Companion Animal Ethics (eBook)

Peter Sandøe, Sandra Corr, Clare Palmer (Autoren)

eBook Download: PDF

2015
John Wiley & Sons (Verlag)
978-1-118-37671-3 (ISBN)

Infos

Companion Animal Ethics explores the important ethical questions and problems that arise as a result of humans keeping animals as companions.

• The first comprehensive book dedicated to ethical and welfare concerns surrounding companion animals
• Scholarly but still written in an accessible and engaging style
• Considers the idea of animal companionship and why it should matter ethically
• Explores problems associated with animals sharing human lifestyles and homes, such as obesity, behavior issues, selective breeding, over-treatment, abandonment, euthanasia and environmental impacts
• Offers insights into practical ways of improving ethical standards relating to animal companions

About the Authors

Peter Sandøe is Professor of Bioethics at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, where he has been teaching animal ethics to veterinary and animal science students for nearly two decades. He is co-author of Ethics of Animal Use (Wiley Blackwell, 2008) and co-editor of Dilemmas in Animal Welfare (CABI, 2014).

Sandra Corr is Clinical Reader in Small Animal Surgery, at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, UK. She is a European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery, who spends her time teaching veterinary students, and working in referral practice. She has published widely in veterinary and comparative journals.

Clare Palmer is Professor of Philosophy at Texas A & M University, USA. She is the author of Animal Ethics in Context (Columbia University Press, 2010), the editor of Animal Rights in the Ashgate International Library of Essays on Rights (2008) and co-editor of Killing Animals (Illinois University Press 2006).

Inhalt

Cover 1
Title Page 5
Copyright 6
Contents 7
Foreword 9
Acknowledgements 11
Introduction 13
I.1 Introduction 13
I.2 Companion Animal Ethics 14
I.3 Why We Use The Terms 'Companion Animals' and 'Owners' 16
I.4 The Structure of This Book 19
References 19
Chapter 1 History of Companion Animals and the Companion Animal Sector 20
1.1 Introduction 20
1.2 Early Human Relations to Companion Animals 22
1.3 Animal Companions in Medieval and Early Modern Europe 23
1.4 Europe and North America 1600-1950 25
1.4.1 Breeding 27
1.4.2 Diet 28
1.4.3 Training 29
1.5 From the 1950s to the Present 29
1.6 Are Companion Animals Benefactors or Social Parasites? 32
1.6 Key Points 33
1.6 References 34
Chapter 2 The Development and Role of the Veterinary and Other Professions in Relation to Companion Animals 36
2.1 Introduction 37
2.2 The Veterinary Profession 37
2.2.1 Development of veterinary treatments 38
2.2.2 Early development of companion animal veterinary practice 40
2.2.3 Development of the veterinary profession and the rise of companion animal veterinary practice 42
2.2.4 Role of the veterinary profession in setting ethical standards 44
2.3 Development and Role of Other Professions in Relation to Companion Animals 47
2.3.1 Veterinary nurses and Veterinary technicians 48
2.3.2 Behaviour therapists 49
2.3 Key Points 50
2.3 References 50
Chapter 3 Human Attachment to Companion Animals 53
3.1 Introduction 53
3.2 What People Do with Their Companions 54
3.3 Relating to Companion Animals 58
3.4 Effects on Human Health 64
3.4 Key Points 66
3.4 References 66
Chapter 4 Companion Animal Welfare 70
4.1 Introduction 70
4.2 Theories About Animal Welfare 72
4.3 From Farm Animal Welfare to Companion Animal Welfare 77
4.4 Assessing the Welfare of Companion Animals 79
4.4 Key Points 83
4.4 References 83
Chapter 5 Theories of Companion Animal Ethics 85
5.1 Introduction 85
5.2 Contractarian Approaches - Companion Animals Are Only Indirectly Ethically Important 87
5.3 Utilitarian Approaches - Welfare, and Only Welfare, Matters 88
5.4 Deontological and Rights Approaches - Not Only the Consequences Matter 91
5.5 Contextual Approaches 94
5.6 Dealing with Multiple Ethical Approaches 97
5.6 Key Points 99
5.6 References 100
Chapter 6 Breeding and Acquiring Companion Animals 101
6.1 Introduction 101
6.2 Breeding and Rearing Puppies and Kittens 102
6.3 Welfare Concerns 103
6.4 Ethical Issues 106
6.4.1 Ethics of breeding and rearing 106
6.4.2 Ethics and acquiring companion animals 109
6.4.3 Possible ethical strategies and solutions 111
6.4 Key Points 112
6.4 References 113
Chapter 7 Selective Breeding 115
7.1 Introduction 115
7.2 Selective Breeding of Dogs and Cats 116
7.3 Effects of Pedigree Breeding and Breed Standards on Welfare 117
7.4 Ethical Perspectives on Breeding 121
7.5 Possible Practical Solutions to Breeding of Healthier Cats and Dogs 124
7.5 Key Points 126
7.5 References 127
Chapter 8 Feeding and the Problem of Obesity 129
8.1 Introduction 129
8.2 How Is 'Fatness' Defined and Measured in Cats and Dogs, and How Many Animals Are Affected? 130
8.3 Is This a Welfare Problem? 133
8.4 Why Do Owners Allow Their Companion Animals to Become Fat? 135
8.5 Whether and How to Prevent and Treat Problems with Overweight Companion Animals 138
8.5 Key Points 140
8.5 References 141
Chapter 9 Companion Animal Training and Behavioural Problems 144
9.1 Introduction 144
9.2 Training 145
9.2.1 The purpose of training 146
9.2.2 The debate about dominance 148
9.2.3 Training methods 150
9.2.4 Cat training 152
9.3 Behaviour Problems 152
9.3.1 How might we prevent, solve or alleviate 'behaviour problems'? 154
9.3.2 How might we deal with aggression and so-called dangerous dogs? 157
9.3 Key Points 158
9.3 References 159
Chapter 10 Routine Neutering of Companion Animals 162
10.1 Introduction 162
10.2 Chemical Sterilisation 164
10.3 Surgical Neutering and Its Impacts on Animal Welfare 164
10.3.1 The question of whether to neuter in light of potential effects on health-related welfare 165
10.3.2 The question of when to neuter 168
10.3.3 Conclusions (based on medical evidence) 169
10.4 Neutering and Positive Welfare 170
10.5 Neutering and Ethical Theories 170
10.5.1 Utilitarian approaches 170
10.5.2 Deontological and rights approaches 173
10.5.3 Contextual approaches 175
10.5 Key Points 176
10.5 References 177
Chapter 11 Performing Convenience Surgery: Tail Docking, Ear Cropping, Debarking and Declawing 181
11.1 Introduction 182
11.2 Convenience Surgeries 182
11.2.1 Tail docking (dogs) 182
11.2.2 Ear cropping 183
11.2.3 Debarking 184
11.2.4 Declawing (and tendonectomy) 184
11.3 Ethical Perspectives on Convenience Surgeries 184
11.3.1 Possible health benefits 185
11.3.2 Possible indirect benefits, and effects on human attachment 186
11.3.3 Possible harms: pain, suffering and other negative effects on animal welfare 188
11.3.4 Weighing costs and benefits 190
11.3.5 Violating animals' bodily integrity 190
11.3.6 The preservation of dog breeds 192
11.3.7 Professional veterinary ethics 193
11.3 Key Points 194
11.3 References 195
Chapter 12 Treating Sick Animals and End-of-Life Issues 198
12.1 Introduction 198
12.2 Treating Sick Animals - Modern Veterinary Medicine 199
12.3 End-of-Life: Palliative Care and Euthanasia 201
12.4 Ethical Issues Relating to Veterinary Treatment 203
12.4.1 Using animals to help other animals: blood, bone marrow and organ donation 205
12.4.2 Prolonging the life of sick animals 206
12.4.3 End-of-life decisions 208
12.4 Key Points 211
12.4 References 211
Chapter 13 Unwanted and Unowned Companion Animals 213
13.1 Introduction 213
13.2 Why Do Companion Animals Become Unwanted? 214
13.3 Ethical Issues for Owners with Unwanted Companions: Shelters and Abandonment 215
13.4 Euthanasia of Unwanted Healthy Companion Animals 218
13.5 Unowned Animal Populations: Numbers and Relationships 221
13.5.1 Unowned cats: relations to people 222
13.6 Managing Unowned Populations 223
13.6.1 Why manage populations? 223
13.6.2 Ethics of managing unowned cat populations 223
13.6 Key Points 226
13.6 References 226
Chapter 14 Ethics and Broader Impacts of Companion Animals 229
14.1 Introduction 229
14.2 Public Health and Zoonoses 230
14.3 Companion Animals and Use of Resources 233
14.3.1 Animal food and human food 233
14.3.2 The opportunity cost of companion animals 235
14.4 Companion Animals, Sustainability, and the Environment 237
14.4.1 Resource use and waste 237
14.4.2 Wildlife competition and predation 240
14.4 Key Points 243
14.4 References 244
Chapter 15 Other Companions 247
15.1 Introduction 247
15.2 The Welfare of Other Companions 248
15.2.1 Small rodents (mice, gerbils, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters) 249
15.2.2 Rabbits 250
15.2.3 Birds 251
15.3 Wild-Caught Birds and the Pet Trade 253
15.4 Ethical Approaches to Other Companions 254
15.5 Should Ownership of Some Species Be Restricted, or Completely Prohibited? 258
15.5 Key Points 261
15.5 References 261
Chapter 16 Companion Animals and the Future 264
16.1 Introduction 264
16.2 Changing Ethical and Political Frameworks 265
16.3 Changing Legal and Public Policy Frameworks 267
16.3.1 The legal status of companion animals 268
16.3.2 Potential specific laws and policies 269
16.4 Changing Markets and Pressures on the Veterinary Profession 273
16.5 In Conclusion: What Might an Ethical Future Life with Companion Animals Look Like? 277
16.5 Key Points 278
16.5 References 278
Index 281
EULA 288

Rezensionen

"This book provides ample food for thought for anyone involved in the animal sector to engage in reflection of their views by clearly working through important ethical questions commonly encountered in companion animal interaction and medicine in particular. It would make a valuable contribution to any practising veterinarian's library, and I would even suggest it to be essential reading for many." (Veterinary Record, 2016)

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 14.9.2015
• Reihe/Serie: UFAW Animal Welfare
• Reihe/Serie: UFAW Animal Welfare
• Reihe/Serie: UFAW Animal Welfare
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie ► Allgemeines / Lexika
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie ► Ethik
• Themenwelt: Medizin / Pharmazie
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Soziologie
• Themenwelt: Veterinärmedizin
• Schlagworte: Animal Welfare, Ethics & Law • <p>Animal ethics, animal rights, animal welfare, animal law, animal cognition, animal treatment, human-animal relationships, companion animals, pets</p> • Tierschutz • Tierschutz, Ethik u. Recht • Veterinärmedizin • Veterinärmedizin • Veterinary Medicine
• ISBN-10: 1-118-37671-4 / 1118376714
• ISBN-13: 978-1-118-37671-3 / 9781118376713