Animal welfare concerns, as described in the Overview of Animal Welfare, affect all species of animals. The following practices and procedures raise welfare concerns for traditional household pets, specifically dogs and cats.
Gonadectomy and the Welfare of Dogs and Cats
Gonadectomy is performed in dogs and cats for several reasons:
to prevent pet overpopulation
to prevent medical conditions (eg, pyometra and some neoplasias)
to prevent and treat certain problem behaviors
These outcomes generally improve the welfare of dogs and cats. Studies show, however, that gonadectomy in dogs correlates with an increased risk for some neoplasias and orthopedic diseases in certain breeds; the risk is potentially higher if gonadectomy is done earlier in the dog's life rather than later.
Training Methods and the Welfare of Dogs
Historically, dogs have been trained using positive punishment (adding an aversive stimulus after an unwanted behavior to decrease the likelihood that the dog will repeat the behavior) and negative reinforcement (a learning process in which a certain behavior increases in frequency because it removes an unpleasant stimulus). A growing body of research, however, is demonstrating the negative effects of such coercive training methods, including increased aggression and anxiety (1). A study of nearly 4,000 dog owners found that the use of positive punishment and negative reinforcement was related to an increased risk for aggression toward humans when compared with the use of positive reinforcement and negative punishment (2).
Dog owners consulting a veterinary behaviorist for problem behaviors in their dog were more likely to select euthanasia of their dog if they had used punishment-based training methods or previously consulted with a nonveterinary behaviorist or trainer (3).
Compared with aversive training methods, positive-reinforcement methods have been correlated with having a better-trained dog and fewer stress-related behaviors (1).
Surgical Manipulation and the Welfare of Dogs and Cats
All surgical procedures in dogs and cats have the potential to cause the animal pain via tissue manipulation. The ethical question is whether veterinarians should perform nonessential surgeries, such as tail amputation (docking), ear cropping, devocalization, and declawing. There is evidence that some of these procedures, such as declawing, cause lifelong debilitation, especially if not done correctly (4). Declawing has been banned in some municipalities, except when necessary to treat a medical condition.
For More Information
Also see pet owner content regarding welfare of pets and euthanasia and pet loss.
References
Vieira de Castro AC, Fuchs D, Munhoz Morello G, Pastur S, de Sousa L, Olsson IAS. Does training method matter? Evidence for the negative impact of aversive-based methods on companion dog welfare. PLOS One. 2020;15(12):e0225023. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0225023
Casey RA, Loftus B, Bolster C, Richards GJ, Blackwell EJ (2014). Human directed aggression in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris): occurrence in different contexts and risk factors. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2014;152:52-63. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2013.12.003
Siracusa C, Provoost L, Reisner IR. Dog- and owner-related risk factors for consideration of euthanasia or rehoming before a referral behavioral consultation and for euthanizing or rehoming the dog after the consultation. J Vet Behav. 2017;22(Nov/Dec):46-56. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2017.09.007
Martell-Moran, NK, Solano, M, Townsend, HG. Pain and adverse behavior in declawed cats. J Feline Med Surg. 2018;20(4):280-288. doi:10.1177/1098612X17705044
