Wellbeing and Ethics of Animals in Shelters

Dr. Mandy Paterson is Principal Scientist at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Queensland. She obtained her BVSc, PhD, and MEd from the University of Queensland, where she is currently an Adjunct Senior Fellow. She is a veterinarian who brings 20 years of clinical experience to the project. Dr. Paterson’s research interests include animal welfare policy development and shelter animal management. In addition to her research, Dr. Paterson serves on the boards of the Australian and New Zealand Councils for the Care of Animals used in Research and Teaching; Queensland Off the Track; the Queensland Government Animal Welfare Advisory Board; and the Queensland Health Medicine Expert Advisory Group. Dr. Clive Phillips, now retired, was Australia’s first Professor of Animal Welfare at the University of Queensland. He obtained his BSc in Agriculture from the University of Reading and his PhD in Livestock Nutrition and Behavior at the University of Glasgow. He served as the foundation director of the Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics and has researched the welfare of farm, zoo and companion animals, animal nutrition, and animal transport and production. Dr. Phillips currently chairs the Queensland and Western Australian Governments’ Animal Welfare Boards.

• 1. Introduction2. Ethical Considerations with Sheltering Animals3. Why Are Animals Relinquished? And Can We Stop Them Coming In?4. Health Assessment of Shelter Animals and the Link to Important Decisions About Treatment and Suitability for Adoption5. Behaviour Assessment of Shelter Dogs and Behavior Modification Programs – Do They Work?6. Caring for Cats in Shelters: How Can We Improve Welfare Through Environment Enrichment?7. Caring for Dogs in Shelters: How Can We Improve Welfare Through Environment Enrichment?8. When Should Dogs Be Sterilized in Shelters – The Current Debate9. The Importance of Foster Care for Dogs and Cats10. What Do People Want? How to Increase the Adoptability of Dogs and Cats in Shelters11. Improvement of Adoption Success: Keeping Dogs and Cats in Their New Homes12. The Development of the Human-Animal Bond13. Volunteerism in Shelters14. Compassion Fatigue in Shelters15. Animal Sanctuaries and Their Role Including Special Case Study of Cows in India