The Bunny Hugger

Snow Dog

2012-02-24T15:54:00.002-08:00

Yes...

2012-02-01T11:37:00.002-08:00

{EAV:825a3059cd6e6bfb}

...my goldfish tweets.

Update on the Oxford Handbook of Violence

2012-01-31T07:02:00.000-08:00

It looks like the The Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Perspectives on Violence, Homicide, and War will be published in June of this year.

This includes the chapter Animal Abuse and Cruelty by yours truly and Heather Piper

Gotta love this review

2012-01-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

...of an owl decoy meant to scare away squirrels and such:

"Just to show you how bad this product is- there is now a birds nest with babies, LIVING inside of the owl. A bird found its way into the owl and built a nest and has laid eggs and is now starting a family. What a terrifying owl"

The Limp is a Lie?

2011-11-04T15:54:00.000-07:00


Avon says: No one ever believes me

My dog has a limp, and it isn't a fake limp. This isn't always easy to tell because if there was an Oscar for best canine limp in a supporting roll, he would win it. He acquired this fake limp after cutting his front foot on some farm machinery.

He quickly learned that limping made people sympathetic and attentive.He even managed to briefly convince my sister who is a veterinarian who knows her way around the musculus-skeletal system.

His "tell" was that he would forget which front foot he was limping on. Also as soon as he got the chance to walk or case a ball, the limp would go away. But for a long time any time he got the idea you were annoyed with him the limp would come out.

But this new limp was on the back leg and continued through the walk. The down side is that as an animal psychologist, as soon as he has a real limp, it is outside of my area of expertise.

Now available for preorder:

2011-10-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

Handbook on the Psychology of Violence
Editor(s): Hugh R. Cunningham and Wade F. Berry
Including my chapter: The Causes of Violence towards Animals: A Review

Vet Joke: The Clever Horse

2011-08-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

A man riding out in the bush fell from his horse and broke his leg. He was a long way out, so the situation looked pretty grim.

Then the horse grabbed the man's belt in his teeth and dragged him to the shade of a nearby tree. He made the man as comfortable as he
could and then galloped off to get help.

The man discussed the incident a few weeks later with a friend, who--very impressed--praised the horse's intelligence.

"He's not so smart," said the animal's owner. "He came back with a vet."

Researcher Welfare

2011-08-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

There is an editorial in Nature (issue 7343) about the death of an undergraduate student working late, alone, in a laboratory. The author comments on the need for better data about lab accidents and better safety precautions.

Of course, Nature has always had a rather strong "micro" focus where the only research environment seriously consider is the bench laboratory. I hope that any initiatives that develop will recognize that students and researchers in all environments frequently put themselves at risk during their everyday activities..

Working in a pig barn I found myself inhaling fine dust that was coughed up for days afterwards in a phenomenon the technicians blithely refer to as 'pig lung'. On the weekends personnel often work alone as the muck out, feed, and carry out any other necessarily activities like giving an unappreciative pig an antibiotic injection (which, based on their reaction, is not a pleasant experience). Even on busy days a research farm is large enough that you could be trampled by a pig and pretty much eaten alive before anyone noticed.

In over a decade of research I encountered a safety officer only once. This individual walked passed hand-built (slightly smoking) equipment powered by a rank of car batteries, piles of equipment infested with mice, and a loose wall panel from which the wiggly tails of maggots peeked, to repremand a student for standing on a sow stall wall to adjust a camera. Quite why a free standing ladder with legs small enough to slip through the slats was considered a safer perch than than a steel structure bolted to the floor, well, I don't know.

Research is hazardous partly because each research project is unique and has idiosyncratic hazards. And there is strong pressure for those that carry out the hands on work to 'make do' with whatever resource are available.

We are all now quite accustomed to carefully considering the welfare of our animals as we design our experimental programs--perhaps it is time to take the welfare of our students, technicians and researchers just as seriously?

Pets Help Avoid Allergies, Even During Pregnancy

2011-08-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

Christine Cole Johnson has found that having pets in the home during pregnancy reduces a babies level of the immunoglobulins that contribute to the development of allergies.

Her result are presented in a paper titled: Effect of prenatal indoor pet exposure on the trajectory of total IgE levels in early childhood, to be published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Animal Welfare and the Precautionary Principle

2011-08-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

The concept of the precautionary principle came out of environmentalism, but is now phrased more broadly. For example, it is defined by UNESCO as:

"When human activities may lead to morally unacceptable harm this is scientifically plausible but uncertain, actions shall be taken to avoid of diminish that harm."

While this principle is often phrased to include only humans and/or the environment I feel it is equally important in the field of animal welfare. Many of the things we do to animals (such as surgery or close confinement) might reasonably be considered to cause some harm, although the scientific evidence is often missing, contradictory or ambiguous.

If we let lack of data always translate into lack of action this suppresses animal welfare research. The status quo becomes easy to protect simply by not providing the resources or access necessary to carry out definitive research. If, instead, we say that a reasonable expectation of harm obligates us to find a way to end the practice, those wishing to defend the questionable practice are obliged to present data proving harmlessness to continue to use it. The power balance shifts from those wanting to continue business as usual, to those calling for an end to a plausibly harmful practice.

And this obligation goes beyond showing an immediate need for the questionable practice, for example that beak trimming is necessary to prevent the even greater harm of peck injury and cannibalism. The precautionary principle clarifies that the use of a lesser harm to prevent a greater one is not ultimately satisfactory, and that progress must be made towards a system where our method of caring for these animals does not predictably cause significant harm to the animal--because even when the immediate cause is a conspecific, the ultimate cause is a breeding/housing situation that causes the animals to severely injure and kill each other. And removing the beak, while it mitigates the harm in the short term, is not solving the problem in a meaningful way.

The precautionary principle is often misinterpreted to mean: if in doubt, do not act. But its true meaning is: if in doubt 1) act to prevent possible harm and 2) act to reduce doubt. It reminds us that doubt creates an obligation to act, not an excuse to accept a situation, even a situation where lesser harms are done only to prevent greater harms. Because acceptance of mitigation as the end point of welfare science leads us down the path of accepting that these fundamental ethical problems are 'normal' or that it is morally acceptable to live with them rather than act to bring them to an end.

Lab Folk are.... Different

2011-05-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

As witness this lab mouse cake, complete with tumor....

The Problem with Prezzy Cards

2011-04-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

Prezzy Cards are a Visa-supported gift card provided by New Zealand Post. I decided to send one to a family member and began the following Odyssey.

Jan 26: Purchase card from NZ Post website

Jan 27: Receive email for the following extra information: "Your Photo ID (Drivers licence or Passport)... The Credit Card or Debit card used to purchase the Prezzy Card- please only show the first 6 and last 4 digit numbers."

Jan 28: I send a scan of my passport and my debit card number with the middle number block removed.

Jan 30: They ask again for "a copy of the credit card".

Jan 31: I send my full debit card number.

Feb 1: They ask again for "an actual copy of the credit card"

Feb 1: I finally realize they want, for reasons that elude me, a scanned picture of my debit card, which I send.

Feb 2: They notify me that the order has gone through.

Feb 7: I get a feeling that they sent the wrong amount ($100 rather than $500) and request a receipt.

Feb 16: They refuse to send a receipt with the vague statement that "Your card would have been debited once we approved your order" (as, indeed, it should). They direct me to look at the amount debited from my account some time between the order being accepted (Feb 2) and card being dispatched (Feb 4). I inspect my account and find no the debit. Some time later I do find a debit, for the correct amount of $500, actually occurred on Feb 16.

April 26: I receive an email where they admit that although $500 was debited from my account, only $100 was loaded on the debit card. This error has now, according to them, been corrected.

So, in summary, they require documentation not mentioned on the ordering website, do not give a receipt, debit my account 12 full days after dispatching the card, deduct $500 from my account but put only $100 on the card, and despite my specific query do not notice the error for 47 days.

Wow.

DO NOT BUY the Natural Aquatics Frog Aquarium with 2 Frogs

2011-04-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

For some reason Amazon saw fit to recommend a product to me that is called the "Natural Aquatics Frog Aquarium with 2 Frogs". (Similar products called the Frog-o-Sphere or eco-aquarium is also available)

My reaction to this product is as follows:

It does not provide adequate housing in size or design.
It is described in an inaccurate and misleading way.

This product, as sold and use as the manufacturer recommends is cruel. They suggest:

A four inch cube is an "eco-system"
The tank is "self-cleaning"
You only need to change the water twice a year
you only need to feed a few pellets each week,

In my opinion, the truth is:

Dwarf African frogs require a minimum of 1 gallon (6 cubic inches) per frog--preferably two gallons or more.
Water should be changed at least once a month or as required.
In most areas they will require an aquarium with a water heater to maintain a water temperature of 70-80 degrees.
They require a hiding place to feel secure.
They require feeding and as a result require cleaning--thus this is not a self-contained ecosystem and not self-cleaning.
Feeding should be as much as the frog will immediately eat every day or every other day.

If well cared-for your frogs should live for five years or longer and you should hear them 'singing' in the evenings. Instead of spending $30 on this inadequate habitat I would suggest people who wish to keep frogs to go to a local pet store and get two frogs ($5)and a five to ten gallon aquarium ($10) for half the price.

Have Tail, Will Travel

2011-04-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Rodents can live just about anyway, apparently including on a Delta airplane. Health inspector noted the location of rodent droppings "too numerous to count" in various areas of the plane.

Delta said the plane was cleaned and back in service within days. They say they "humanely caught" the frequent flyer. No word on what type of critter it was, and personally I would be skeptical about there being only one...

Bacon Cologne

2011-04-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

I could probably get behind the almost literally tongue-in-cheek campe charm of a bacon inspired cologne, if not for one thing.

A logo that seems to rest heavily on the notion of making a nude woman look like a rasher of bacon.

Ew.

But still, I am kind of intrigued.

My latest invention....

2011-04-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

Banana sugar cookies. Raw banana in the batter and a dried slice for decoration. Not bad.

Rat Fashion

2011-04-04T13:15:00.000-07:00

Apparently this fashionable little number made from faux rats (I hope they are faux, anyway) appeared in a spread called: The Vagaries of Fashion by Miles Aldridge in Italian Vogue (May 2008). [Click on the picture to enlarge].

You might be a bunny hugger if....

2011-02-04T17:49:00.000-08:00

...this is your idea of a 'kitten heel'.

The Cat Mayor

2011-01-28T10:37:00.001-08:00

We need to follow this model in Chicago.

Rat Cake

2011-01-27T14:29:00.000-08:00

Apparently this is meant to be a possum cake, but I know a rat when I see one.

Hartz Collar and Lead Combo

2011-01-23T15:25:00.000-08:00

I would like to sound a note of caution about the Hartz Collar and Lead Combo, which I see is know stocked in quite a few supermarkets and grocery stores. I use this product myself for a single purpose. Every time I pop out to the mail box or laundry room my dog wants to come with me. He walks at heel but there is a leash requirement within the apartment building, so I keep this by the door. I can put it on and take it off one handed easy than a leash with a latch.

That said, I would never use this as a leash for going on a walk more than the twenty meters or so to my mailbox and back. I would not use it outside and never with a dog that would pull. In the package you could mistake this for being a budget-priced collar and leash. But actually it is a single nylon rope with a hand loop on one end and a noose style arrangement with a metal sliding ring on the other (see picture). This style of slip or kennel leash is rarely sold in retail stores because it isn't a great idea to use them other than for short, indoor transfers of animals.

A small leather tab is provided but the illustration on the package suggests this is intended to stop the noose end from opening far enough for the dog to slip out, not (as I had assumed) to stop it from closing too tight and choking the dog. It is not very effective for either function.

In my opinion the Hartz All in 1 Collar & Lead Combo should not be used in place of a normal collar and leash for dog walking due to it presenting a potential choking hazard for the dog. This lead should certainly never be used as a tether. It seems to me that the fine print disclaimer on the packaging is in no way sufficient when it comes to make the limitations of this product clear.

Sisterhood is Powerful

2011-01-22T17:14:00.000-08:00

This is just too cute. A same-sex, mixed-species househoud wear a bantam hen is helping to raise baby rabbits.

Previous Appearances

2011-01-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

August 22, 2011, at the the 8th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences. On the topic of: Sensitivity of animals and application of the Three Rs (presented by Marylin Brown).
July 31 - August 4, 2011, at the annual meeting of the International Society for Applied Ethology. On the topic of: Animal Abuse and Cruelty: An Evolutionary Perspective.
April 14, 2011: the Third Annual MSMR Enrichment Symposium "ALL CREATURES BIG AND SMALL ...Animal Enrichment in a Laboratory Environment"--Horizons of Enrichment: the History, Accomplishments and Aspirations of Environmental Enrichment.
January 20th, 2011: Animal Law Committee of the Chicago Bar Association--Animal Abuse, Mandatory Reporting and the Veterinarian.
October 16th, 2010: KVMA Fall Conference--Animal Welfare, Animal Rights, and the Role of the Veterinary Profession.

Business Cards

2011-01-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

In the end I went for something simple and fairly traditional:

Break with "Breaking"

2011-01-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

"Breaking" is an archaic term for training and animals, specifically "to train (an animal) to adjust to the service or convenience of humans" [Merriam-Webster]. But it is time to put this term to bed. Not only does it has connotation of damage and violence, it is out of tune with modern ethics that both human and animal should benefit from living or working together.

This obsolete term jumped out at me from a Chicago tribune report today. The article was covering the prosecution of Muddy paws Dog Rescue owner and operator Diane Eldrup. Eldrup clear succumbed to some kind of 'break down' herself in allowing at least eighteen dogs and three birds to starve to death in their cages.

Four dogs were recovered alive and are being carefully rehabilitated, including feeding them back to a healthy weight and house-training them. A wonderful activityy that is jarringly referred to as: "house-breaking". As if these dogs have not already been sufficiently 'broken'. Locked in a enclosure and not even given food and water in return.

Now they are being prepared a home, care and love. A contract which in turn requests that they be calm and defecate outside the house. An agreement based on co-operation, commitment, and a promise that--this time--should not be broken.

Upcoming Appearances

2011-01-19T11:46:00.001-08:00

February 12, 2012, at Bioconference Live. On the topic of: Beyond environmental enrichment--providing good environments for experimental animals. [Full details here].

New Book Project

2011-01-15T15:33:00.000-08:00

I am working on a new book proposal and things are going pretty well. I am about half way through the first sample chapter.

I know the subtitle of the book will be something like: PSYCHIC DOGS AND THE PEOPLE WHO STUDY THEM.

But I am completely stuck on what to use as title. DOG PSI? THE DOGS OF WOO? PARANORMAL POOCHES?

Any ideas?

Animal Welfare Group: Linked In

2011-01-12T14:00:00.000-08:00

If you are on LinkedIn and involved in animal welfare you might want to join this group. Having a few spare minutes I whipped up a basic logo for them (right). I bet someone out there can come up with something better.

The Rainbow Bridge

2011-01-11T12:38:00.000-08:00

One of the most common euphemisms used for the death of a pet is 'crossing the rainbow bridge'. I must confess that I generally find this kind of imagery cloying. I had long been considering posting a blog about letting those of us with a more 'matter of fact' approach, do things our own way. The rainbow and angel imagery of pet loss can become rather cloying for some people.

But then I heard this 'pep talk' given by one of those motivation-slash-management experts. He was addressing a room full of veterinarians and related one of the most meaningful things he experienced in a veterinarian's office. It was after he and his wife has their beloved ailing old dog euthanized, and someone in the clinic gave them a copy of 'the Rainbow Bridge'.

I guess it helped me realise that what might seem like trite imagery to a cynic like me can be genuinely helpful to people in a time of need. And sometimes sentimental image hits exactly the right note. So I shall try and be less 'bah humbug' about the rainbow bridge from now one. The full text, author unknown, is as follows:

The Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Open Source Exploitation

2011-01-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

Since leaving the halls of academia, but not the activities of science, I certainly have come to miss having access to university subscriptions to peer-reviewed journals. And while not a whole-hearted convert, I do appreciate open source journals. So when I received an email announcing that reputable journal publisher SAGE was launching an open source journal, I was quite enthusiastic.

Until, that is, I got to the line that said "$195 introductory author acceptance fee (discounted from the regular price of $695)."

I understand that if the reader is not monetising the system, something has to. But I absolutely reject the idea that the gap can be filled by moving to a vanity-publishing model where the scientist has to not only come up with money to do the research, and to make a living... and then even more to get the research published. A vanity model of publishing undermines the value of the the research and undermines the neutrality of the journal's editorial standards.

Not only will I not be submitting to SAGE Open, I won't be reading it either. If SAGE cannot support this activity as a public service I would suggest that they investigate securing a sponsor, donations, grants or advertisers rather than loading yet more cost onto researcher. If Open Source journals simply cannot exist without contributor fees, then maybe they shouldn't exist at all.

BF Skinner

2011-01-01T15:05:00.000-08:00

I recent uncovered thiscollage, from the days when I was working on my PhD. BF Skinner gets a lot of bad press, but I think people fail to see everyhting he contributed to the study of behavior. Every paradigm has strengths and weakness, and every person gets to use, recombine and adapt these archetypal approaches. Learning not to idolise or demonise entire philosophies is part of growing up as an academic, and taking responsibility for your own intellect.

What's the Deal With Catnip?

2010-12-28T11:53:00.000-08:00

Many species of felines seem to love eating catnip, it has even been used as bait to hunt lynx and bobcats. It effects many species of felid, including domestic cats.

The catnip response involves ingestion, rubbing, rolling and periods of gazing into space, and lasts for about ten minutes on average. However not all cats show the response and some are completely indifferent to catnip. Kittens under 8 weeks of age also typically show no response.

The active ingredient of catnip is nepetalactone. There are a few theories as to exactly why it provokes this response.

Some feel catnip activates a response related to courting females. It is more effective on cats of reproductive age. However it does not actually produce a sexcual response and so may be a more general category of social signal.

Others feel catnip simply produces a pleasurable feeling, perhaps similar to the intake of marijuana in humans.

There is no evidence that catnip is at all harmful to cats.

Sources:

Hart, B.L. (1974). The catnip response. Feline Practice, Nov-Dec, 8, 12.
Hill, J.O. et al (1976). Species-characteristic responses to catnip by undomesticated felids. J Chem Ecol 2, 239-253.

See also:

5 things to know about catnip

2011: year of the Metal Rabbit

2010-12-25T15:51:00.000-08:00

By the Chinese Zodiac, 2011 is a year of the rabbit. The rabbit is a friendly introvert and a good teacher. A rabbit year should be calm, peaceful and a good time to work by diplomacy and compromise. I hope that will make it a good year for animal welfare advocacy.

It seems that, more and more, animal welfare is an issue of side, or extremes, attack ads and entrenched positions. It is sometimes difficult to move the discussion to a place of calm, friendly, middle-of-the-road discussion. But in many cases this is where the solutions are to be found.

The zodiac also has a five year cycle of the elements. And 2011 will be metal, hence, a year of the metal rabbit. This might help those of us one the more moderate path stick to it with determination rather than getting pulled into the tit for tat and blame game of competing interest groups.

Let's hope so, anyway.

Christmas Simon's Cat

2010-12-14T08:56:00.001-08:00

Cat in the Christmas tree = ...accept the things you cannot change....

Chris-Mouse Cookies for the Win!

2010-12-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

This post is a shout out to Bioserv, which is a company that makes food and toys for laboratory animals. At the AALAS convention they were giving away mouse-shaped cookie cutters. Cute, right?

Here I am cutting out the mouses. I can't say 'mice' because it would ruin the pun. You see, these are 'Chris-mouses'.

Here they are with some icing.

Now all plated up with ginger bread and sugar-cinnamon Devon cream at the AVMA Christmas Party.

Add a little decor....

Aaaaaand... won the prize for "presentation" :) Yay!

The Veterinarian's Oath

2010-12-02T07:48:00.000-08:00

Almost four years ago I took a position at the American Veterinary Medical Association as an Animal Welfare Scientist. I did this in part because the veterinary profession is hugely influential when it comes to the treatment of animals, they are widely respected as animal experts. I also felt that veterinarians were becoming more progressive when it came to animal welfare issues and had the potential to be a real. agent of change

I think this increased willingness to step forward was signalled in the recent changes made to the veterinarians oath. Just a few words here and there, but a giant leap in meaning and engagement with animal welfare and the opportunities we have to prevent rather than only treat animal suffering. The added words are underlined. I suppose quite a few vet schools and practices will need to get new plaques made, but I--for one--think it is well worth the investment.

"Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge."

Links:

Veterinarian's Oath revised to emphasize animal welfare commitment
AVMA Changing the Veterinarian’s Oath [The Wagging Tail blog]
Veterinary practice has changed in 91 years [Star Exponent]

10 Things to Teach Your Children About a New Pet

2010-11-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

MyPetNews has a post about what to teach children about a new pet (link). A certain opinionated Bunny Hugger is quoted in point #3.

Dr. Emily's Incomplete List if Unproductive Animal Welfare Discussions (and Stock Answers)

2010-10-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

1) What exactly "is" Animal Welfare?
It's like art or--if your prefer--pornography. People know it when they see it. Having more precise definitions in more precise settings is fine, but don't expect the social issue to conform to your chosen definition. Reality creates semantics, not the other way around. And in most cases we can get along just fine addressing issues without paragraph long quizzling "defintions', the creation of which is often used as a substitute for real action.

2) Why focus on animals when so many people in the world are suffering?
I'll focus on what I want to focus on, and you can focus on what you want to focus on. But, frankly, a compassionate and just society tends to extend consideration and protection to all, to the best of its ability and resources. I am just one of those resources. So are you.

3) But I see that you [eat meat, leave your dog at home while you go to work, insert something else questionable here], so how dare you tell me what to do?
I try and tell people about the consequences of their choices and actions, what they do is then up to them. Like them I am not perfect, I am sometimes even hypocritical. Feel free to call me on it, but try and keep it somewhat on topic and be sure to do the same to yourself. Then we might both learn something and make some better choices in the future. Nobody is perfect, which is why everybody has room for improvement.

Fame...ish

2010-10-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

So there I am, wandering around the exhibit hall watching people shamelessly snag freebies, and what do I see... me! I think the blue scrubs really bring out the color of my eyes. The eagle-eyed amongst you might see that this is the very picture I used the profile from in my business card design.

Working on a Business Card

2010-10-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

Thoughts? Perhaps not really giving a scientific-y vibe?

Who Scoops the Poop?

2010-10-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

A recent study by Deborah Wells investigated who is more likely to pick up after their dog. Basically they followed dog walkers and noted their sex and leash use, and when the dog pooped they recorded whether the owner picked it up. Then they intercepted the same people leaving the park and asked their age and income level. It seems that those most likely to scoop the poop were wealthier females with leashed dogs. Make of that what you will. What might have been interesting is if they has asked the same people if they picked up after their dog or not and saw what factors best predicted lying about it....

Wells, D.L. (2006). Factors influencing owners' reactions to their dogs fouling. Environment and Behavior, 38, 707-714.

Robot Cat Wakes Up

2010-09-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

I was once asked how to respond when someone sends you a novel manuscript that is... not good. That is, in fact, double plus ungood.

My suggestion was: "Have you considered self-publishing; I hear it is a wave of the future."

Yes, I do in fact have a point.

What should you say when some-one fundamentally unsuited to owning a cat asks you what kind of cat they should get? "I think you should get a robot cat; I hear they are the wave of the future."

The as-yet-unnamed robot cat is shown in his post guarding the candy bowl.

Wow.

2010-09-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

There is, apparently, a sl... sexy Halloween costume version of just about everything.

Including, I kid you not, "sexy vet nurse".

Yeah, this makes Pet Vet Barbie look positively puritan.

Will bake for appliances

2010-09-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hopefully tonight I will get a friend's cast off TV. In return they will get chocolate cat, cinnamon fox, and custard snail biscuits.

Cat 'n' Bat Cookies

2010-09-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for Halloween with chocolate cookies.

I am a better psychologist than I am a baker, honest.

Actually the bear-shaped sugar cookies I made yesterday were better than this... but I didn't have my new camera then.

OK Go, with dogs....

2010-09-20T10:05:00.001-07:00

Do You Know These Cats?

2010-09-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

If so, I may have found your photo CD on the side of the road in the Chicago suburbs. Drop me an email and I can either post you the CD or email the files.

BTW, cute cats :)

Where have all the cowboys gone?

2010-09-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

First there was the story that nobody could figure out how to contain a heavily pregnant heifer at a fair in California without using lethal force (It's call a rope, people). Then the news that a bunch of people at the Royal Adelaide Show (Australia) standing in a hot tent with lots of cows could not work out why their eyes were all itchy. (It's called cow pee. Cow pee + heat = ammonia).

To quote the singer Paula Cole: where have all the cowboys (and girls) gone?

Why do dogs wear collars, but cats don't?

2010-09-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

One reasons that is often given for collarless cats is that cats just won't wear collars. Is this really true? A recent study suggests three out of four cats will wear a collar, and most cats exceeded their owners estimates when it came to collar acceptance.

Despite my prediction that pet collars may eventually become obsolete with the improvement of microchip technology, they are currently the best method for ensuring that you get your lost pet back. They also signal to anyone who comes across you cats that it is not feral or 'up for grabs' for them to adopt.

I think that, if we are honest, the use of collars for dogs only is just a tradition--and reflects the archaic notion of the cats as a lower value animal kept more for pest control than as a companion. And it is about time that animals were valued and cared for in a way that reflects their current role, not some notion from the agrarian past.

Even indoor cats can get out, and may be in more distress when they do. So it might be time to consider a collar and tag to help your cat find his or her way home. Just make sure it fits loosely enough to slide two finger underneath it, and has a break-away feature in case it gets caught on something.

And ignore that initial offended look, most cats will quickly get used to their new fashion accessory....

Animal Welfare and the Case of Red Riding Hood

2010-09-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

Recently a video emerged of a young girl killing small puppies by throwing them in a river. The response was intense and predictable. Because animal abuse is is evil, it stands to reason that the people who do it are monsters. The comments on news articles include judgments like "put her behind bars" and "inherent sadism, cruelty and disregard for life will remain unchanged". Celebrity condemnations of the girl came from the likes of Twilight star actor Kellan Lutz.

In order to rescue the girl from the severe hostility a story that the puppies were recovered from the river and lived was apparently faked by family and neighbors. Because you don't totally give up on a teen girl even when she does something this bad--you try to help her learn it was wrong, and learn how she should behave towards vulnerable animals. Our approach to animal cruelty as a moral stain leaves us with little choice but to condemn the guilty, often as congenitally abnormal and deserving of cruelty themselves. By separating out a certain group (abusers) and saying they deserve all they get, they should receive no sympathy--we are delivering exactly the wrong lesson to people who have the same attitude to animals.

If forced to choose between puppies and children, most communities will choose their children and defend that choice. But this is a false dilemma. The child that hurts animals is also a victim in need of help. They should be offered compassionate correction, hope, and the option of changing their ways and being again fully embraced by their local and digital community. For those who condemn her acts and then attack her are displaying a rank hypocrisy that should not be accepted. "Sick Bitch" a commenter says, oblivious of the innate nonsense of denigrating the girl by comparing her to a being of low value... a dog.

We need to teach the animal abusing child what it feels like to look at cruel acts and be horrified, not what is feels like to be abused (a feeling that many of them will already be far too familiar with). We need to be part of a cycle of compassion, not participate in a cycle of abuse.

Animal abuse is harmful to animals, and to abusers, and to the community. It is a public health issue like drunk driving or smoking, not a subjective "moral" health issue like promiscuity or swearing. Only by managing to condemn the act without utterly demonising the perpetrator will we encourage people to see the early signs of trouble in themselves, their children and others around them--and to intervene to help and correct these aberrations. Only then are we likely to make more headway in developing compassionate, non-violent, and inclusive communities in which both animals and people and nurtured and protected.

The Good Sherpherd is not a Robot

2010-09-04T13:33:00.000-07:00

Traditionally the person who cares for stock is the epitome of the careful and caring working. The good shepherd watches his flock at night, the cowboy carries the weak calf on his own back. But a recent blog post, Workers, robots and progress in the food industry, seems to me to be making a rather different argument:

1) Farm and slaughterhouse work is undesirable because it is long hours or hard manual labor.

2) Therefore we use immigrant labor, often including illegal immigrants who may be underpaid and unfairly exploited.

3) It might be better if we use robots.

I can follow this argument from the point of view of a current farmer responding to immediate pressures. But as a person who is able to step back a bit from the melee of making a living in the current economic climate, I disagree with it at every step. This is not just because I can "afford to be unpragmatic". But because our society should, and must, do better than this.

1) Farm and slaughterhouse work is important and we need to find a way to reflect this in the working conditions and pay.

2) Whether the worker is a citizen, an immigrant or even an illegal immigrant they must be treated the same.

3) Robots are ultimately tools not replacements for people. The robot should allow that human care to be freed up from repetitive tasks but skilled human supervision should be available at all times.

Raising animals, moving animals and killing animals is a task that must be carried out mindfully by caring, skilled humans--including the direct involvement of the owner (or their proxy, the manager) of the animals or the facility. If a workplace has become so intolerable that the owners will not willingly spend a lot of time there, and no human could be reasonably expected to do the job, the answer is not to replace them with a robot.

A farm or slaughterhouse not fit for workers is not fit for animals either. It should not be patched with technology, but fixed with the intelligent application of ethics, psychology, business expertise and technology. In some cases this is not, I can clearly see, an easy task. But any step that excuses the lack of skilled stockmen in the raising, transport and killing of animals is only going to delay and impede progress to the real solution.

A good shepherd may choose to use an augur to distribute feed, a web cam to watch by night or robotics to milk a cow or collect an egg. The one who watches, who cares, who moves and who kills an animal must be a stockperson who cares about that animals--but to appropriately care for any animal you must also care about that animal. That is why the good shepherd is not a robot.

I do not think we have arrived at a place where it would be easier to teach a robot to care, than teach a person to. I do not think we have arrived at a place where we cannot hire and train caring people, where we cannot oversee and guide their work so that it retains that quality. And if we have, then it lends legitimacy to the demands of those who question whether we should farm animals at all. I can, will and do defend the good shepherds, the good farmers, the humane slaughterhouse. But if an industry in solidarity demands that the consumer choose between the bad shepherd (or the shepherd who is not clearly good) or no shepherd at all, they may be surprised by the outcome.

Open Source WTF

2010-09-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

I recently received an spammy email about a new open source veterinary journal called Veterinary Science Development. I am, in general, supportive of open source. Ever since I stopped working for large universities the sheer inaccessibility of most recent research reports has become very clear to me. However in the course of reading the email my skepticism kicked in, big time.

"...Publication in our journals means that your research articles will be available for free access online being immediately citable...."

Fine.

"...All research articles published by PAGEPress are subject to a rigorous peer review...."

Great.

"Open access publishing does have its costs. Since PAGEPress does not have subscription charges for its research content it can defray publishing costs from the Article Processing Charges (APC)."

Wait. What?

"This is because PAGEPress believes that the interests of the scientific community can best be served by an immediate, worldwide, unlimited, open access to the full text of research articles."

That's fine for the 'scientific community'. But what about us poor schlobs who are trying to pay the bills, get tenure, or live on the meagre salaries of full time scientists? Why are we paying for this?

"The Article Processing Charge for publication of each article in our journal is EUR 500,00 for Original Articles, Rapid Communications and Review Articles. Editorials, Case Histories and Letters are entitled for a 50% discount."

Yeah, you just lost me. If I have a paper that will hold up to 'rigorous peer review' why in holy heck would I pay someone to publish it?

"Veterinary Science Development (eISSN 2038-9701) is a new Open Access, online-only, peer-reviewed journal published by PAGEPress, Pavia, Italy."

Okay, so I go to the website and see their idea of a good rigorous source for a definition of Veterinary Medicine is Wikipedia. Uh-huh. I searched the editorial team for someone with a postgraduate degree or DVM, and didn't find one. I didn't find any kind of typical editorial board at all--that is a board made up of scientists in the field the journal addresses.

So essentially this seems to me to be a veterinary journal with no veterinarians on the editorial board and no impact factor or established readership asking people for US$1000 just to submit, and a further $600 to be published. It's like vanity publishing, but they can refuse to publish the work and still keep most of the money!

Pull the other one, mate. It's got bells on.

My Trophy Wall

2010-08-28T15:25:00.000-07:00

A while ago I acquired a rather nice Victorian era embossed print of an unfortunate rabbit. With the addition of my inflatable deer head this is starting to develop into my 'trophy wall'.

I have a bit of a fascination with fakes and kitch in general. I am awaiting with interest the delivery of my Sega Toys Dream Cat. I am under no illusion that it will be like a real cat, but it looked cute and I have poor impulse control sometimes when it comes to online shopping.

California Drivers Handbook 2011 says: No Dogs in Hot Cars

2010-08-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

When I sat for my driver's license in the U.S. I only got one question wrong, something about the restrictions relating to drivers under the age of... 16, 18? I guess I didn't pay much attention to that section because it didn't apply to me. But I should have known better. Learning the road code is not just about obeying the law, it is about knowing the law and help the community be safe.

A good case in point is the change that will appear in next year's copy of the California Drivers Handbook requiring drivers to be aware of the law against leaving a dog in the care during warm weather. This is important information, not just for the safety of your own pets, but as a reminder to keep an eye out for pets left in dangerous conditions and to report these to the appropriate authorities (if in doubt, the police).

See also:
No dogs in hot cars: California puts warning in driver manual

Of Rats and Women

2010-08-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

I received my PhD for studies into the how rat caging affects the rats' welfare. Every single rat used in my four and a half year course of study was female. The main reason for this was that one animal facility supplied both the biology and psychology departments. When I visited this facility in the basement of a neighboring building I was told there were almost always 'excess' female rats. The reason being that most of the researchers in the biology department wanted only male rats. I immediately decided to use female rats to avoid further exacerbating the unnecessary breeding of litters from which only the males were wanted. Over the following months and year I heard the same question over and over:

Why did you use only female rats?

Initially out of naive sincerity, and later out of perverse dogmatism, I gave the same answer. I used them because they were there, and because they had a longer happier life being in my experiment rather then being culled as excess animals. Besides, almost all of the respected studies on the effects of environmental enrichment on rats used single-sex groups. All of them used males. If it is not a flaw in a study to use only male rats it cannot be a flaw to use female rats, using female rats replicates these findings with the other sex, and using female rats serves the goal of the 3Rs--that the use of animal in the laboratory should, whenever possible, be refined, reduced and replaced.

This explanation was usually met with mild consternation, silence and bemused acceptance. But each new reviewer would repeat it again. I must have delivered this explanation about thirty times. In fact I delivered long after I realised that I was just perpetuating an error, and they were just letting me. Research that is not sex-specific (for example on testicular cancer, or pregnancy) should not be carried out on single sex groups. The old justification that using single sex-groups reduces 'error variation' is bunk.

Sex is not random and it is not error, it is in fact a fundamental quality of most species. Any study that uses only one sex should not, no matter how obvious it seems, extrapolated to the species as a whole. Not because males and females are radically different in every way, but because it creates a subtle but dangerously skewed science in which the male is normal, and the female is aberrant. It tailors our ideas of biological truth, our understanding of sickness and our approach to healing, primarily to the service of the male. And if a few more animals are needed to account for sex-based variation... well, I bet many fewer animals will ultimately be needed due to the improved validity of the outcome of the study.

I was reminded of all this by Chelsea Wald and Corinna Wu who wrote an article in Science magazine called Of Mice and Women: the Bias in Animal Models . They point out that, to this day, the vast majority of research us conducted on male animals, ultimately undermining the effectiveness of medical treatment on women--and also I suspect leading to the unnecessary death of female animals not needed for the breeding population of the animal colony. In retrospect I still think I made the right choice in taking those 'excess' female rats--but I should have had a word with those biologists.

Vet Phobia and Blood Donation

2010-08-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

Today I was thinking about those pets that develop a real fear of going to the vet. What brought it to mind was that I finally cowboyed up and signed up to donate blood. I believe in donating blood, it is simple and it is life-saving. I also know that only around 5% of people do it. Why so few? Well, I have a theory about that. I have donated blood twice before, both times at high school. Both times were painful. The first time I fainted. the second time I had a livid 6 inch long bruise and pain in my arm for a week. Despite the best intentions, I wasn't in a hurry to do it again.

But high school is over twenty years ago now and the AVMA had a blood drive right in the convenience of the building. So I went in. The procedure was simple and really quite inconsequential and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. The room was calm, the staff relaxed and competent, and I got a snack at the end for being 'good'. I also has a nice confirmation that my iron levels and blood pressure are well in the healthy range. In retrospect the blood drives at high school were noisy, rushed, crowded and the nurse dug for my vein like she thought I was hiding it somewhere inside my humerus. How many people, I wonder, had similar experiences with high school or college blood drives, with similar results? I also suspect that on the first occasion (when I fainted) the scale was rigged to over-estimate kids weights and get more over the donation threshold.

Early experiences are important, no matter what species you are. Emotional impressions can last for decades and have a negative effect on behavior. And that is why there are more and more programs to give pets positive experiences on their early vet visits. Health checks, puppy and kitten socialisation classes in clinics, and making a good first impression--calm, careful, competent--is always a good idea. More, quicker, cheaper can be counter-productive even with the best of attentions. Doing too much in too much of a hurry might have short term benefits--but lead to lower, poorer levels of care over the client's entire lifetime. Whether it is a vet-shy dog, alienated pet owner, or just a needle wimp like me....

Will the collar become obsolete?

2010-08-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

In many way the dog collar is a matter of custom. If you consider its uses they are generally: 1) to secure the dog during walks and 2) to identify the dog's owner and to identify the dog's vaccination and registration status and 3) fashion.

There really is no absolute need for 'walking' purposes for the collar to be attached to the dog, rather than to the leash. In fact many people now use alternative leash attachment devices like a halter or body harness that are attached only when required. There may well be other times when it is useful for your dog to have a "handle" but are they pressing enough to need to attach something to the dog permanently? Historically a lot of dogs here contained by tether, but I would hope that is pretty uncommon for companion animals and once again the collar could be used only as required when the dog is tethered for an event (camping, picnic etc).

The sticking point is, of course, the tags and contact info. Currently analogue methods like little metal discs are the state of the art. But there is no real reason why microchip, and microchip readers could not become almost ubiquitous. The chip could connect to a database updated by your veterinarian with vaccination records. Readers could be built into devices like cell phones. As a back up the record number could also be almost painlessly tattooed on the dog's ear. A person with that number could get all the information they need to contact the owner or deal with a dog bite situation.

It may seem weird to suggest a somewhat invasive procedure over a collar, but it is a matter of a few second, versus a dogs entire life--which is really more of a bother to them? It seems possible to me that one day a collar on a dog will seem as archaic as a nose ring on a pig or hobbles on a horse. More and more, instead of modifying the animal to fit the environment we are modifying the environment to suit the animal. And the pet animal dress code might just relax as a result.

Vet Jokes: The Dead Duck

2010-08-16T11:59:00.001-07:00

This is a vet joke doing the rounds at the moment. I have no idea of the origin:

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest.

After a moment or two, the vet shook his head and sadly said, "I'm sorry, your duck, Cuddles, has passed away."

The distressed woman wailed, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. Your duck is dead," replied the vet.

"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.

The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room. A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.

The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."

The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman.

The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$150!" she cried, "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!"

The vet shrugged, "I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it's now $150."

New Zealand Puppy Tail Docking Decision (Tail Wags Dog?)

2010-08-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

In New Zealand, animal welfare issues are general considered by a ministerial advisory committee called the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC). The Code of Welfare relating to dogs was recently revised, and in the associated report mention is made of receiving only one oral (rather than written) report--from the Council of Docked Breeds (pg. 3). This makes it easy to wonder whether balanced consideration was given to the issue of puppy tail docking before before conluding that puppies less than four days old do not feel pain:

"there was no available evidence to suggest that tail banding of puppies according to current recommended best practice ... caused pain or distress to puppies." (pg. 7)

What is astounding about this is that even the strongest supporters of tail docking, the New Zealand Kennel Club, state:

"It is accepted that the procedure may inflict a degree of discomfort"

While it would seem possible to argue that pain was fleeting and not severe, the suggestion that tail amputation involves no pain, and that lack of evidence should lead to the conclusion of a lack of pain, frankly dismays me. NAWAC's own report includes the existing studies that suggest that some degree of pain is anatomically likely and behavioral indicated--or at the very least that the issue is not settled--and that there is at least a risk of more serious health consequences after docking. And across many nations and organisations the tendency has been to give the animal the benefit of any doubt.

NAWAC also noted that as the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) does not allow their members to perform tail docking ("The NZVA opposes the prophylactic and cosmetic docking of dogs’ tails, and supports docking for medical or surgical reasons only"), requiring that it be carried out by a veterinarian was a proxy ban on the procedure. Their response to this situation was to allow puppy tail amputation to be carried out by non-veterinarians. Cosmetic tail docking with a band may now be carried out by:

"...a person who possesses the appropriate knowledge, training and competency necessary to do so effectively, and who is acting under a documented quality assurance scheme that assures compliance with this minimum standard"

And who will manage this tail dockers accreditation scheme? The New Zealand Kennel Club. I would note that to apply to the scheme one needs to supply "a reference from a veterinarian". One might assume that the NZVA policy would include not supplying such a reference? Although, of course, long standing members of the Kennel Club with a history of doing their own docking are exempt from this requirement.

I can, with some effort, see why NAWAC did not want to ban the procedure, but I am astounded that they went as far as they did to actively enable it. Sometimes the best response to a lack of clear scientific evidence is to not act and let the vested interests work it out on their own, rather than to pick a side based on who last whispered into your ear. (Yes, that last comment is less than fair given NAWAC's use of science and track record, but why did they not hear an anti-docking oral presentation? Any number of organisations would have been happy to provide one.)

See also:
Tail docking of puppies mythology
Group rolls over on tail docking

Acronym Animals

2010-08-15T19:12:00.001-07:00

No Cedar for Small Animals

2010-08-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

Cedar bedding is often made from “red” cedar (including Juniperus virginiana and Thuja plicata). This product is sold in many pet stores as a general pet bedding, routinely showing small animals such as rodents on the packaging material. In some cases a small disclaimer might state that the product should not, in fact, be used with small animals. In my opinion this tiny warning, when present, is grossly inadequate.

Research very rarely gives ironclad evidence, but as I will discuss below the data on red cedar is more than adequate to convince most people that this bedding should not be used with small pet animals, and to raise serious concerns about using it as an animal bedding at all. When the composition of a wood bedding is in doubt it should be avoided, regardless of how it is packaged, labeled, promoted or sold by retailers. The main sources of concern about red cedar relate to respiratory irritation and toxic effects. While I am focusing on red cedar there are also less severe but valid concerns about other aromatic woods including white cedar and pine.

Sabine (1975) documented that mice had a lower barbiturate sleeping time, indicating that chemical in the cedar bedding were being metabolized as toxins in the liver. The activation of hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes has been extensively demonstrated ( see also: Vessel, 1967; Okano et al, 2009). And in some more vulnerable strains of mice, those on cedar bedding developed more liver and mammary tumors (Sabine, 1975).

In the course of another experiment Burkhart & Robinson (1978) noticed that when rats were born on cedar (Aromatic cedar products Inc., Gainesville, MO) they experienced 58% mortality and were 20% smaller at three weeks of age when compared to pups raised on corncob or aspen wood bedding. At this time all they knew was that: “[i]t appears that the pups were ingesting or inhaling a compound which was toxic to them.”

There is also a body of research showing that cedar bedding had no ill effect on mice under some circumstances (e.g. Vlahakis, 1977; Jacobs & Dieter, 1978; Becker et al, 2010). And Heston (1975) directly challenged Sabine’s assertion that cedar bedding explained inter-lab differences in tumor incidence. This suggests that certain products may be safe for some small animals, however it remains unclear exactly what the risk/protection factors are. For this reason I would continue to strongly advice that cedar bedding not be used for any small pets on the basis that it is difficult for domestic consumers to determine whether a specific bedding is dangerous and whether a specific pet animal is vulnerable to that type or level of toxin.

One factor may be whether the wood is “conditioned” (often by treating with steam) to reduce the levels of resins (Wirth, 1983; Okano et al, 2009). Carefresh bedding, specifically, has produce null results (Becker et al 2010) which may be due to the manufacturing of this product including having it "processed to remove potentially harmful aromatic hydrocarbons".

However it is often difficult for a domestic consumer to know for sure whether a product has been conditioned in this way, and whether the resulting product is safe. For a list of alterative beddings see “The Toxicity of Pine and Cedar Shaving” by Debbie Ducommun. And if you have limited options and find yourself needing to by wood bedding of unknown provenance, select hardwood products free of dust or strong ‘woody’ odors.

I would encourage you to raise these concerns with pet product supplier that you use, asking them not to stock cedar bedding which by its labeling or lack of warnings encourages use with small animals such as rodents.

Other Links:
Sick Rat
The Problem With Pine: A Discussion of Softwood Beddings

References (in progress):

Supporting the null hypothesis:

Becker, C.E, Mathur, C.F., Rehnberg, B.G. (2010). The effects of chronic exposure to common bedding materials on the metabolic rate and overall health of male CD-1 mice. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 13, 46-55. [Carefresh Cedar, Carefresh Pine]

Working like a... horse

2010-08-10T12:59:00.001-07:00

Dog Deaths in Hot Cars

2010-08-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

You may notice a page on the blog called "Dog Deaths in Hot Cars". I am using this to track media reports on this subject. The number of deaths reported in the media for 2010 is currently 25. If there are any I have missed please let me know. The number of deaths that occur and are not reported on the internet is likely to be much higher.

Rant

2010-08-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

Why is it that small hotels provide a lot of extras for free, but large luxurious hotels charge like a raging bull.

Want to park a car? $26.

Want to use the internet? 14.95, $18.95 for a high speed connection (per 24-hours).

Want room service, a footnote mentions that the already high prices are inflated by a 21% service charge and a $3.50 delivery fee.

Want to print out a boarding pass? $2.50 per minute plus $1 per page printed.

The only extra I seem to get for free is a scent the room is drenched it, which I think I may be allergic to.

Convention Update....

2010-07-31T14:49:00.000-07:00

A view of Atlanta from my hotel room. The hotel is round so every room has a pretty good outlook. Then off to the pool.

House of Delegates meeting on Friday. Then the opening session first thing Saturday and some continuing education on animal behavior and the pet fish trade.

Hit the exhibitor's floor. The Wiley-Blackwell booth has two copies of the Sciences of Animal Welfare. Quick, somebody buy them!

Came across the Atlanta Flatiron building, five years older than the one in Manhattan.

Convention Approacheth

2010-07-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

As mentioned on the AVMA at Work blog I will be at the AVMA Convention from Thursday night until Tuesday afternoon. Thus my newly resurrected blog will be afflicted with convention chatter. You may be spared pictures as I cannot work out where my camera has gone.

For the purposes of 'facilitating networking' with any of you who might be at the convention, we (in the Animal Welfare Division) had a few pictures taken (click to enlarge). I am the one in the blue-and-white shirt. The statue is right outside our headquarters here in Schaumburg. For extra 'spottability' I will be laundering that shirt in time to take it to convention (yes, it will be clean).

You can also keep track of where I am via twitter, and if you are either attending or following happenings at the convention the official twitter hashtag for the event is #AVMAconv

I have no idea what I will tweet about at convention but to avoid scaring off the few followers I have I will be keeping it down to no more than a tweet an hour--and the topic is more likely to be somebody-betta-give-me-coffee-right-now-b4-i-snap than anything truly enlightening.

p.s. the Blogger spellchecker doesn't think Schaumburg is a real word... and I think I agree....

The Sciences of Animal Welfare

2010-07-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

So who wants to hear about the book then? Well, here goes anyway. I am the proud co-author of The Sciences of Animal Welfare along with Professors David Mellor and Kevin Stafford. This book is part of the UFAW Animal Welfare Series published by Wiley.

"The Sciences of Animal Welfare analyses the diverse, interconnecting subjects which constitute this fascinating multidisciplinary field, whilst also considering the limitations and benefits of those subjects to the development and future of Animal Welfare Science. This book examines past, present and future practices and thinking, including the wide-ranging interests within society that influence attitudes towards animals and conversely how animal welfare scientists may influence those attitude."

The Sciences of Animal Welfare is available from: Wiley, Amazon.com, Borders, and Barnes & Noble (and many other places).

Reviews:

New book: the sciences of animal welfare [Animal Rights Hub Australasia] Oct 6, 2009
Reviewed by David Lee-Parritz [JAVMA] June 15, 2010
NEW: The Sciences of Animal Welfare,UFAW Animal Welfare Series by John Webster [Applied Animal Behaviour Science 125 (2010) 88–89]

2010-07-25T14:59:00.001-07:00

In Defense of the Retractable Leash

2010-07-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

I use a retractable leash, so I make no pretense to being unbiased. But I would suggest that there are a lot of acceptable ways to use a retractable leash use of you so wish.

To allow a dog who is fully obedient off leash to comply with leash laws.
To allow dogs to check their pee-mail and do other dogs stuff out of range of the 'heel' position.

There are also some things that 'good citizen' users need to do when using a retractable leash.
Do not use is in densely populated areas, including veterinary waiting rooms.

Be alert to where you dog is and keep him from bothering other people or making sudden alarming movements.
Even if the dog is not going to bother some, ensure leach length and position would prevent it--some people don't like dogs and are bothered if the dog 'could' get to them, .even if s/he doesn't want to.
Use a highly visible (e.g. colored tape) leash.

And I'll be honest here, occasionally my dog has got somewhere he wasn't meant to be while on a retractable leash. But I still see it as a viable option, not just a leash-that-causes-bad-habits. Because a retractable leash is not just an alternative to a standard 6-foot leash, it is an intermediate option between this leash and being entirely off leash.

A retractable leash allows the dogs to more fully enjoy the environment without being entirely off leash, and given the legal restriction relating to leashes, I consider this--overall--to be a good thing. But unless we want leash laws to become even more restrictive and outlaw long leaches altogether, those who use them need to be cautious and responsible, and reserve their use predominantly for times and places when other people are not around.

Science Blogs exodus

2010-07-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

It sad to see that Science Blogs seems to be pretty much falling apart. This science blog network is run by Seed, whose magazine I find silly and pretentious, but whose blogs didn't seem to share these qualities. This is probably because the blogs are run, on a day to day basis, by independent scientists--not by Seed staff.

Science Blogs seemed to have some little known ongoing problems with paying their bloggers on time, or communicating with them at all. But the beginning of the end seems to have been their decision to rush out a Pepsi blog to be written by Pepsi staff. A move they quickly reversed, but the damage was already done.

The departure of pillar-of-the-community Bora (with a very thorough explanatory post) has sent another shock wave through the struggling network. Even the most popular single blog (Pharyngula) is now on strike. (But not so much on strike that he isn't still posting).

Google is onto me....

2010-07-21T18:08:00.001-07:00

How sad am I, that I think it is kind of neat to see my own book come up in the Google Ads.

Cats: Indoor versus Outdoor...

2010-07-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is, my first AVMA@Work blog post!

Cats: Indoor versus Outdoor

Hopefully the first of many :)

Chicken Chic

2010-07-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

It seems like everyone has to be seen with chickens these days. First on Survivor, and Kate plus Eight, now in Madonna's new Dolce & Gabbanna ad. But I have to say the toy boy is clearly much more familiar with how to hold a...chicken.

The History and Etymology of Bunny Hugging

2010-07-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

Historically speaking, the Bunny Hug is, of course, syncopated ballroom dance that was once popular in the United States (no... not so much). In 1912 Harry DeCosta released the Bunny Hug Rag, not to be confused with.... 1913: Bunny Hug Rag (no 'the') by George L. Cobb (shown left). The bunny hug was one of a number of animal dances that the 'crazy kids' were doing those days.

In 1951 Bugs Bunny hit the big screen with "Bunny Hugged". You can see it in full here.

These days, of course, the term has a different meaning. It started off fairly specific: 1990s: "bunny-hugger [n] ... an environmentalist, esp. an anti-blood sport campaigner." And then became more general: "...derogatory term for an animal lover", or: "slang; derogatory: a conservationist or animal lover", or: "Noun. An animal lover. Derog."

But, as is the case with many derogatory terms, they are subject to interpretation. Bunnies, as a stand in for animals in general, are pretty damn huggable. And as a gesture to express a love of animals, why not the hug? So as a blog name for a professional animal lover, it didn't seem a bad choice. I am an out and proud hugger of bunnies!

See also:
Bunny Huggers

AVMA@Work

2010-07-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

I am poised to start blogging on AVMA at Work.... I have had the training (this is a blog, this is a post, this is a page....). Now the only problem is: what do I do at work that anyone would want to know about?

Quotables

2010-06-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

"In 2007, Pork Quality Assurance evolved into Pork Quality Assurace Plus (PQA Plus)to reflect increasing customer and consumer interest in the way food animals are raised."

From: Pork Checkoff Certification Programs

Spelling is presumably not one of the qualities being assured....

Book Reviewers Wanted (for JAAWS)

2010-06-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/JAAWSbookreviewers/

I am looking for individuals who would be available to review books for the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. JAAWS is a peered reviewed academic journal that publishes articles and reports discussing methods of experimentation, husbandry, and care that enhance the welfare of animals in laboratories, farms, homes, and the wild.

Reviewers should have a strong background in a scientific discipline or profession, and a sound understanding of animal welfare. Members who are not directly invited should apply to join the group and leave a note outlining their relevant experience and/or qualifications. Members of animal related professions (e.g. laboratory technician, zookeeping, agriculture) are encouraged to join, as well as animal scientists and graduate students in animal science disciplines.

Books would be made available for selection by the reviewers, and books within the remit of the journal can be requested and may be provided at the discretion of the publisher. Reviews should be approximately 500-800 words in length and state a strong, expert opinion or perspective on the material covered in the book. The tone should be more like an editorial or commentary than a "book report". Reviews are due within two months of the receipt of the book unless otherwise arranged. Reviews will be published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science provided that they meet the approval of the editorial staff.

People First?

2010-06-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

I often see it argued that it is unjust to offer animals protections that are not offered to people, and to many this objection has intuitive appeal. It seems unnatural to place non-human animals first, like rescuing a dog from a house that is on fire while a baby is left in a burning bassinet. The point I would raise is, how should such inequities be remedied? Because the most common suggestion seems to be to not advance the protection of animals. I would argue that this is completely backward for two reasons.

Firstly, if two vulnerable groups need protection, leaving both unprotected is not morally superior to correcting this situation with one. Those active in neither animal nor human protection have no basis for criticising the choice of others to participate in animal protection initiative. Rather, if they see injustice in humans not being offered that same protection--they should pursue the provision of that protection rather than try to tear down advances in other areas. Rather than through the puppy back into the fire, they should go in to save the baby.

Secondly, the existance of a protection for animals will in fact encourage the advance of human protection. One famous example of this occurred in 1874 when there was very little legal protections for abused children. So when the case of Mary Ellen, a beaten and neglected 10-year-old girl, was taken by her would be rescuer--Etta Wheeler--to Henry Bergh of the ASPCA because he was known to be a compassionate and influential person. When agencies and individuals responsible for humans would not assist, the existence of a group compassionate towards animals provided a model and a champion for this girl, and this incident was a major stepping stone on the development of the child protection movement.

In summary, equality in suffering is no virtue. It reinforces a status quo where progress and compassion are subject to morally weighted criticism, but apathy and indifference are accepted as the norm. Advances in the treatment of animals should and must be pursued, and if this exposes the vulnerabilities of disadvantaged human groups, then this is better than leaving those situations unexposed.

If we find that we are, in some way, treating dogs better than people, the answer is to treat people better, not to treat dogs worse.

Picture credits: wilhelmien, contracox
See also: Untangling the Animal Abuse Web, I am Only One
For an example of 'people first' see the comment section here.

Taking the "Human" out of Psychology

2010-06-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

As a psychologist who focusses on non-human animals, I find the decline of this specialisation rather sad. It is great to see biologists, veterinarians, sociologists and other academics and professional engaging in the study of animal behaviour. However, it seems that psychology as a whole is turning its back on non-human animals.

I am particularly dismayed the increasing trend of defining psychology as "the study the human mind and human behavior". (As exhibited by the institutions listed below). It seems to me that nothing would be lost, and much gained, if the word "human" was removed from that definition.

In this modern word it is important to understand what it is to be human, and why humans do what we do. But it is equally important to realise that humanity is not the only phenomenon worth studying--and the human animal is not the only species we should value, understand and learn from. Please join me in encouraging psychologists and psychological institutions to take the word "human" out of the definition of psychology.

Examples
Psychology Wiki: "Psychology ... is an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of human mental functions and behavior."
La Sierra University: "Psychologists study the human mind and human behavior".