RSPCA Aims to Measure ‘Animal Footprint’

Published on October 22, 2007 by Freelance Contributors   ·   No Comments

Reptiles are up, wild birds are down, chickens are getting better but monkeys aren’t moving, according to a ground-breaking report from the RSPCA published today.

The charity’s second annual statistical look at animal welfare in the UK, taking in wildlife to farming, research animals to pets, highlights several stories including:

* The proportion of people who feel that for a society to be truly civilised, animal welfare must be a key priority has leapt from 54% to 73% in the last year. 1

* Six out of ten people think that supermarkets should stop selling eggs laid by hens in cages…but more than six out of ten eggs still come from hens kept in this way. 2

* As few as one in five pet shops selling ‘exotic’ animals such as snakes and primates offer free written information to customers, according to a snapshot RSPCA survey. People buying pets have a legal responsibility to look after them properly, and accessible information from pet shops would help them do this.3

* The number of wild-caught birds imported into the EU has plummeted from 72,000 in 2003 to 11 last year, following a recent ban. But the number of wild-caught reptiles imported has increased from 11,000 to 18,400.

* A huge increase in the number of meat chickens raised to higher-welfare standards, quadrupling from 10 million in 2004 to more than 40 million this year. However this is still less than 5% of the market.

The Welfare State: Measuring Animal Welfare in the UK 2006 is the RSPCA’s unique and groundbreaking snapshot of animal welfare data. It is designed to inform governments, companies and individuals of the realities of what is happening to animals now – and what may happen in the future.

Each of 35 ‘indicators’ in the report measure a year-on-year change, and measure whether things have improved, worsened, or not changed – using a system of green, red and amber traffic lights. In 2006, there are six green lights, two red and 16 amber. There are also 11 ‘grey’ lights, which show that at present there is insufficient or no data available to accurately measure the indicator – but where the RSPCA believes there should be.

Among the indicators are figures on the number of primates used in research4; and an innovative study into how science journals can influence animal experimentation5.

RSPCA Head of External Affairs David Bowles said: “In many ways it has been a good year for animal welfare, particularly with the coming of the Animal Welfare Act. But these figures show that there is a lot of work still to be done.

“There is a need to gather an accurate picture of what is happening to the millions of animals in the UK as it is only then that problems can be identified and practical solutions developed and implemented.”

Following from the report, the RSPCA has described what it calls an ‘animal footprint’:

David Bowles says: “Whereas our carbon footprint measures everything from the flights we take to the light bulbs we use, our animal footprint measures the choices we make when buying food or cosmetics, or the way we treat our pets.

“Companies and governments also have a huge animal footprint, so hopefully this report will help inform people’s decisions so we can all make a difference to animal welfare, both now and in the future.”

For more information, to test your animal footprint or to read the report, see www.animalwelfarefootprint.com

   1.  Ipsos MORI Impact of Animal Welfare on Society Surveys (April 2006 & February  2007)

*   Ipsos MORI Impact of Animal Welfare on Society Survey (April 2006). The results are based on 2,028 face-to-face interviews conducted with adults aged 15+ in Great Britain.  Fieldwork was conducted from 31 March – 6 April 2006.Results are based on all respondents (2,028) unless otherwise stated. Data is weighted to the known profile of Great Britain.

*   Ipsos MORI Impact of Animal Welfare on Society Survey (February 2007). The results are based on 1,936 face-to-face interviews conducted with adults aged 15+ in Great Britain. Fieldwork was conducted from 9 – 19 February 2007.Results are based on all respondents (1,936) unless otherwise stated.  Data is weighted to the known profile of Great Britain.

2. TNS poll, February 2007, with approx 1000 adults in Great Britain
3. Pet survey: Under the Animal Welfare Act, people have a legal duty of care to their pets – but what information is available to help them? For those thinking about buying a non-domestic pet (including reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals) research undertaken by the RSPCA in 2007 shows only 20% of pet shops provided free written information to take away on the animals they sold.  If the major chain Pets at Home is removed from the figures, this falls to only 5%.  For example, several shops sold boa constrictors, but failed to mention that these snakes can grow to more than three metres in length. The RSPCA believes good information is vital to avoid future neglect/abandonment/rehoming. Survey based on secret shopper research, targetting 282 pet shops across England and Wales.
4. The number of non-human primates used in scientific procedures in the UK. Home Office annual statistics show that around 3,000 primates are used in scientific procedures in the UK each year, with very little change over the last five years. However, the figure for the ‘number of animals’ used only represents the animals used for the first time during that year. This means, for example, that a primate used firstly in 2004, then used again in 2005 or beyond, will only be recorded in the ‘number of animals used’ for 2004. Figures for primate use across the EU are produced less regularly but show an increase, from 7,278 in 1999 to 10,362 in 2002. Within this increase is a worrying rise in use of old-world monkeys.
5. Science journals: Scientists need to publish their research in order to be able to secure future funding. The RSPCA believes that when reviewing research for publication, journals have a significant opportunity to influence how animal research is conducted. By having ethical policies and guidelines relating to research animals, journals can act as a driving force to improve standards worldwide. The indicator looks at the number of journals with an ethical policy, and the quality of that policy.

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Tags:  Animal Welfare, Social Issues