Animal Welfare
A Cool Eye Towards Eden
Man controls and dominates the habitat of most animals, both domestic and wild and there is a need for a pragmatic, workable approach to the problem of reconciling animal welfare with economic forces and the needs of man. It is the author's contention that much of the current philosophical discussion of animal welfare is misdirected now that it is possible to measure to some extent what animals think and feel and how much they can appreciate their quality of life. The book deals with farm animals, pets, wild animals and laboratory animals and dicusses their environmental requirements, fear and stress, their response to pain, injury, disease and death, behaviour and aggression, and the implications of biotechnology and genetic engineering. Finally, the book tries to reconcile reverence for life with the inescapability of killing and reviews the prospects of preserving and enhancing quality of life for animals through legislations, education, economic and moral incentives.
critique of modern livestock farming"
1995 New Scientist
"This is a thought provoking and sensible book which can
be highly recommended to all those interested in animal
welfare"
PH Holmes, Jan 1996 Veterinary Record.
"I expect to be reading this book many times over the next
20 years. It will, in my opinion, become a central guidepost in the
emerging discipline of animal welfare. John Webster's
contribution is formidable and he unquestionably achieves his
stated goal."
Ken Johnson, Dec 1995 ANZCCART News (Australian
laboratory animal society newsletter)