A world expert on animal welfare provided her thoughts on the paradox of animal welfare science and animal consciousness to the University of Guelph last week.
Marian
Dawkins, Professor of Animal Behaviour, in the Department of Zoology,
at the University of Oxford, was the keynote speaker at the Campbell
Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare (CCSAW) Research Symposium on May 11 at
the Ontario Veterinary College.
CCSAW keynote speaker Marian Dawkins, centre, with Symposium organizers Lee Niel and Derek Haley, OVC’s Department of Population Medicine.
Dawkins, along with UofG professor emeritus Ian Duncan, opened the doors for study and exploration of the subjective experience of animals, said Dr. Tina Widowski, CCSAW director and animal welfare scientist in the Ontario Agricultural College.
“I don’t have to explain to this audience how animals touch every part of our lives,” said Dawkins, animal welfare matters to people because of beliefs that animals are conscious and suffer, but animal consciousness can’t be investigated by normal scientific methods.
Consciousness is the most difficult of any biological phenomenon to study, she said, it isn’t understood in humans and even less is known about it in animals. It’s been called the hard problem.
Dawkins noted there are many ways to capture the animal’s point of view, but this doesn’t solve the hard problem. “A lot of things we think are conscious are handled or done unconsciously.”
But many animal welfare issues can be addressed using scientific methods independent of whether animals are conscious or not. This doesn’t deny animal consciousness but it also doesn’t require it, she added.
There are ways to improve animal welfare in practice by working with farmers on things that will work for them, she added. Animal welfare could be more efficient if linked by research to other priorities, such as disease, sustainability, food safety, and reduced medication. Good welfare equals lower disease and more efficient production, she said.
In addition to Dawkins keynote address, sponsored in part by the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, the 9th annual Symposium featured research presentations on a range of topics including dairy cattle, pigs, poultry, rabbits, and companion animals. The Symposium brought together researchers and graduate students with industry partners, donors and government representatives.
CCSAW’s mission is to promote the welfare of animals through research, outreach and education. Situated at the University of Guelph, it gathers expertise from researchers in veterinary and animal science, the humanities and social sciences with active interests in animal welfare and related ethical issues.