04:29
Most new and emerging human diseases come from animal populations, and among these, viruses - especially influenza viruses - are the most dangerous. Viral transmission and mortality can be very high. Influenza pandemics have previously killed many millions of people. Pigs and poultry are readily infected and can transmit disease to people. Intensive pig and poultry farms include large animal groups of low genetic diversity, who are crowded together, often in unhygienic conditions. Resultant chronic stress compromises immune systems. These environments are fertile breeding grounds for the em...
04:35
Chickens may be the third most common pet in many countries; however, little is known about their welfare status or the human–chicken relationship. Hence, using 2000+ questionnaire responses, this study collected the most comprehensive and holistic dataset to date on owners’ care-taking practices, owners’ attitudes towards chickens, the human–chicken relationship, and challenges regarding chicken welfare. This study and its results should help numerous stakeholders in chicken welfare, including vets, owners themselves, and rehoming charities. Full study: Mace, J.L.; Knight, A. From the back...
07:48
This study summarises a systematic review of 42 pieces of scientific literature, including virtually all animal welfare studies of captive tigers within circuses and zoos, published by 2023. After analysing the effects on each of the recognised five domains of animal welfare: nutrition, physical environment, health, behaviour and mental state, it was clear that circuses threaten the welfare of tigers.
⚙️ Subtitles available in English, German, Dutch and Spanish
Full study: Davies E and Knight A. Welfare implications for tigers in travelling circuses. Animals. 2024, 14(7), 1053 – access at...
04:45
Control methods are applied worldwide to reduce predation on livestock by European red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). Lethal methods are intended to kill foxes and can inflict suffering. Non-lethal methods can also inflict suffering and can unintentionally lead to death. Moral debate about the animal welfare and ethical consequences of both methods is lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the animal welfare consequences, the level of humaneness and the ethical and moral implications of the global use of fox control methods. Tom Regan’s animal rights view and Peter Singer’s utilitarian v...
06:18
In 2022 we compared health outcomes between 2,536 dogs fed meat-based and vegan diets (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0265662). In this further study we controlled for differences in medically-relevant factors, including age, sex, neutering status, breed size and unusually high exercise levels. Dogs fed vegan diets showed statistically significant decreases in risks of general indicators of illness, ranging from 14% - 51%, compared to dogs fed conventional meat-based diets. For six specific health disorders, risks fell by 50%–61% compared to dogs fed con...
04:26
Billions of pigs are slaughtered for food annually, and high concentration CO2 within controlled atmospheric stunning (CAS) systems is one of the most common methods used to stun pigs unconscious at the time of slaughter. However, a high concentration of CO2 is aversive, and creates severe animal welfare problems for pigs. Numerous alternative stunning methods have been proposed, including inert gases, electrical and mechanical methods, low atmospheric pressure stunning, and nitrogen foam. After reviewing studies of the animal welfare impacts associated with these methods, stunning using th...
04:19
What are the environmental impacts of vegan vs. meat-based pet diets? In Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Billy Nicholles and Andrew Knight considered the meat- and plant-based ingredients within commercial pet foods, and the role of animal byproducts. They even considered emerging alternatives, including cultivated meat and microbial protein-based pet foods. The results are clear: sustainable pet food alternatives offer environmental benefits which are both massive and under-recognised. Full study: Nicholles B & Knight A (2025). The environmental sustainability of meat-based vers...