Conclusions

In reflecting on the range of public attitudes to animal welfare across the different animals sectors and in different countries, it is useful to consider why knowledge of these community attitudes might be important. Traditionally, attitudes have been of interest because they provide some insight into the ways in which the community might respond to issues when they arise in each of the sectors. So for example, in the livestock industries attitudes may provide some insight into consumer choice; in the case of wildlife they may provide some insight into the way in which the community would respond to various wildlife conservation issues, including vertebrate pest control.

In fact, with the exception of a substantial amount of consumer research, very little has been done on the relationship between community attitudes and the variety of community responses that may impact on decision makers or those responsible for the management of animals in the various sectors. Such research clearly needs to be done. The recent research by Coleman, Hay and Toukhsati (2005) has clearly indicated that, in the livestock industries, attitudes to animal welfare do not predict consumer purchasing of eggs or pork products very well at all but do predict a range of community behaviours including donating money to welfare organizations, writing letters to editors, etc. More of this research is required if the data on community attitudes reviewed above is to be interpreted appropriately by those who are involved in animal welfare in any capacity.

Nevertheless, across all of the animal sectors for which there are data, there clearly is a widespread belief that animal welfare is important. To the extent that community values alone provide a barometer by which decision makers can adopt strategies that reflect those values, it is important to know what the community thinks. However a consistent approach for obtaining community attitudes overtime needs to be adopted, in a way similar
to the Eurobarometer approach with regard to farm animal welfare. Perhaps one objective for the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy could be to auspice such an approach.