Cats and Dogs and Elephants

Oh My!

Applying the Open Standards to an Animal Welfare-

Based Conservation Organization

Objectives

By the end of the session, participants will:

•Understand how to incorporate animal welfare into OS processes.•Consider new ways to measure impact on conservation targets

INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE

What is Animal Welfare?

Defined as the physical and mental well-being of animals.

Often assessed using the “five freedoms:”

•Freedom from hunger and thirst•Freedom from discomfort•Freedom from pain, injury or disease•Freedom to express normal behavior•Freedom from fear or distress

OS Already Works well with IFAW’s Elephants and Illegal Wildlife Trade Programs

• Traditional conservation projects

• Species and Threat Based

Animal Welfare Strategies Add Value to Conservation Projects

IFAW’s Alteration of the OS:

•Stresses may be used to describe the biophysical and/or animal welfare impact of a threat on a conservation target; and

•Strategies may be developed and implemented to reduce stress.

Animal Welfare Stress-Reduction Objectives and Measures

• Sample Obj.: 2-year post-release survival rate of orphaned rhinoceros calves is 100%.

• Act: post-release monitoring.

• Sample Obj.: Orphaned rhino calves maintain low cortisol levels throughout rehabilitation.

• Ind.: Cortisol level

What does an Animal Welfare Stress Reduction Strategy Look Like?

Open Standards, Dogs and Cats

IFAW’s alteration of the OS:

•Objectives are to reduce threats and stresses.

•No goal tied to target.

Interesting implication: IFAW does not oppose humane euthanasia of dogs as a strategy to reduce threats and stresses.

What does an Animal Welfare Stress Reduction Strategy Look Like for Dogs?

Why prioritize animal welfare strategies for wildlife?

Mission:

•We believe that every animal has intrinsic value.

Business:

•Stories of individual rescue drive communications and unrestricted funding, providing enormous flexibility for support of strategies for impact.

Thank you!