Why Animal Welfare Matters – A Personal Perspective

For some people, animal welfare might be a lofty topic, pegged in idealism, and with little practical relevance to their everyday lives. In our hectic world full of pressures and stressors, you could be forgiven for pushing animal welfare to the back of your mind when trying to survive your supermarket shopping trip – does it really matter to me how this animal was farmed?

Prior to joining the SPCA Certified team, I was an SPCA Inspector for 14 years. Animals with sub-standard or no housing or shelter, chronically underweight animals, animals confined in excrement without any exercise or stimulation, and animals left untreated with painful injuries or disease were found on a daily occurrence. It was a confronting reality to find the extent of animal welfare issues throughout our country. Even worse was the number of people in a position of authority over animals that could so easily turn a blind eye to their most obvious suffering, with excuses that, for the most part, were rooted in the fact that the animal and its needs were simply not a priority.

Being an SPCA inspector made animal welfare a very tangible concept. There are millions of domestic animals, kept as companions, for working purposes, or farmed, who rely on their human guardians to do the right thing. With no regular oversight to ensure that people are complying with the legal minimum animal welfare standards, many animals suffer until, by chance, an outside person notices an issue and makes a complaint. And this doesn’t always happen.

We all understand the realities of our society, and how our use of animals fit into this; many people have pets, many people keep animals to fulfil a function, and many people eat animal products. It is our responsibility to ensure that animals are treated, at the very least, in accordance with the minimum standards of the law. But as animal welfare professionals, we can see that we could do so much more to give these animals, regardless of their final purpose, a better life. This is the goal of the SPCA Certified programme.

While being an SPCA inspector was a job that I loved dearly, I needed a change – still in welfare, as this is where my passion lies – but in a setting where I could have more positive experiences. As I explored the other opportunities available within SPCA, I learnt more about SPCA Certified; a partnership with farmers and pet care businesses who want to do better, working to a set of standards above the minimum legal requirements, based on the latest animal welfare science, reviewed every three years, and independently audited. SPCA Certified ticked the box.

Here at SPCA Certified, we work with people who acknowledge and understand the animal welfare issues in their farming system or business, and who are actively engaged in raising the bar.

We work with farmers and businesses who are interested in learning more about the welfare of the animals in their care, and are committed to not only reducing negative experiences, but to increasing positive ones. We work with people who want to lead the way and show there can be other paths which better provide for the needs of the animals.

It isn’t always easy to change and do things differently. What we ask of farmers and pet care businesses can sometimes require significant adjustments to their systems or routines, infrastructure, and markets. Almost inevitably, it costs more to produce or care for animals to a higher level of welfare – whether that is higher outlay costs of more bedding, improving paddock shelter, providing pain relief, or increased staffing levels; or a lower number of animals on farm, slower growth rates, or market restrictions. We are working with farmers and pet care businesses that have invested in animal welfare.

When I visit an SPCA Certified farm or business, I can see that investment in action. For the most part, I see animals in good condition, interacting with enrichment, resting in shade, bonding with their peers, and exhibiting natural behaviours. As with everything, sometimes things don’t always go quite to plan – but with open and honest discussion we work together to solve any concerns, enhance animal welfare outcomes, and carry on the path of continuous improvement. We move forward together, incrementally, in a partnership, and the animals are the winners.

We need to be invested too. As consumers, our part to play is remembering the animal behind the product, and support farmers who are doing their part to give these animals a better life than they otherwise would have had.

When I’m at the supermarket and I see the SPCA Certified blue badge, I am reminded of the good; of people who have made a commitment both behaviourally and financially to give their animals more so their lives can be better. SPCA Certified represents producers and business at the forefront and they deserve to be supported and encouraged. By buying products or choosing services that are SPCA Certified, you are helping in a very real and tangible way to raise the bar for animal welfare.

Together we can drive change!