by Bengt Holst | Feb 20, 2025 | Animal ethics and welfare, Nature view, Wildlife
Since the wolf returned to Denmark in 2012, there has been an ongoing debate about its danger and whether there is room for wolves in Denmark. The waves have been high and the fronts between supporters and opponents of the wolf have been heated at times. Now the debate has flared up again after wolves have been spotted in the middle of the town of Oksbøl in southwest Jutland – not just once, but several times. And then, of course, the question arises: Can you shoot wolves?
The wolf is totally protected – but with exceptions
In principle, the wolf is totally protected, not only in this country, but throughout the EU. Only under special circumstances are the authorities allowed to regulate the wolf population or cull so-called “problem wolves”. The big question is when these special circumstances are present.
Is the wolf pressure in Denmark great enough?
Some suggest that when wolves move into cities, it must be because the population has become so large that they have no other option. The territories outside the cities are occupied and therefore some wolves move closer to humans than they normally would. However, there is no indication that we have reached that point yet. With a maximum of 80 wolves spread across most of Jutland, half of which are pups from last year, the territories are hardly full. With around 30 kilometers to the nearest wolf pair – both to the east and north – and in good wolf terrain, the wolf pair in Oksbøl is hardly under pressure to move into the town.
Read more at Kristeligt Dagblad
by Bengt Holst | Aug 4, 2024 | Animal ethics and welfare, Wildlife
The sun is shining and the bees are buzzing in the flowers in the meadow in front of the terrace. The children are busy eating their breakfast so they can get out to play and maybe even go for a swim as soon as possible.
An unexpected guest
And then it happens – little Peter suddenly notices a pair of eyes staring at them from a nearby bush, and out comes a half-sized kitten that shows no fear whatsoever. Quite the opposite.
The kitten becomes part of the family
As soon as the children crouch down to call it, it comes closer and snuggles up against the children’s bare legs. It’s clear that it wants to be cuddled. And the children are quick to respond to the kitten’s clear signal.
“Oh, he’s so cute,” and “Mommy, he’s hungry,” the children say, and mom immediately fetches a small bowl of milk and places it in front of the kitten.
Used to humans as it is, the kitten immediately takes to drinking and is soon fully integrated into the little family. The children love playing with it and the parents support the idyll by giving it food and water every day. No wonder the kitten stays around the house and enjoys all the attention. And no wonder the little family is enchanted by the little creature. Because it’s cute!
When the vacation ends
But at some point the vacation ends and reality sets in. Despite the children’s intense pestering, the parents refuse to take the kitten with them when they go back home after a great vacation.
The children say goodbye to their playmate and the kitten is left to fend for itself. Suddenly there’s no one to bring it food and milk and no one to check on its well-being.
A sad fate for the cottage cat
It’s all alone and now has to find its own food and generally find its way in a world full of competitors who are in no way welcoming to it, as the children were. And when winter comes, it’s likely to die, either from the cold or from lack of food.
This is how many cottage cats end their short lives, an ending that could have been avoided if the family hadn’t adopted the cat during the few weeks they were on vacation in the area. Read the rest of the post at Kristeligt Dagblad.
by Bengt Holst | Oct 6, 2023 | Animal ethics and welfare, Wildlife
Have you ever tried breathing through a straw while holding your nose? If not, you should try it. You’ll quickly realize that you’re short of breath and if you try to run, it becomes almost impossible to breathe. This is pretty much how several dog breeds with flat noses feel. The desire to breed dogs with as short noses as possible has led to breeds like the French Bulldog and Pug where the nostrils, oral cavity and throat are so narrow that the dogs struggle to breathe. All to make them “cute” in our eyes. But is it even acceptable to breed dogs – or cats – with congenital disabilities that prevent them from living a normal life just to satisfy human desires?
Breeding should not lead to suffering
The Animal Ethics Council clearly believes that this is not acceptable. Breeding can be beneficial as long as it ensures healthy animals that can live without defects. But when breeding focuses on extreme physical traits that directly harm the animals, we reduce their quality of life. At worst, we become responsible for the offspring living with pain, permanent injury and significant disadvantages – contrary to section 2 of the Animal Welfare Act, which obliges us to protect animals from unnecessary suffering. The question is, are we really a dog’s best friend – or do we just see ourselves as one?
Years of criticism with no effect
As early as 1999, in its Opinion on the breeding of dogs and cats, the Animal Ethical Council warned against the negative consequences of targeted breeding for appearance. At that time, the Council recommended that breeders, specialty clubs and show judges take responsibility. When no improvement was seen, the criticism was repeated in 2008 with a stronger call for legislative action if the industry did not resolve the problem itself. Since then, the Council has repeatedly tried to raise awareness of the issue – but without significant change. The dogs are still suffering.
Time for action – legislation as a solution
Therefore, the Animal Ethics Council has now called on the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Jacob Jensen, to take the necessary steps. Already in 2014, a possibility to regulate the breeding of family and hobby animals was introduced, but it has not been used. The Council recognizes that such legislation can be difficult to enforce, but it will send a clear signal about what we as a society accept. Other countries with similar legislation are now seeing the first court cases in this area, showing that enforcement is possible. Denmark should follow suit and ensure rules that cover not only dogs and cats, but also other hobby and family pets. Perhaps this could even be the beginning of a wider debate on breeding goals for agricultural animals, where animal welfare is often also overlooked.
by Bengt Holst | Jul 4, 2023 | Animal ethics and welfare, Wildlife
At last year’s World Equestrian Games, Denmark won no less than ten medals, cementing the country’s position as one of the world’s best equestrian nations. This is an impressive achievement for a small country like Denmark, and the many medals have increased interest in equestrian sports in Denmark. But the success should also be an opportunity to take a closer look at the sport. It’s a sport where the welfare of the horses can potentially come under a lot of pressure due to the high level of ambition and money involved.
Is the horse a “happy athlete”?
Equestrian sport has traditionally portrayed the horse as a ‘happy athlete’, but in reality its participation is all about human ambition. Unlike humans, horses don’t choose to participate in elite sport and they can’t say no. Therefore, both riders and organizations have a great responsibility to ensure that the sport does not compromise the welfare of the horses. Although the Danish Equestrian Federation has ethical guidelines that prioritize the welfare of the horse over the interests of the owner and trainer, the rules are only as good as their implementation – and unfortunately this is often lacking in practice.
Control, behavioral understanding and equipment
There is a great need for more control of injuries and the use of physical and psychological pressure in equestrian sport. In addition, riders and judges should have a better understanding of the horse’s natural behavior – especially its conflict behavior, which shows when the horse is experiencing discomfort. Only performances where the horse shows no signs of pain or stress should be awarded, no matter how technically proficient or fast it completes a competition.
At the same time, there should be an increased focus on the use of equipment. Bites, spurs and whips should only be used for guidance and correction – never as punishment. While this principle is recognized in theory, the reality is often different when the pressure to perform sets in. Therefore, control before, during and after competitions should be strengthened.
New thinking is needed for the future of equestrian sport
In its Opinion on the use of horses for sport, the Danish Council on Animal Ethics has presented a number of recommendations to improve horse welfare in equestrian sports. If the sport is to remain widely accepted and if it is to live up to the ethical ideals formulated by the Danish Equestrian Federation itself, it requires innovative thinking and consistent implementation of the rules. This applies not only to equestrian sport, but also to other forms of equestrian sport where animal welfare should be a top priority.
Post originally published at Animal Ethics Council
by Bengt Holst | Apr 2, 2023 | Animal ethics and welfare, Wildlife
At last year’s World Equestrian Games, Denmark won no less than 10 medals, making it one of the world’s best equestrian nations. The great results have increased interest in equestrian sports in Denmark, but also give reason to take a closer look at the sport. Animal ethics – i.e. the welfare of the horses – can come under pressure due to the sport’s high level of ambition and the amount of money involved.
The Animal Ethical Council’s report on horse welfare
The Animal Ethical Council has recently published a report that focuses on dressage and show jumping, but which is also relevant to other branches of equestrian sport. The report challenges the idea of the horse as a “happy athlete” and points out that the horse’s participation only serves human interests and ambitions. While elite sport can come at great cost to humans, it is self-selected, which is not the case for horses. Therefore, riders and organizations have a special responsibility to ensure the welfare of horses.
Ethical guidelines and their implementation
The Danish Equestrian Federation has developed ethical guidelines and a common set of rules for equestrian sport, where the welfare of the horse must be prioritized over the interests of the trainer, rider and owner. Although the intentions are good, there are challenges with implementation. In practice, the ethical principles are not always prioritized enough.
Focus on injuries and conflict behavior
There is a need for greater focus on injury control and prevention of physical and psychological violence before, during and after competitions. Increased knowledge about the natural behavior and conflict behavior of horses is essential to understand their reactions and ensure that performances without signs of conflict behavior are rewarded. This should be a priority so that competitions are conducted with respect for the welfare of the horse. Read the rest of the post at Kristeligt Dagblad.
by Bengt Holst | Sep 4, 2022 | Animal ethics and welfare, Wildlife
Over millions of years, all living organisms have adapted to a very specific way of life in the environment they live in. Some species are adapted to a life in the trees, others in underground tunnels, and still others in the water. And at the finer end of the spectrum, we have, for example, flowers that can only be pollinated by special insects, which in turn are designed to fit the pollination pathways of the flowers. This is the development that has given rise to the diversity of species we have today. And species thrive in the conditions in which they evolved.
Livestock and human impact
But then there are the domestic animals, where we humans have driven development in certain directions to bring out specific characteristics. Do they thrive in the conditions we have placed them in? We often tend to think of farm animals as special species that are so well adapted to a life in barn environments that their original biology no longer needs to be taken into account.
Welfare and biological characteristics
At worst, we even start to judge their welfare by our human standards – how we would feel if we lived the life of a cow or pig. And nothing could be more wrong. Because although domestic animals differ in many ways from their wild ancestors and current relatives, they have not lost their basic biological characteristics. And we must remember to take these into account when assessing their ‘welfare’.
Natural behavior in domestic pigs
Studies of free-range domestic pigs clearly show how natural behavior lies just below the surface, even for pigs that have been kept under very restrictive conditions for millennia.
Among other things, the studies showed that when given the opportunity, the pigs began to build nests as they do in nature. They chose slopes with just the right slope, dug a depression in the ground and then built the nest itself from branches, leaves and other soft materials. A behavior never seen in livestock farming because we never gave them the opportunity to perform it, but which has been latent in pig biology for thousands of years. Read the rest of the post at Kristeligt Dagblad.
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