacoum rodenticide in its tissues and that owl was electrocuted. The rodenticide was not the cause of its death. The author calls for more dialogue between humane organizations and those involved in pest control.

The Canadian Harp Seal Hunt: A Moral Assessment, L. W. Sumner

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

Sumner is a philosopher who attempts to unpick the various issues in the debate over the Harp Seal hunt in Canada. An objective treatment of the issues underlying the harp seal hunt is complex because of the high level of emotion on both sides, but it is also necessary to attempt it if uncommitted and reasonable persons are to be provided with some guidance about what to think concerning the morality of the hunt.

Meetings And Announcements

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The section includes a report of a session on animal research at the 1982 annual Society for Neuroscience meeting. Speakers included philosopher Dr. Arthur Caplan, Dr. Ron Dubner on pain research on animals, and Dr. H Edinger on legal and legislative aspects of animal research. A second meeting on animal awareness organized by the Institute for the Study of Animal Problems is covered in detail. The meeting was opened by Professor Bernard Rollin, who traced the development of understanding animal perception and awareness. Dr. Michael Fox followed Rollin, who discussed ethological observations relevant to animal awareness. Psychologist Gordon Gallup (who …

A Different Approach To Horse Handling, Based On The Jeffery Method, Judith K. Blackshaw, Des Kirk, Sharib E. Cregier

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

A method of horse training is discussed, which is based on an old technique known in Australia as the "Jeffery method." It uses several behavioral principles, including understanding horse behavior, reinforcement for desired behavior, and flight distance principles.

Psychological Aspects Of Slaughter: Reactions Of College Students To Killing And Butchering Cattle And Hogs, Harold A. Herzog, Sandy Mcgee

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

This study examined college students' reactions to slaughtering cattle and hogs as part of their jobs on a college work crew. The 27 students were surveyed on attitudes containing items toward slaughtering animals and toward different uses of animals. Nineteen were later interviewed. Some aspects of slaughtering were reported to be more bothersome than others. There was a relationship between the subjects' experience in slaughtering, general attitudes toward various uses of animals, and their responses to several of the items on the questionnaire. The perceived benefits of the slaughtering experience and the justification for killing domestic animals for food are …

Historical Trends In American Animal Use And Perception, Stephen R. Kellert, Miriam O. Westervelt

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The authors analyze the stories on wildlife carried in four newspapers (two urban – LA Times and Hartford Courant, and two rural – Buffalo Bulletin in Wyoming and the Dawson News, Georgia) using randomly sampled issues from 1900 to 1976. The total sample amounted to 4,873 articles from 1,777 issues of the four newspapers covering 75 years. Three periods, 1921-1927, 1930-1936, and 1961-1967 averaged more than 200 articles a year. Coverage of wildlife issues was lowest during the two World War periods. The articles were coded using a standard typology, including utilitarian and humanistic attitudes. Over the 76 years …

Stray-Dog Control In Cyprus: Primitive And Humane Methods, Kyriacos Polydorou

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

In Cyprus, a dog control scheme was started in 1971 within the context of an all-inclusive

anti-echinococcosis campaign. At the time, it was estimated there were more than 100,000 dogs on the island; most were strays (even many of those that were purportedly "owned"]. These had been identified as infectious agents of echinococcosis in Cyprus (the average surgical incidence in humans over the 30 years before 1970 was 12.9/100,000]. The destruction of stray dogs is accomplished by using guns that fire a syringe containing a euthanizing drug. In the past (before 1970), various inhumane methods used by animal control officers …

Letter To Editor: Response To "Responsive Chord On Pets And Therapy", Kathy Savesky

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The author welcomes the contents of the IJSAP editorial on Animal-Facilitated Therapy (IJSAP 4(1), 8-9).

Letter To Editor: Responsive Chord On Pets And Therapy, Jean Grover

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The author comments on concerns regarding caring for the animals in a nursing home and the very positive reactions the animals elicited among residents.

The Question Of Atheism And Communism In The Animal Welfare/Rights Movement, Michael W. Fox

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The author comments on the interplay between religion and animal rights.

Sex Roles, Companion Animals And Something More, D. H. Murphy

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

Murphy notes that IJSAP is motivated by the importance of science in understanding human-animal relationships. She examines two studies that examine gender differences in attitudes to and interactions with companion animals. Both studies reported no differences between females and males, even though other studies report that females have more positive attitudes to animals.

The State Of The Economy And Animal Welfare, Michael W. Fox

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The author discusses the impact of recessions on animal welfare and animal care.