Source: The New York Times
(December 16, 2021) It’s hard to know where your charitable dollars will do the most good. This year, I’ll focus most of my giving on GiveDirectly, which does exactly what it promises: Gives money to the world’s poorest people, without attaching strings, conditions or complexity. But about 10 percent of my donations every year goes to easing, or ending, the suffering of factory farmed animals, which is mind-melting in its scale. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that about 80 billion — yes, billion — land animals are slaughtered each year for food, and, according to some estimates, between 51 billion and 160 billion farmed fish join them. The overwhelming majority of these animals are raised and killed in conditions with no analogue in history, and they suffer terribly...Read more» |
Source: HealthDay
(December 7, 2021) Traits particular to certain dog breeds — the distinctive spots of a dalmatian or the stubby legs of a dachshund — are often achieved through inbreeding. But most breeds are now highly inbred, increasing a dog's risk of health problems, a new study confirms. "It's amazing how inbreeding seems to matter to health," study leader Danika Bannasch said. Her genetic analysis of 227 breeds found an average inbreeding rate of 25%. That's the equivalent of sharing the same genetic material with a full sibling...Read more» |
Source: Frontiers in Veterinary Science
(October 25, 2021) Ethically challenging situations (ECS) are commonly encountered in veterinary settings. The number of ECS encountered by some veterinary team members may increase during a crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to determine the risk factors for experiencing an increase in the frequency of ECS in the months following the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing data from a global survey of veterinarians, veterinary nurses and animal health technicians collected from May to July 2020. In this study, descriptive analyses were performed to characterize veterinary team members who responded to the survey (n = 540)...Read more» |
Source: JAVMA
(October 1, 2021) The past several decades have seen substantial advances in clinical veterinary medicine, including widespread specialization, access to more complex diagnostic testing and imaging methods, and increased availability of advanced treatments. However, these advances, in conjunction with the increasing costs of veterinary education, medical equipment, and general practice operations, mean that veterinary care can be financially out of reach for many pet owners. A recent survey of pet owners in the United States found that 28% had experienced a barrier to veterinary care in the previous 2 years and that the overwhelming barrier, for all types of care, was financial...Read more» |
Source: VIN News Service
(September 16, 2021) As chief executive of the International Partnership for Dogs, an organization with a mission to enhance canine health and welfare, I read with interest the article "Calls for bans on breeding short-nosed dogs gain momentum" published last month by the VIN News Service. The IPFD has been creating resources on the brachycephalic issue for many years, on many fronts. I recognize that the article was intended to have a limited scope, but my concern is that we are missing the big picture. To see it, we need to consider the bonds between millions of "brachys" and their owners, the influence of the pet industry promoting these dogs, how veterinarians have played a role in normalizing them, and the consequences of banning these breeds, if that were even possible...Read more» |
Source: JAMA Network
(September 15, 2021) In August 2017, health officials identified, via survey, patients with C jejuni infections who reported contact with puppies sold by pet stores. In conjunction with state and federal partners, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated cases of culture-confirmed C jejuni infections in US patients with an epidemiologic or molecular association with pet store puppies between January 1, 2016, and February 29, 2020...Read more» |
Source: Sage journals
(September 13, 2021) The aim of this study was to determine whether there was an increase in cat relinquishment for destructive scratching behavior, a change in overall feline surrender intake and euthanasia, or a change in average length of stay in a British Columbia shelter system after provincial legislation banning elective onychectomy...Read more» |
Source: The New York Times
(September 8, 2021) Riding the waves of success of soy, oat and other alternatives to milk, as well as vegan burgers made by Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, a broad variety of plant-based foods are showing up on restaurant menus and in grocery store aisles. And now more companies — from small upstarts to established brands — are looking to get in on the action...Read more»
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