WBI Studies Repository (WellBeing International)
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UN Support for Children, Animals, and Healthy Development
Get PDFThe UN urges Nations around the world to protect children from exposure to the abuse and killing of animals
Animal Shelter Management of Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Infections in Cats
Get PDFApproximately 5% of cats in animal shelters in the United States test positive for either feline leukemia virus (FeLV) or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which translates to more than 100,000 positive cats managed by shelters each year. Little is known about the current status of retroviral management in animal shelters, particularly in regions burdened by chronic pet overpopulation and high shelter admissions, such as the southern United States. The purpose of this study was to describe feline retroviral management in Florida shelters. Shelters were surveyed on practices including selection of cats for testing, diagnostic techniques, and outcome options for cats with positive test results. Responses were received from 139 of 153 animal shelters known to admit cats, including 55 municipal shelters (40%), 70 private shelters (50%), and 14 private shelters with municipal contracts (10%). A total of 115 shelters (83%) performed at least some testing, most using combination point-of-care devices for simultaneous FeLV antigen and FIV antibody screening. Of shelters that performed any testing, 56 (49%) tested all cats for FeLV and 52 (45%) tested all cats for both FeLV and FIV. The most common reason for testing was screening adoptable cats (108 shelters; 94%) and cats available for transfer to other organizations (78; 68%). Testing cats in trap-neuter-return/return-to-field programs was least common (21; 18%). Most common outcome options for positive cats included adoption (74; 64%), transfer (62; 54%), and euthanasia (49; 43%). Euthanasia following a positive test result was more common for cats with FeLV (49; 43%) than for cats with FIV (29; 25%) and was more common in municipal shelters, rural shelters, shelters taking in \u3c500 cats a year, and shelters with overall live outcome rates for cats \u3c70%. Although Florida shelter compliance with national guidelines for identification and management of FeLV and FIV positive cats was variable, most had live outcome options for at least some of their cats with positive test results. Increased access to training and practical programmatic tools may help more shelters implement cost-effective testing protocols, reduce risk for transmission to other cats, and support the best outcomes for this vulnerable population of cats
The Socialization of Willie B. - Part 2
No full textThis tale is the second in a three-part series about Willie B., Atlanta’s iconic ape and one of the most famous gorillas in the world
In Pursuit of a Silver Bullet for Pet Population Control: a Chemical Sterilant for Dogs and Cats
No full textRecent research has produced a chemical sterilant for cats that is effective and safe. Now, it must be approved for use by the regulatory agencies
Vaccinations, Vegans and the Problem of Moral Consistency
Get PDFhttps://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/hw_diet For people who give up the consumption of all animal products for ethical reasons, the decision to get COVID vaccinations can be complicated. The numbers of animals used for COVID research are shrouded in secrecy by the pharmaceutical companies, but it is clear that thousands of nonhuman animals—primarily mice and monkeys—are being used in the search for vaccines capable of combating the parade of new COVID variants
Do you Suffer From Pet-Related Separation Anxiety
Get PDFhttps://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/sc_herzog_compiss/ Separation anxiety has been extensively studied in pets, but few studies have examined separation anxiety in their owners. Nearly half of pet owners report that they can become anxious when they are away from their companion animals. Two studies shed light on this important but neglected aspect of the human-animal bond
Managing Well-Being
Get PDFWellBeing News has published articles on the challenges of measuring human well-being and reported on the growing number of organizations involved in such efforts. One recently established organization is the Happier Lives Institute, founded in 2019 and based in Oxford (UK), to explore the most cost-effective ways to make lives happier. A recent blog (16 August 2022) presents an opportunity for interested readers to explore some of the innovative ideas and approaches adopted by the Institute (for example, the blog discusses the development of a new standardized measure – the Wellby or Well-being-adjusted life year)
Animal Models in Neuropsychiatry: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Moral Costs?
Get PDFAnimal models have long been used to investigate human mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. This practice is usually justified in terms of the benefits (to humans) outweighing the costs (to the animals). The author argues on utility maximization grounds that we should phase out animal models in neuropsychiatric research. The leading theories of how human minds and behavior evolved invoke sociocultural factors whose relation to nonhuman minds, societies, and behavior has not been homologized. Thus, it is not at all clear that we are gaining the epistemic or clinical benefits we want from this animal-based researc
World Happiness Report 2022
Get PDFThis is the tenth anniversary of the World Happiness Report. From its first year, the report has had a large and growing readership – reaching over 9 million in 2021. It has been widely cited. But more important has been the message the Report has carried. The true measure of progress is the happiness of the people that happiness can be measured; and that we know a lot about what causes it. Given this knowledge, it is now possible for policy-makers to make people’s happiness the goal of their policies. And each of us can live a wiser life. We take the tenth anniversary as an opportunity to consider how far happiness research has come, where it stands, and the promising opportunities that lie ahead
Truly minimal criteria for animal sentience
Get PDFThe criteria for determining animal sentience proposed in the target article are sensible but they lack an explicit functional justification for the focus on pain. This commentary provides an abbreviated account of the most basic functional principles that underpin animal sentience and articulates some minimal criteria for determining its presence