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Kubasiewicz LM, Watson T, Nye C, Chamberlain N, Perumal RK, Saroja R, Norris SL, Raw Z, Burden FA. Bonded labour and donkey ownership in the brick kilns of India: A need for reform of policy and practice. Anim Welf 2023; 32:e8. [PMID: 38487459 PMCID: PMC10936255 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2023.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Slavery, in the form of 'debt-bondage', is rife in Indian brick kilns, where the enforcement of labour laws is poor. Working equids support brick-kiln workers by transporting raw bricks into the kilns, but the situation of equids and their owners within the brick kilns is relatively unknown. We describe the welfare of donkeys (Equus asinus) owned under conditions of debt-bondage, examine the links between owner and donkey behaviour, and outline the living conditions of both donkeys and humans working in the brick kilns of Gujarat, India. We then explore the unique experience of debt-bondage by donkey owners, compare migration trends to those of non-donkey-owning workers and assess impacts on their children's education. The physical and behavioural conditions of donkeys reflected that of their owners, creating negative feedback loops and potentially reducing productivity. All donkey owners experienced debt-bondage and were particularly vulnerable to unexpected financial loss. Donkey owners, unlike non-owners, migrated within their home state, enabling their children to attend school. Our work highlights the need for policy reform within the brick-kiln industry to acknowledge the pivotal role of working donkeys in supporting human livelihoods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Caroline Nye
- Centre for Rural Policy Research, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | | | - Ramesh Saroja
- Donkey Sanctuary Welfare Association, Ahmedabad, India
| | | | - Zoe Raw
- The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth, DevonEX10 0NU, UK
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Nielsen SS, Alvarez J, Bicout DJ, Calistri P, Canali E, Drewe JA, Garin‐Bastuji B, Gonzales Rojas JL, Gortázar Schmidt C, Michel V, Miranda Chueca MÁ, Padalino B, Pasquali P, Roberts HC, Spoolder H, Stahl K, Velarde A, Viltrop A, Winckler C, Earley B, Edwards S, Faucitano L, Marti S, Miranda de La Lama GC, Costa LN, Thomsen PT, Ashe S, Mur L, Van der Stede Y, Herskin M. Welfare of equidae during transport. EFSA J 2022; 20:e07444. [PMID: 36092762 PMCID: PMC9449990 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2022.7444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In the framework of its Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission is undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of animal welfare legislation. This opinion deals with the protection of horses and donkeys during transport. While the opinion focuses primarily on road transport of horses, there are specific sections dealing with the transport of horses on roll-on-roll-off ferries, horses transported by air and the transport of donkeys. In addition, the opinion covers welfare concerns in relation to a specific scenario identified by the European Commission related to the transport of horses on long journeys to slaughterhouses. Current practices related to transport of horses during the different stages (preparation, loading and unloading, transit and the journey breaks) are described. Overall, 13 welfare consequences were identified as being highly relevant for the welfare of horses during transport based on severity, duration and frequency of occurrence: gastro-enteric disorders, handling stress, heat stress, injuries, isolation stress, motion stress, prolonged hunger, prolonged thirst, respiratory disorders, resting problems, restriction of movement, sensory overstimulation and separation stress. These welfare consequences and their animal-based measures are described. A variety of hazards were identified related to factors such as inexperienced/untrained handlers, lack of horse training, structural deficiencies of vehicles/facilities, poor driving skills/conditions, horse separation/regrouping, unfavourable microclimatic and environmental conditions and poor husbandry practices. The opinion contains general and specific conclusions in relation to the different stages of transport. Recommendations to prevent hazards and correct or mitigate welfare consequences have been developed. Recommendations were also developed to define quantitative thresholds for microclimatic conditions within the means of transport and for space allowance. The development of welfare consequences over time was assessed in relation to maximum journey time.
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The Effect of 12 Weeks of Saddle Horse Conversion Training on Thoroughbred Horse Gait. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12136411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The unwanted horse problem is the most serious issue confronting the equestrian industry. Thus, it is recommended that retired racehorses switch to become saddle horses for ‘the second life of a racing veteran’ because training and using retired Thoroughbred racehorses as saddle horses is the most cost-effective option. The current study aimed to analyze the effects of saddle horse conversion training on gaits of retired Thoroughbred racehorses. Our study included 12 retired Thoroughbred racehorses. These Thoroughbred racehorses performed the retraining 20–50 min a day, five times per week for three months. There are some critical findings in this study. The results show that the decreased stride length of each foot decreased the displacements of the center of mass and the center of the head. In addition, after retraining, there was a significant decrease in the head–neck angle and displacement between the center of the head and the center of the neck. These changes in the horse’s movements mean that the habitual movements for racing are gradually changed to optimal movements for a saddle horse.
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Padalino B, Menchetti L, Mininni V, Tullio D, Nanni Costa L. Transport certifications of cattle moved from France to Southern Italy and Greece: do they comply with Reg. EC 1/2005? ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/1828051x.2021.1971573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Padalino
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agroalimentari, Univeristà di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Menchetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agroalimentari, Univeristà di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valentina Mininni
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agroalimentari, Univeristà di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Leonardo Nanni Costa
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agroalimentari, Univeristà di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Padalino B, Cirone F, Zappaterra M, Tullio D, Ficco G, Giustino A, Ndiana LA, Pratelli A. Factors Affecting the Development of Bovine Respiratory Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study in Beef Steers Shipped From France to Italy. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:627894. [PMID: 34262960 PMCID: PMC8273259 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.627894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a complex, multifactorial syndrome and one of the major welfare and economical concerns for the cattle industry. This 1-year cross-sectional study was aimed at documenting the prevalence of BRD-related pathogens and clinical signs before and after a long journey and at identifying possible predisposition factors. Male Limousine beef steers (n = 169) traveling from France to Italy were health checked and sampled with Deep Nasopharyngeal Swabs (DNS) at loading (T0) and 4 days after arrival (T1). Real-time quantitative PCR was used to quantify the presence of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1), bovine coronavirus (BCoV), bovine adenovirus (BAdV), bovine parainfluenza virus 3 (BPIV-3), Histophilus somni, Mannheimia haemolytica, Mycoplasma bovis, and Pasteurella multocida. Weather conditions at departure and arrival were recorded, and the travel conditions were taken from the travel documentation. At T0, even if no animals displayed clinical signs, some of them were already positive for one or more pathogens. At T1, the number of animals displaying clinical signs and positive for BCoV, BAdV, BRSV, H. somni, M. haemolytica, M. bovis, and P. multocida increased dramatically (p < 0.001). Transport also significantly increased co-infection passing from 16.0% at T0 to 82.8% at T1 (p < 0.001). An extra stop during the journey seemed to favor BRSV, M. haemolytica, and P. multocida (p < 0.05). Weather conditions, in particular sudden climate changes from departure to arrival and daily temperature variance, were found to be predisposing factors for many of the pathogens. The farm of arrival also played a role for BRSV, BAdV, and H. somni (p < 0.05). BCoV increased dramatically, but no associations were found confirming that it spreads easily during transport phases. Our findings increased our understanding of factors increasing the likelihood of BRD-related pathogens shedding and can be useful to minimize the incidence of BRD and to implement animal transport regulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Padalino
- Department of Agricultural and Food Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Cirone
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Martina Zappaterra
- Department of Agricultural and Food Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Daniele Tullio
- Azienda Sanitaria Locale della Provincia di Bari (ASL BA) – Local Health Authority Veterinary Service, Bari, Italy
| | - Gigliola Ficco
- Siciliani S.p.A. Industria Lavorazione Carne, Bari, Italy
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Recommendations for Ensuring Good Welfare of Horses Used for Industrial Blood, Serum, or Urine Production. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11051466. [PMID: 34065236 PMCID: PMC8161321 DOI: 10.3390/ani11051466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Because of their large size, blood, serum, or other substances are often collected from horses for production of biologics and therapeutics used in humans and other animals. There are few international guidelines that provide recommendations for caring for horses kept for these purposes. In this paper, general guidelines are provided to ensure well-being of horses kept for production of biologics. Abstract Various pharmaceutical products have been derived from horse blood and urine for over a century. Production of biologics and therapeutics from these samples is a niche industry and often occurs in regions with little regulation or veterinary oversight. To ensure good welfare of horses maintained for these purposes, guidance has been developed to support the industry.
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Dai F, Mazzola S, Cannas S, Heinzl EUL, Padalino B, Minero M, Dalla Costa E. Habituation to Transport Helps Reducing Stress-Related Behavior in Donkeys During Loading. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:593138. [PMID: 33344531 PMCID: PMC7744657 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.593138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adopting proper animal management strategies, including training, might reduce to a substantial extent the adverse effects of transport-related stress in animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of habituation to transport on stress-related behaviors and physiological indicators during loading and unloading in donkeys. Fourteen donkeys were recruited and divided in two treatment groups: Habituation (H; M = 5, F = 2) and Control (C; M = 5, F = 2). H donkeys were gradually habituated to be transported, traveling together with their mothers and other adult donkeys well-accustomed to transport, while C donkeys had never been transported before. Loading and unloading phases were video recorded and behavior was analyzed. Saliva samples for cortisol concentration determination were collected at rest and after unloading. Latency time to load was significantly shorter for H donkeys than C donkeys (Mann-Whitney; p = 0.004). C donkeys also showed significantly more stress-related behaviors (Mann-Whitney; p = 0.026) and required a higher but not statistically significant number of human interventions to load. Cortisol concentration increased in both groups, but no differences were found between them (Mann-Whitney; p > 0.05). These results suggest that habituation to transport could mitigate stress during loading procedures in donkeys reducing loading time, frequency of stress-related behaviors and diminishing the need of human intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Dai
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Mazzola
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Simona Cannas
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Barbara Padalino
- Department of Agricultural and Food Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Michela Minero
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuela Dalla Costa
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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