Cross-cultural variation in understanding of animal welfare principles and animal management practices among veterinary and animal welfare professionals in the UK and Japan

Abstract

The World Organisation for Animal Health describes animal welfare as a “complex and multifacetedsubject with scientific, ethical, economic, cultural, social, religious and politicaldimensions.” In this study, an online survey in English and Japanese was developed based onthe Five Freedoms, with the aim of investigating attitudes of veterinarians and behaviour/welfarescientists in the United Kingdom (UK) and Japan toward management of companion, farmed,experimental, zoo and wildlife animals. Respondents from the UK (n = 212) were more familiarwith the Five Freedoms than those from Japan (n = 321) but both countries tended to prioritise‘survival-related’ attributes (health and nutrition) over ‘situation-related’ attributes (behaviour)and the environmental impacts (discomfort). In Japan, however, fewer respondents recognisedthe ‘Freedom to express normal behaviour’ as important for domesticated animals compared toUK respondents. When considering vignettes with practical situations of cat management anddog euthanasia, UK respondents considered the provision of outdoor access to represent bettermanagement for cat welfare while most Japanese respondents thought cats should be managedentirely indoors, although the benefits and risks of going outdoors were similarly recognised inboth countries. For the vignette of dog pain relating to an incurable tumour, severe pain and thedog’s mental stress motivated respondents from both countries to consider euthanasia. However,for Japanese respondents, the data suggested a perception that mental stress did not have anassociation with the dog’s inabilities to express normal behaviour. These data highlighted theimportance of understanding the manner in which people perceive animals in different contextsand the value of considering different cultural approaches