1st Edition
Emotion in Farmed Animals Ethical Challenges for Animal Welfare
The emergence of scientific data confirming the capacity of nonhuman animals to feel what is happening to them and experience positive and negative emotions has created an uncomfortable moral dilemma for many humans. To meet demand for animal products in the 21st century, millions of animals are confined and suffer in industrial farm settings.
Acknowledging that a sense of helplessness to end this entrenched suffering on such a large scale can lead to inertia, this book instead seeks to bring change through stories of individual animals now living on farmed animal sanctuaries. These rescued animals have narratives that reveal them as individuals with emotional capacity and a future. Each chapter looks at a particular species’ entwined history with humanity, as well as the biological and neurological structures that unequivocally confirm their ability to experience positive and negative emotions. This aspect is brought to life through the stories of individual animals living the good life after rescue and rehabilitation.
Farmed animals all have stories to tell but few get the chance to do so; this book amplifies the voices of those who have been able to reclaim basic rights in a human-dominated world with their stories providing insight into the uniqueness of every pig, cow, bird, rabbit and more intended for our plates and others for companionship or sheer joy.
This book will be of interest to those studying or working in animal ethics, welfare and law; veterinary science; running a farmed animal sanctuary; or simply seeking to understand more about the animals with whom we share this planet.
Introduction
Chapter 1. Welfare, ethics and productivity: An incompatible mix?
Chapter 2. Farmed animal sanctuaries: A growing movement
Chapter 3. Cattle—sentient animals, not “raw materials”
Chapter 4. Pigs—complex and intelligent individuals
Chapter 5. Sheep—resilient and unique personalities
Chapter 6. Goats—mischievous and fun-loving characters
Chapter 7. Chickens—foraging with friends
Chapter 8. Roosters—friends and protectors
Chapter 9. Turkeys—unique individuals, not celebratory meals
Chapter 10. Geese—intelligent, emotional and charming
Chapter 11. Ducks—water-loving and social individuals
Chapter 12. Alpacas and llamas—charismatic and sensitive personalities
Chapter 13. Camels—majestic and resilient wanderers
Chapter 14. Donkeys and mules—sentient animals, not beasts of burden
Chapter 15. Rabbits—sensitive and curious companions
Conclusion—Crossroads in animal welfare
Biography
Vicki Hutton is passionate about animals and their welfare, having lived with, worked with, observed and written about animals for many years. After starting her career in the health and community sectors as a mental health therapist, Vicki now focuses on animal welfare and ethics, and the human-animal relationship. She currently lives with an assortment of animals who all contribute in their unique ways to her writing.
