AAWS International Animal Welfare Conference

AAWS international conference logo

The International Animal Welfare Conference was held at the Gold Coast, Queensland on 31 August to 3 September 2008.

The conference was a flagship event for the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy, Australia’s national blueprint to improve animal welfare outcomes for all Australian animals and across the entire Australian community.

The conference focussed on Australia's national and international progress in animal welfare and highlighted major animal management issues currently being debated around the country and around the world.

Conference Presentations

Presentation Title Speaker
Theme: Animal Welfare in Australia
Animal Welfare in Australia: a work in progress Ivan Caple
The role of government in supporting animal welfare Tom Aldred
The role of animal welfare agencies in improving animal welfare Bidda Jones
Australia's ethical framework for animals used in research and teaching Margaret Rose
Theme: The New Social Ethics for Animals
Keynote address: The changing face of animal ethics Peter Sandøe

Social and attitudinal research 

The importance of social research for informing animal welfare approaches Nicola Hinder
Public perceptions of animal welfare - an international perspective Grahame Coleman
Societal concerns for animal welfare -cultural and religious perspectives  Clive Phillips

Animals in society 

Different strokes for different folks -various viewpoints on animal welfare and management  Kersti Seksel
The human-animal bond  Kevin Stafford
Ethical stockmanship and management of animals  Paul Hemsworth
Abandoned animals: not just dumped doggies and castaway kittens  Hugh Wirth
Understanding the relationships between animal welfare, animal cruelty and interpersonal violence: a critical review  Samara McPhedran
Regulatory approaches 
A co-regulatory approach to farm animal welfare in Australia  Robin Vandergraff
Developing an outcome-based regulatory approach to animal welfare in New Zealand Cheryl O'Connor
Problems with current animal protection - sentient animals slipping through the net  Glenys Oogjes
Animals in law 
The role of law in promting and protecting improved animal welfare outcomes under the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy  Geoff Bloom
The law and pets  Michael Hayward
Animal welfare considerations in town planning Virginia Jackson
Drivers for change 
Responding to drivers for change: animal welfare and agriculture  Mike Bond
Labelling and quality assurance schemes  Andrea Gavinelli
Standards and guidelines for livestock
Development process for the Australian animalwelfare standards and guidelines for the land transport of livestock Kevin de Witte
Implications of standards and guidelines for sustainable improvements in animal welfare for Australian livestock producers Warren Starick
Science and practice 
The roles of science and industry in improving animal welfare  Donald Broom
Legal and animal welfare implications of when consciousness first appears in developing young and the potential for delayed onset of increased pain sensitivity
Craig Johnson
 Presentation Title  Speaker
Theme: Understanding Animal Welfare
Keynote address: Animal welfare: future knowledge, attitudes and solutions Donald Broom
Animal cognition 
Measuring cognition and emotion of animals to understand their welfare Caroline Lee
Phylogeny of cognitive development and the capacity to suffer Peter Davie
Biology and technology 
Staying good while playing God  Peter Sandoe
The biology of euthanasia and humane slaughter David Adams
Quality of life 
Does distress matter? Judy Macarthur Clark
Quality of life: a valuable concept or an unnecessary embellishment when considering animal welfare David Mellor
Animal welfare education 
Animal welfare education and training - more of the same or moving forward?  Heather Yeatman
International benchmarking study of animal welfare education and training 2008  Mal Brown
Animal behaviour
The learnt phenotype:physiological, behavioural and immunological adaptation to environmental stimuli Ian Colditz
Can we use behaviour to measure animal welfare  Trish Fleming
Risk analysis to measure animal welfare Michael Paton
Animals and community
Culminating compassion without creating chaos - community expectations exceeding current agricultural practice standards Di Evans
Working towards the teaching of animal welfare in veterinary faculties internationally  Kate Blaszak
Pets and human health  Bruce Headey
Connections
Abnormal human-animal relationships  Kersti Seksel
Australia asks 'Who's for cats?' Carole Webb
Making sustainable improvements in remote indigenous communities Julia Hardaker
Animal welfare education
Animal ethics in Australian education - a research study Joy Verrinder
Teaching evidence based animal welfare in NSW schools  Sally Bannerman
One of the family - the case for kindness Robyn Kippenberger
Presentation Title Speaker
Theme: Measuring Animal Welfare
Keynote address: Making sense of animal welfare measures  Marian Dawkins
Assessing welfare
Measuring the welfare of livestock in extensive production systems: can we, should we?  Carol Petherick
Assessing the wellbeing and quality of life in companion animals Kevin Stafford
Common metrics for diverse welfare frameworks  Lindsay Matthews
Context matters
Which comes first- the animals, the media or the public expectation? Deb Kelly
Animal welfare in disasters  Ian Dacre
Ecological inclusion: animal welfare and the total environment Rod Bennison
Sensitivities
New techniques for pain recognition: What are the applications, where are the limits
Craig Johnson
Practical analgesia for livestock husbandry: the role of topical anaesthesia Meredith Shiel
Layer hen welfare: a challenging and complex issue
David Witcombe
A dog's life
Improving canine welfare by characterising the perfect pet dog for Australia
Pauleen Bennett
Improving the welfare of the racing greyhound - A GRV perspective Linda Beer
Optimising welfare in dog training classes Gaile Perry
Theme: Making Sustainable Improvements in Animal Welfare
Keynote address: Making sustainable improvements in animal welfare Judy Macarthur Clark
Pest Animals
New research into fertility control in pest species  Tony Peacock
Animal welfare and pest control: where are we at Cheryl O'Connor
Developments in research
Developing national guidelines to protect the wellbeing of animals used for scientific purposes  Elizabeth Grant
Putting research into practice: the importance of research in context  Marian Dawkins
Aquatic animal welfare
Fish welfare: the crossroads of science, ethics and comparative veterinary medicine
Matt Landos
Animal welfare and aquaculture  Paul Hardy-Smith
Wildlife
The welfare of translocated vulnerable native animals in Australia Ken Richardson
Game Council NSW Code of Practice for hunters - a case study Tony English
Livestock transportation
Working with the OIE to improve international animal welfare: the Australian approach Gardner Murray
Livestock export standards Peter Thornber
Land transport of livestock poster Kevin de Witte 
Research priorities
New Australia research into livestock transportation  Drewe Ferguson
Research in a flash: CSIRO animal welfare research Andrew Fisher
Animal welfare research priorities  Paul Hemsworth
Research in a flash: Centre for animal welfare and Ethics priorities  Clive Phillips
Priorities in animal welfare for the Australian dairy industry  Bridget Peachey
Welfare research priorities for the Australian pork industry  Pat Mitchell
Egg industry research priorities  Jacqueline Baptista
Animals and entertainment
Zoos and animal welfare Andrew Tribe
Improving animal welfare outcomes for horses and cattle used in rodeo competitions in Australia  John Osborne
Henry the sea lion  Deb Kelly
What factors affect perceptions of animal welfare?  Teresa Collins
Animal welfare in developing countries
Animal welfare issues and perspectives in developing countries Abdul Rahman
Animal welfare concept in India: perception and reality? Ashok Rathore
Sharing the load: sustainable community action to improve the welfare of working animals in developing countries Lisa van Dijk
Theme: The International Scene
Animal welfare and the European Union  Andrea Gavinelli
The USA perspective and issues Chester Gipson
The globalisation of animal welfare: A New Zealand and Australian perspective on recent developments of strategic significance David Bayvel

If you would like a copy of these presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint, please email the Animal Welfare Branch.