In the company of animals : a study on animal welfare policies

Abstract

The relationships between animals and man stem from antiquity, some of the earliest being those of religious beliefs and worship, but dominantly throughout history animals have played a pivotal role in our everyday life (CA WC, n.d.). This study will focus on the animal welfare policies, related to domestic animals. The main scope is to get different views from people whose work is directly related to this field either as a volunteer or as a public policy-maker. It will furthermore focus on measures that can be taken by the Government in order to promote and ameliorate the rights, well-being and protection of domestic animals. An analysis of the different points of view prove that the current Government policies have improved significantly and Animal Welfare Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are very satisfied with this improvement. Amongst the issues that still cause concern and seem worrisome are the high hospital prices, high fines and the need for more funds. A strengthening of policies with regards to regulation of animal sanctuaries, pet shops, animal competitions and the keeping of exotic animals appears to be another area of concern. NGOs believe that if they work hand in hand with the Government, implementation would be faster; on the other hand NGOs need a lot of funds to further their missions. The Animal Welfare Department (AWD) suggests a number of fronts how NGOs can be assisted, one of which certain NGOs favour and that is a greater unity amongst the various sanctuaries and groups that ultimately have one goal in mind, which is animal welfare. This study shows that Government has significantly promoted and invested in animal welfare. Government has helped the Animal Welfare sector to make huge improvements. Education is also another sector that requires serious prioritization as this is the tool through which the public is made more aware and self-sufficient, which ultimately curtails the Government's and NGOs' work in animal welfare.