Centre for Companion Animal Welfare
Welfare problems are widespread among companion animals, often with major consequences for both animals and their owners. Centre for Companion Animal Welfare facilitates research into the nature and scale of the problems and how they are best eliminated or reduced.
Today, research into the welfare of farm and laboratory animals are well-established research areas at universities and other research institutions around the world. Only recently, there has been a growing interest in the welfare of the many animals kept as companion animals, e.g. dogs, cats, rabbits and horses. One of the reasons why the interest in companion animal welfare has not been as pronounced as it is today is the widespread, albeit erroneous, assumption that companion animals are doing well - as they are kept for leisure and not for the sake of money.
For millennia, these animals have lived with humans under completely different conditions. In the transition from being 'useful' animals to becoming family members the animals have been exposed to dramatic and sometimes welfare-compromising changes. They respond with behavioural problems and various forms of lifestyle-related diseases. In addition, and despite good intentions, selective breeding has in many cases had major negative consequences for animal welfare.
Companion animals are in most cases kept by people who feel great love for their animals. However, love, as is well known, can make blind; and sometimes people will project their own needs and expectations onto the animals to the detriment of both animal welfare and the relationship between owner and animal.
The Centre for Companion Animal Welfare will contribute with a diverse set of research initiatives into the welfare of companion animals and work hard to ensure that results are made visible and applied internationally. The research will focus on the direct welfare consequences of the ways in which companion animals are kept, trained, cared for and bred. The animals concerned are dogs, cats, horses and other animals kept as companion or hobby animals.
The following research subjects will be studied in a Danish context but also in the form of international collaborative projects, which provide an opportunity for cross-country comparison.
Rearing and early experiences
Welfare problems often occur when thing goes wrong early in life, e.g. when the animals are taken from their mother, if their mother is stressed or sick, or if appropriate socialisation with humans is not ensured. Import, legal and illegal, especially of young dogs may also have a detrimental effect on the welfare of the animals.
Selective breeding
Especially purebred dogs and cats are targets of selective breeding which have shown to be detrimental to their welfare. For example, when extreme breeding goals engender brachycephaly (shorter skull) or fixation of mutation of diseases in small closed populations. Focusing on the appearance of animals has also had undesired behavioural consequences, e.g. higher risk of fear or a tendency to show aggressive behaviour. So-called dangerous dog breeds make up an issue of its own. Selective breeding of sports horses has in some cases made the horses so nervous that they have become dangerous to non-professional riders. It is also a problem in organized dog and horse breeding that a large number of genetic tests are offered for the diagnosis of hereditary diseases, where unfortunately not all tests are equally predictive.
Nutrition and feeding
In the past, there was a major problem with malnourished dogs, cats and horses. Today, the biggest nutritional problems are overfeeding and related problems with overweight and obesity. Obesity in dogs, cats and horses increases the risk of developing e.g. joint problems, arthritis, diabetes, breathing difficulties, pancreatitis and urinary tract disorders. Even moderate obesity has been shown to reduce the lifespan of dogs by up to two years across small and large breeds. For horses, there may also be problems with a concentrated feeding, where the animals cannot not meet their need for grazing.
Training and behaviour problems
A common reason why many companion animals end up being euthanised or relinquished is that they exhibit behaviours that are perceived as problematic by their owners. Many behavioural problems can be prevented through proper training but at the same time, there are training methods in circulation that may worsen the problems and give rise to welfare problems. The use of horses for sports may involve inappropriate training methods, which can impair their welfare.
Reproduction control
In some countries, especially in the United States, it is a commonly held view that all companion animals that are not to be used for breeding should be neutered. This view may be justified with regard to cats and horses but is far more problematic and controversial when it comes to dogs. Particularly male dogs are at risk of becoming lethargic and obese if they are neutered.
Veterinary treatment
When animals become seriously ill, they must either be treated or killed. There can be challenges at both ends of the spectrum: on the one hand, there are many sick animals that do not receive the necessary treatment due to ignorance and/or financial inability of owners. On the other hand, the advanced veterinary treatment offered may tempt owners to extend treatment beyond what may be considered ethically sound. Insurance schemes, which are mainly used on horses and dogs, provide financial support and contribute to veterinary diagnosis and correct treatment, but can also create inappropriate incentives in relation to treatment or euthanasia.
Unwanted and stray animals
In a number of cases, humans find themselves forced to part with their animals. In the case of cats, they may end up as stray animals. Dealing with unwanted and stray animals is an important welfare issue, e.g. what is a tolerable limit for staying in a shelter, and also involves ethical dilemmas, e.g. ‘kill’ versus ‘no-kill’.
Research methods
The research subjects will be studied by the means of a wide range of methods, for example:
- Behavioural studies
- Clinical trials
- Physiological measurements
- Genetic studies
- Interviews
- Questionnaire surveys
- Other social science studies, e.g. collection of information via social media
- Epidemiological studies
The senior researchers involved have extensive experience from interdisciplinary collaboration, which includes several of these methods.
Student involvement
Among students affiliated with Danish Universities within disciplines such as veterinary medicine and biology, there is already a great deal of interest in companion animal welfare. To complete their master’s degree, the students must write a thesis which typically takes four to eight months of full-time work. With a combination of talented students and committed supervisors, such projects can lead to important research that can be published afterwards. The senior researchers involved in the Centre for Companion Animal Welfare have supervised a number of projects and together with the students helped publish the results in international journals.
Management
The manager of the centre is Professor Peter Sandøe and Associate Professor Irena Czycholl is the deputy manager. They are supported by several additional senior researchers: Associate Professor Maja Arendt, Professor Charlotte Reinhard Bjørnvad, Assistant Professor Roi Mandel Briefer, Associate Professor Janne Winther Christensen, Professor Björn Forkman, Professor Merete Fredholm, Associate Professor Thomas Bøker Lund, Assistant Professor Iben Meyer, and Associate Professor Helle Friis Proschowsky.
Peter Sandøe spends at least 40% of his working time on work related to the centre. Three months a year he is paid based on centre funds and two months a year his salary is based on co-financing (with one month from each of the institutes he is employed at). The other senior researchers will, in agreement with the centre management, be paid to the extent they contribute.
The centre is affiliated with the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at the University of Copenhagen (where Peter, Iben, Björn, Merete, Irena, Roi and Maja are employed) and collaborates with the Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen (where Charlotte is employed), the Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen (where Peter and Thomas are employed), and with the Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University (where Janne is employed).
Peter Sandøe has the overall responsibility of the centre; for planning the centre's research in collaboration with the group of senior researchers and for ensuring public dissemination of research activities, e.g. via this webpage and via an annual conference. Should Peter Sandøe not be able to undertake his position as manager anymore, the deputy manager takes over the responsibility for the centre.
Steering group
At least four times a year, the group of senior researchers meets and plans the centre's work. To ensure the relevance of the centre's work in a Danish context, an advisory group has been set up. The group meets with the group of senior researchers once a year and has the opportunity to comment on completed, ongoing and planned research. The members of the advisory groups are:
- Christine Fossing, Chair of the Companion Animal Group at the Danish Veterinary Association
- Jens Jokumsen, Head of companion animals, shelters and education at Animal Protection Denmark
- Maria Gravgaard Laursen, Veterinarian at the Department for Animal Welfare and Veterinary Medicine, Danish Veterinary and Food Administration
- Mette Uldahl, Veterinary consultant at the Danish Equestrian Federation
- Lise Lotte Christensen, Behaviour Consultant at the Danish Kennel Club
- Charly Riis, Chair of the Danish Siamese and Orientales Ring Club
Scientific Advisory Board
To strengthen the academic quality and international collaboration, a Scientific Advisory Board is set up. The Scientific Advisory Board consists of the following people:
- James Serpell, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
- Susan Hazel, Senior Lecturer at the School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide
- Dan O'Neill, Senior Lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London
- Uta König von Borstel, Professor at the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen
Funding
Centre for Companion Animal Welfare has received funding to cover the costs of establishment and operation from:
Skibsreder Per Henriksen, R. og Hustrus Fond.
Centre name: Centre for Companion Animal Welfare
Start: Januar 1, 2020
Contact
Involved researchers
Internal
| Name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Björn Forkman | Professor | +4535333581 | |
| Cecilie Ravn Skovlund | Postdoc | +4520270506 | |
| Charlotte Reinhard Bjørnvad | Professor | +4535332864 | |
| Iben Meyer | Assistant Professor | +4523983879 | |
| Irena Czycholl | Associate Professor | +4535329677 | |
| Maja Louise Arendt | Associate Professor | +4535336130 | |
| Merete Fredholm | Professor | +4535333074 | |
| Peter Sandøe | Head of Section | +4535333059 | |
| Roi Mandel Briefer | Assistant Professor | ||
| Søren Saxmose Nielsen | Professor | +4535333096 | |
| Thomas Bøker Lund | Associate Professor | +4535336861 |
External
| Name | Title | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janne Winther Christensen | Associate Professor | +45 87158075 | |
| Svenja Springer | Post.doc | +43 1 25077-2687 |