Sentience and Animal WelfareSentience – the ability to feel, perceive and experience – is central to the animal welfare debate as it raises the question of whether animals experience suffering in life and death. This book explores and answers these questions in an objective way, based on the latest research and empirical evidence. Beginning with an introduction to sentience, the book investigates why we are so interested in sentience, when, as a species, humans became sentient and how it has changed over time. The book defines aspects of sentience such as consciousness, memory and emotions, and discusses brain complexity in detail. Looking at sentience from a developmental perspective, it analyses when in an individual’s growth sentience can be said to appear and uses evidence from a range of studies investigating embryos, foetuses and young animals to form an enlightening overview of the subject. With a full chapter covering ethical decisions such as animal protection and experimentation, this book is not only an invaluable resource for researchers and students of animal welfare and biology, but also an engaging and informative read for veterinarians and the general public. Sentience – the ability to feel, perceive and experience – is central to the animal welfare debate as it raises the question of whether animals experience suffering in life and death. This book explores and answers these questions in an objective way, based on the latest research and empirical evidence. Beginning with an introduction to sentience, the book investigates why we are so interested in sentience, when, as a species, humans became sentient and how it has changed over time. The book defines aspects of sentience such as consciousness, memory and emotions, and discusses brain complexity in detail. Looking at sentience from a developmental perspective, it analyses when in an individual’s growth sentience can be said to appear and uses evidence from a range of studies investigating embryos, foetuses and young animals to form an enlightening overview of the subject. With a full chapter covering ethical decisions such as animal protection and experimentation, this book is not only an invaluable resource for researchers and students of animal welfare and biology, but also an engaging and informative read for veterinarians and the general public. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 8 | |
History and Concepts | 22 |
4 Brain Complexity and Cognitive Ability | 37 |
5 Feelings and Emotions | 57 |
6 Awareness and Consciousness | 72 |
7 Motivation and Needs | 84 |
8 Welfare Assessment | 90 |
9 Sentience During Development Brain Damage and Old Age | 108 |
10 Ethical Decisions About Humans and Nonhumans | 116 |
11 Sustainability Welfare Attitudes and Education | 125 |
References | 143 |
| 169 | |
| 179 | |
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Common terms and phrases
actions activity altricial amygdala analgesic Animal Behaviour Animal Cognition animal production animal welfare animal welfare science assessment associated awareness biological birds brain function Broom and Fraser Broom and Johnson cephalopods cerebral cortex Chapter chimpanzees cloning cognitive ability cognitive bias complex concept consciousness consequences considered cope cortex cortisol decapod decision described discussed disease dogs effects EFSA emotional environment ethical Ethology evaluate example farm animals feel pain fetus fish genetic glucocorticoid GM animals Hence humans increased indicate individual invertebrate involved killing learning mals mammals measures Mendl mirror molluscs moral needs negative nociception nociceptors non-human animals normal object occur opioids oxytocin pain system physiological pigs poor welfare positive potential primates problems processing protection refer relation resource result risk scientific sensory sentience Sentience and Animal sheep social species spiders stimuli studies term tion vertebrates Veterinary visual welfare of animals Welfare Quality