Product Description
Our treatment of animals in modern America is full of contradictions. Pets are a beloved feature of most American households, many enjoying the most luxurious food and accessories, and reveling in the love and companionship from their human families. At the same time, animals raised for food or clothing, or used for medical experiments and product testing, often live painful, lonely lives in small cages from birth to death. And wild animals suffer in other ways--losing their lives as their habitats disappear, being hunted for trophies, and finding themselves removed from their homes for the exotic pet trade.

Why Animals Matter: The Case for Animal Protection offers a concise yet complete overview of the problems of animal suffering, linking them to larger issues of human and environmental exploitation. Authors Erin E. Williams and Margo DeMello examine industries that exploit animals--meat processing companies and agribusinesses; medical experimentation and cosmetic testing facilities; the entertainment industry (circuses, rodeos, zoos, racing, and film making); the pet industry; the fur and leather industry; and commercial and recreational activities centered on hunting. The authors also consider the adverse environmental effects of animal exploitation from pollution to deforestation and the depletion of biodiversity. In addition, they look at the connections between the poor treatment of animals and human exploitation of immigrants, slaughterhouse and farm workers, as well as the larger issues of globalization, hunger, and the negative consequences for Third World nations.

Highly informative yet very reader-friendly, this book not only explores the connections between animal and human suffering, but also integrates solid information with positive case studies of rescued animals and inspiring stories of individual successes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Not an accurate book, and doesn't tell you what really works
This book is like so many about homeless animals it doesn't tell the reader about the most successfuf program in North America.Everyone spends so much time doing what PETA and HSUS say when in reality these organizations want to end animal ownership altogether.The No kill shelters seem to be working. The best one is Calgary and they have no laws against pets in any form and they have 95% compliance which makes their programs pay for themselves. "The Best Animal Control Program in North America"

None of the 5000 dogs a year that end up in Calgary, Canada shelters are euthanized for population control. The dog licensing rate is over 90%, where 10-30% is the norm in the US.Many stray pets that are picked up by Calgary Animal Services are returned straight home, they aren't impounded. This saves money and it saves lives. It also ensures that the owner will license the pet as its the only way it can get a ride back home.

Over the past 18 years, the city of Calgary has cut their number of dog bites and chases by more than 50% (all the while, the human and dog population of Calgary has doubled). The taxpayers of Calgary pay nothing for this excellent service.It's all paid for by pet licensing fees."Your pet's license is his ticket home" is the motto.

Calgary, when it comes to animal control, is the envy of the continent.
The leader of this superb organization is Bill Bruce.
no - mandatory spay/neuter
no - breed specific legislation
no - pet limit laws
no - anti-tethering laws
yes - providing valued services rather than simply punishing citizens into compliance
yes - buy in and cooperation among community stakeholders
yes - extensive education and PR campaign to emphasize responsible pet ownership
yes - low license fees and modest fee differential for intact pets

Calgary's phenomenal success depends on a sense of trust among pet owners that they will be treated fairly by and obtain good services from Calgary Animal Services. Trust makes for unprecedented high licensing compliance.High licensing compliance means that the taxpayers do not foot the bill for animal services,and it means that nearly all stray pets are quickly reunited with their owners which saves lives and keeps costs low. There is no way to achieve this kind of licensing compliance in an environment where citizens feel they must hide their dogs and cats from pet limit laws, BSL, or mandatory spay/neuter laws.Without the voluntary licensing compliance of 95% of the population, none of the rest of the success could have happened.Why Animals Matter: The Case for Animal Protection

Superb overview of animal protection--across the board
Williams and DeMello offer a comprehensive review of how animals are used in the United States and why it should matter to all of us.

The book is really two books in one:

First, if you're looking for a well-cited, unemotional look at the ways that humans and other animals interact, including (of course) the way humans use other animals in our society, this is the perfect book for you.

And if you're looking for a strongly argued (but without rhetoric or hyperbole) book on why the issue of animal use and abuse should concern human beings, you also couldn't do better than this book.

Give a copy to everyone you know!
Our systematic abuse of non-human animals is so shocking and extensive that it is surprising how few people are even unaware of it. That's why this book is so indispensable. With this comprehensive survey of animal exploitation, Margo DeMello (co-author of Stories Rabbits Tell: A Natural and Cultural History of a Misunderstood Creature ) and Erin Williams -- both longtime activists -- seek to lift the veil of ignorance that sustains a cruel status quo. Product testing, breeding, medical experiments, hunting, blood sports, clothing (fur, wool, leather), and entertainment are all covered in heartbreaking detail. But it's the authors' discussion of animals used in food production that truly stands out, introducing readers to practices that some other animal rights books overlook, such as fishing and aquaculture, which they call "underwater factory farming" and observe is the fastest-growing segment of agribusiness.

With prose that is both vivid and insightful, DeMello and Williams invite the reader to reconsider the attitudes many of us hold about animals and the purpose we believe they have for existing. What would our world be like, they ask, if our choices expressed our compassion for the planet and those with whom we share it? "[G]iven what we now know about the lives of animals who die in order to provide us with our food, clothing, and entertainment choices -- the playfulness of pigs, the intelligence of whales, the family values of elephants, and the personal relationships of cows -- it's difficult to see how we can continue to make these personal choices.How do we proceed knowing how much a pig enjoys grunting to her friends, napping in a soft bed, splashing in a pond, and eating apples with the reality of what many female pigs' lives are like: trapped inside warehouses, confined in small stalls on concrete floors, with not a bit of straw to cushion herself, and separated from one's kin -- for her entire life?"

Buoyed with stories of animal survivors and their rescuers, "Why Animals Matter" offers some hope in a world of despair and is a compelling resource that is certain to widen our circle of compassion. Whether you're a long-time animal activist or you're just looking for an outstanding survey of humanity's offenses against our fellow creatures, this is an extremely reader-friendly guide that every compassionate person should read. Give a copy to everyone you know!

Mark Hawthorne, author of
Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism

What an eye opener
I am not an "Animal Rights Activist" but thought I was fairly well informed on animal exploitation issues.How wrong I was.This book grabs you tells you what you probably didn't want to know or think about when it comes to animal treatment behind the scenes but it also tells you in very simple terms how to make better and well informed choices to effect change.

This book obviously envolved hundreds of hours of research and eloquently supports the Authors point of view; "That Animals Matter". I am going to recommend this book to everyone I know.

Enlightening and cogently argued
I just finished reading this wonderful book and I feel compelled to encourage others to read it as well.Though I wasn't familiar with the authors beforehand, the subject matter is very significant to me and I decided to give it a chance.I'm really very glad I did.This is a very impressive first publication, in my opinion on par with some of the most well-known works on the subject.Although I appreciate and admire the recognized philosophical works concerning our moral responsibilities to animals, the straight-forward, common sense presentation of this book renders the subject matter somehow more tangible and accessible.Though very readable, the authors don't shy away from tackling difficult issues, several of which I haven't seen elucidated elsewhere.To the book's great benefit, one of the authors works for the Humane Society (presumably, the Humane Society of the United States) and undoubtedly brings significant personal knowledge to the table.I hope others choose to read this most enjoyable and important book, and I look forward to future contributions from these authors. ... Read more

Product Description
This innovative book explores the emerging area of animal rights law. Animal Law: Welfare, Interest, and Rights asks the question, 'What are the arguments for animal rights as a matter of philosophy and at law?' David Favre, a well-known figure in the area of animal rights, discusses how the legal system today deals with animal-human relationships as well as how it may do so in the future.

David Favre, who has extensive experience teaching and speaking around the world on animal issues, has crafted an exceptional text. Among its many attributes:

The author covers over 100 years of legal history regarding animal rights, beginning in 1867 with the adoption of the New York Anti-Cruelty Law.
Materials are presented to highlight the animal issues that people most commonly face, including ownership, sales, divorce, recovery for damages for harm to animals, and providing for animals in wills.
Criminal liability under state anti-cruelty laws is considered in detail, including topical issues such dog fighting and the hoarding of animals.
Veterinary malpractice and the state s ability to control animals such as dangerous dogs and pet snakes are explored.

The status of commercial agricultural animals is presented in detail, including factual information and policy concepts in order to consider what future law might be appropriate.

The text offers engaging, student-friendly problems and case studies on many of the main topic areas in animal rights.

Additional chapters, available on the Web as PDF files, include coverage of private regulation of ownership by landlords and condo associations, control of wildlife by the state, and animals in science.

Animal Law: Welfare, Interest, and Rights is certain to become the preeminent teaching tool in the area of animal rights. If you are teaching a course in animal rights law or contemplating teaching one be sure to examine this perceptive, comprehensive text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Very Informative Reading!
Very informative reading on dog law. The author is from Michigan State University College of Law. This was helpful since I was interested in reading about laws related to dogs in the state of Michigan. Case law from other states is also included. This book is a must have for dog owners in any state!

Superb Resource
I have used Professor Favre's animal law textbooks since the 1980s, and this edition, like its predecessors, presents, in clear and concise language, a comprehensive examination of animal law and its applications toward animal rights and welfare.Although the format is that of a law textbook, anyone interested in this subject will find the book easy to understand, informative, well-written, and stimulating.Prof. Favre's case selection is ideal for law students and paralegals learning the complexities of legal analysis as they apply to animal law.His "black letter" summaries of legal principles are explained clearly and carefully.Anyone interested in animal law, rights, and welfare would greatly benefit from reading this book. ... Read more

Product Description
"This is a delightful book, full of interesting aspects of animal welfare. An excellent guide to the academic study of animal welfare science."
Marian Stamp Dawkins, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford

Understanding Animal Welfare: The Science in its Cultural Context takes a completely fresh and thought-provoking approach. It is essential reading for anyone interested, studying or currently working in the fascinating field of animal welfare science. David Fraser places modern-day welfare issues within their historical framework by tracing the evolving ideas that led to current thinking. He also highlights some intriguing issues relating to the contradiction inherent in the term 'animal welfare science' and the practical problem of how to assess emotional states in animals.

Special features:

* Encompasses ideas from a variety of disciplines to give a broad perspective of the topic.

* Discusses methods of measuring animal welfare and their strengths and limitations.

* Examines contemporary debates and applications of the science to policy issues.

About the author:
David Fraser is one of the pioneers of animal welfare science. He has published widely on animal welfare research, its practical applications, and its philosophical basis. He is currently Professor and NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Animal Welfare at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and serves as an advisor to many international organizations.

"... an impressive historical narrative of the genesis and growth of animal welfare as a scientific discipline. ... The book will be invaluable for anyone involved with animal welfare issues on an academic level or those involved with the integration of these principles into current care and handling issues facing agriculture, companion, laboratory, wild, or zoo animals."
Carolyn L. Stull, PhD, Veterinary Medicine Extension,
School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis

"Fraser offers insights only possible from someone with his considerable experience and understanding."
Dr. Chris Sherwin, Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol

This book is part of the UFAW/Wiley-Blackwell Animal Welfare Book Series.  This major series of books produced in collaboration between UFAW (The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare), and Wiley-Blackwell provides an authoritative source of information on worldwide developments, current thinking and best practice in the field of animal welfare science and technology. For details of all of the titles in the series see www.wiley.com/go/ufaw.

Customer Reviews (1)

A key text for college libraries
UNDERSTANDING ANIMAL WELFARE: THE SCIENCE IN ITS CULTURAL CONTEXT provides a fresh approach to any studying or working in animal welfare science, and for college-level libraries catering to them. Modern welfare issues are surveyed in a coverage of highlights of issues and ideas from a range of disciplines, from science to moral issues. A key text for college libraries.
... Read more

Product Description
The keeping of zoo animals has become a central tool in the conservation of some of the world's most fascinating, yet threatened, species. But how do zoos operate on a day-to-day basis? What are the key problems zoos face in trying to feed, breed and keep healthy the animals in their care? How do they play their part in conserving biodiversity?

Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management and Welfare addresses the key questions surrounding the keeping of zoo animals, and reveals how we can apply our ever-growing understanding of animal behaviour to ensure zoo animals are managed as effectively as possible.

Drawing on their extensive experience of zoo research, practice, and teaching, the authors blend together theory with a broad range of both mammalian and non-mammalian examples to give a highly-readable overview of this burgeoning field. Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management and Welfare is the ideal resource for anyone needing a thorough grounding in this subject, whether as a student or as a zoo professional. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

birthday present for my daughter
my daughter is planning to get her masters in zoology so she had this on her amazon wish list. She received it in August and called the evening she had a chance to look at it and told me she loved it.

Excellent Resource Manual
This book is an excellent reference manual for a wide variety of zookeeping topics. It discusses everything from exhibit design to fencing to different ways to offer water, to nutrition, behavior, captive research, and more.

The coverage of some topics are very thorough (types of fencing, etc) while for obvious reasons some topics are much of an overview, such as nutrition and behavior.

This is a British manual, and so discusses much of BIAZA and other overseas regulation as opposed to US policy (although there is adequate mention of all oversight associations), and there is a SLIGHT bias toward the European ways of doing things (and public) but this is only obvious in a handful of instances.

All in all, this is a great read for a zookeeping professional or someone wishing to enter the field.

Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management and Welfare
As a person, involved in everyday zoo life, I found this book a useful tool namely for the education of junior management and caretakers alike. It is a powerful tool when explaining the importance of matters such as documentation of animals, behaviour of many species and eventually it has proved itself to be useful also when in need, for the correction of certain professional fixations and misbelieves.
On the down side this book tries too hard to cover all aspects regarding zoo life and it also attempts to be digestible to all personal and interested public alike. This leads to a general feel (compensated by an excellent reference range) of "lightness".
All and all, I use this book regularly and with success.
... Read more

Product Description
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."--Genesis 1:24-26

In this crucial passage from the Old Testament, God grants mankind power over animals.But with this privilege comes the grave responsibility to respect life, to treat animals with simple dignity and compassion.

Somewhere along the way, something has gone wrong.

In Dominion, we witness the annual convention of Safari Club International, an organization whose wealthier members will pay up to $20,000 to hunt an elephant, a lion or another animal, either abroad or in American "safari ranches," where the animals are fenced in pens. We attend the annual International Whaling Commission conference, where the skewed politics of the whaling industry come to light, and the focus is on developing more lethal, but not more merciful, methods of harvesting "living marine resources." And we visit a gargantuan American "factory farm," where animals are treated as mere product and raised in conditions of mass confinement, bred for passivity and bulk, inseminated and fed with machines, kept in tightly confined stalls for the entirety of their lives, and slaughtered in a way that maximizes profits and minimizes decency.

Throughout Dominion, Scully counters the hypocritical arguments that attempt to excuse animal abuse: from those who argue that the Bible's message permits mankind to use animals as it pleases, to the hunter's argument that through hunting animal populations are controlled, to the popular and "scientifically proven" notions that animals cannot feel pain, experience no emotions, and are not conscious of their own lives.

The result is eye opening, painful and infuriating, insightful and rewarding. Dominion is a plea for human benevolence and mercy, a scathing attack on those who would dismiss animal activists as mere sentimentalists, and a demand for reform from the government down to the individual. Matthew Scully has created a groundbreaking work, a book of lasting power and importance for all of us.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (105)

Fabulous!
I love this book! So thoughtful and well written. Loads of information-a lot of it heartbreaking but it has opened my mind to what is really going on around me. The connection between God, man and animal is a constant theme. A very spiritual understanding of the suffering, death and dominion of the animal world. I find myself reading passages over and over just because they are so beautifully put. One of the best books I've ever read.

The Power of Man/Woman to make Change...
Oh, this is a great book! I have underlined so much, that I will need to buy another one to lend out to people and keep this one handy for myself.
This has all the answers to the questions and excuses I get when people defend their right to eat meat,orman's "right to dominion over animals" ever comes up in conversation and debate. The greed and feeling of entitlement and superiority of many people is just plain nauseating. Great book to add to your library.

Dishonest
I am less concerned with the author's occupation or whether he's a conservative, etc.The meat is what's in the book.Matthew Scully presents a good argument.I don't entirely agree with his assessment on animals, but I thought he presented a different perspective because of his political bent and his use of Biblical scripture to make many of his points.Because oftentimes it is the scripture which has been manipulated by many to rationalize decrepit behavior towards animals.It's our perceived 'dominion' over other creatures as Scully recalls it.

The book really began to break down after the first 50 or so pages.Then I began to feel an agenda being served.As Scully recounted well known Republicans who have championed animal causes, and the expected religious arrogance in that the dawn of Christianity was the dawn of us seeing animals as unique entities for the very first time.His display of ignorance toward Pagan religions was especially acute.

I am no Pagan, I voted for George W the first term.I agree with Republicans and Democrats on many issues.But I have no respect for dishonest arguments and prioritizing political agendas in my readings.Scully undermined his own arguments repeatedly.I don't begrudge him his position that humans are 'stewards' for the other creatures around us.I don't agree with that, but at the same time I can see his opinion as legitimate.

But he had an opportunity to really advance that opinion and instead sidetracked himself into his political leanings.He left his own argument.I can't respect that, and my own regret is that I read so far into the book that I felt compelled to finish it despite it's blooming dishonesty.

Very Detailed and Documented
This book was obviously a work of pure compassion by Matthew Scully.It is not just a hit piece with a few broad examples.It is highly researched and well written.Scully did the interviews in this book with extreme patience.I would not have been able to conduct peaceful conversations with some of the people he interviewed.

My only criticism is that the book was a little too thorough.It was a long read and may be hard for someone who is not already open to the ideas on the book.I don't think that you could give this book to someone and have them read the whole thing.Unfortunately, most people's attention span is not that long.

I was already a vegan and interested in the book, so I really enjoyed it.

Animal Lover
As an Animal Lover books like this one are thought provoking.If you like this book you should check out Kelly Oliver's "Animal Lessons: How They Teach Us to Be HumanAnimal Lessons" ... Read more

Product Description

Expanded to two volumes, the comprehensively updated new edition, Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal Welfare: Second Edition is an extraordinary publishing event. It remains the only reference to cover the entire scope of animal rights and welfare from a global interdisciplinary perspective, with an international team of contributors assembled by Marc Bekoff covering animal treatment issues in the United States, China, India, Kenya, Australia, and many other nations.

With a focused emphasis on fairness and justice for animals evident on every page, Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal Welfare: Second Edition offers clear explanations of hot-button topics like puppy mills, endangered species in zoos, no-kill shelters, dog fighting, factory farming and disease, veganism, conservation ethics, wildlife contraception, and more. The encyclopedia also explores a range of religious, ethical, and philosophical views on using animals, as well as the latest research on animal cognition and sentience. The work helps readers understand the different viewpoints of animal welfare advocates who want to improve conditions for animals and animal rights activists who don't want animals used at all.

Product Description
New legislation on animal welfare standards has created the need for welfare programmes to be implemented on farms, during transportation, and in slaughter plants. While there is a wealth of information on animal behaviour, ethics and factors effecting welfare, there is little to guide veterinarians and managers in evaluating animal welfare and improving it.This textbook aims to help those working with animals to apply practical methods for improving welfare, bridging the gap between scientific research and practical application. Drawing on the editor's extensive experience in teaching and auditing, and contributions from international experts, this book provides a guide to practical evaluation and auditing of welfare problems, emphasizing the importance of measuring conditions that compromise welfare.It will be an essential text for veterinarians and veterinary students and welfare auditing or welfare officer training, and broader animal welfare topics, helping students to apply their knowledge in the field. ... Read more

Product Description
The Complete Textbook of Animal Health and Welfare is a core text for students in animal care, animal technology or animal science programmes, and a supplementary text for related equine, wildlife and veterinary courses. It provides an in depth text for students at Further Education (FE) levels 2 and 3, and a foundation text for students studying in Higher Education. Each chapter covers the subject in depth (level 3 FE) via diagrams, images and text, then summarises it at a foundation level (level 2 FE) to engage students of different abilities.

• core text for students studying animal care, animal technology or animal science
• supplementary text for related equine, wildlife and veterinary courses
• reflects all aspects covered in the animal care curriculum
• highly illustrated
• written by author with expertise in this area with many contributions from experienced educationalists and experts to ensure quality & validity
• covers all species

Product Description
Throughout history humans have used non-human animals in many different ways to ensure the success of their survival and throughout history there have been differing opinions about how and when animals should be used for satisfying human needs. Some argue that we should no longer use animals in ways that seem to exploit them. Others argue this is okay as long as the animals aren't hurt. Students can explore the different issues of animal rights and animal welfare in this four-volume set written at the fourth and fifth grade reading levels. ... Read more

Product Description
Environmental enrichment is a simple and effective means of improving animal welfare in any species - companion, farm, laboratory and zoo. For many years, it has been a popular area of research, and has attracted the attention and concerns of animal keepers and carers, animal industry professionals, academics, students and pet owners all over the world.

This book is the first to integrate scientific knowledge and principles to show how environmental enrichment can be used on different types of animal. Filling a major gap, it considers the history of animal keeping, legal issues and ethics, right through to a detailed exploration of whether environmental enrichment actually works, the methods involved, and how to design and manage programmes.

*The first book in a major new animal welfare series *Draws together a large amount of research on different animals *Provides detailed examples and case studies *An invaluable reference tool for all those who work with or study animals in captivity ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Environment Enrichment for Captive Animals
Environment Enrichment for Captive Animals is a great book for pet owners and animal professional alike.Easy to read and well worth the price.

Must have!
If you are interested in animal behavior and welfare, this is a must have book. Very straightforward with several practical examples based on consistent scientific knowledge.

Great Book
This book is great for anyone interested in Enviornmental Enrichment.It is easy to read and very easy to understand.The break down of the chapters is great.I would highly recommend this book to anyone. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
The Sciences of Animal Welfare analyses the diverse, interconnecting subjects which constitute this fascinating multidisciplinary field, whilst also considering the limitations and benefits of those subjects to the development and future of Animal Welfare Science. This book examines past, present and future practices and thinking, including the wide-ranging interests within society that influence attitudes towards animals and conversely how animal welfare scientists may influence those attitudes.

Key themes of the book include:

• Multi-disciplinary working and its benefits: how we can obtain fresh insights, enliven our thinking and improve animal welfare by operating widely within diverse disciplines

• Questioning the fundamental assumptions we each make about animals and their functional capabilities.

The authors acknowledge the field’s debt to past successes in animal-based science disciplines, successes that markedly improved animal welfare long before the concept of animal welfare entered common parlance. They also recognise the problems which unexpectedly arose, and anticipate future successes.

Suggesting innovative approaches to Animal Welfare Science, and written by world renowned experts, The Sciences of Animal Welfare is essential reading for anyone interested, studying or currently working in Animal Welfare Science.

This book is part of the UFAW/Wiley-Blackwell Animal Welfare Book Series.  This major series of books produced in collaboration between UFAW (The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare), and Wiley-Blackwell provides an authoritative source of information on worldwide developments, current thinking and best practice in the field of animal welfare science and technology. For details of all of the titles in the series see www.wiley.com/go/ufaw.

Customer Reviews (1)

Recommended for college-level pet libraries
A key reference is David J. Mellor, et.al.'s THE SCIENCES OF ANIMAL WELFARE, recommended for college-level pet libraries discussing the development and future of Animal Welfare Science. From how we obtain fresh insights and improve animal welfare by operating within diverse disciplines to questioning assumptions about animals, this considers the social contexts of animal welfare and is a fine addition to any library strong in animal rights and welfare. ... Read more

Product Description
From the use of animals in experiments to develop medicine for people, to the preservation of endangered species in zoos, human beings' responsibility to and for their fellow animals has become an increasingly controversial subject. This book, which Jane Goodall in her foreword calls "unique, informative, and exciting," provides a provocative overview of the many different perspectives on the issues of animal rights and animal welfare in an easy-to-use encyclopedic format. Students, teachers, and interested readers can explore the ideas of well-known philosophers, biologists, and psychologists in this field, such as Peter Singer, Tom Regan, and over 125 others, all of whom have contributed original entries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent resource for all animal issues
I am the major editor of this work. I just wanted to inform interested parties that this Encyclopedia has sold 1500 copies in the first 4 weeks it's been available. ... Read more

Product Description
The relationship between animals and humans is more complex today than ever before. In addition to the animals that have served as household pets, and the farm animals that have provided labor and food, countless monkeys, rabbits, rats, and cats have enabled modern scientists to treat and cure humanity's most devastating illnesses. This aspect of animal-human interaction has engendered a bitter enmity between animal rights activists and the biomedical researchers whose work depends on the use (and oftentimes the killing) of laboratory animals.

In An Odyssey with Animals, veterinarian and sleep researcher Adrian Morrison argues that humane animal use in biomedical research is an indispensable tool of medical science, and that efforts to halt such use constitute a grave threat to human health and wellbeing. The target of repeated acts of intimidation by anonymous animal rights activists because of his own research, Morrison is himself an animal advocate, and this volume is the culmination of his years spent negotiating the treacherous divide between a legitimate concern for animals and the importance of biomedical research. Drawing on the disciplines of philosophy, history, biology, and animal behavior, Morrison crafts a multi-faceted argument in favor of using animals humanely in research, the center of which is his staunch belief that human interests must be the primary concern of science and society. Along the way, Morrison delves into other human uses of animals in domains such as agriculture, hunting, and education, examining each use along with its philosophical, moral, and ecological implications. The result is a thought-provoking, intelligent and fair-minded discussion of a charged subject-- of the past and present of animals' relationships with humans, and how and why we should be able to use them as we do. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A Great Book For Those Interested In The Facts
Just like any emotionally charged topic, the use of animals in research (and other aspects of our lives) is filled with controversies, strong opinions and, unfortunately, misused quotes and unsupported claims. As an animal lover and advocate, I often get frustrated by the lack of reliable sources of information on both sides of the debate. In his book, Adrian Morrison - a veterinarian, researcher and a public figure - meticulously analyzes the facts and lies surrounding the issue and, most importantly, helps the general public to understand what "animal research" really means. He takes us on a tour of several laboratories while discussing such classic cases as Taub's work on neuroregeneration in monkeys, and the University of Pennsylvania's Head Injury Laboratory research. At last, there is a rational and detailed account of what happened in those labs based on facts rather than attempts of emotional manipulation. He gives specific examples of how animal research helped every one of us (think of penicillin and other antibiotics so routinely used in contemporary medicine). Finally, Morrison carefully considers such issues as what it means to be human, and how animals are similar to and different from us. How far should we go to protect the laboratory animals and ensure their well-being? Can we be held responsible for providing for their "happiness", if we don't even know "what kinds of pleasure animals of various species are capable of experiencing" or even "how to provide for the psychological well-being of our own species"?These, and many other intriguing questions are given careful consideration in "An Odyssey With Animals". A definite "must-read" for anyone interested in the topic and the cold facts of the heated debate.

Moral issues are complex
This book is a timely review that thoughtfully thinks through the issues that have come to be known as "Animal Rights". The timeliness is that it is just one example of many such issues in which the rights of one group clashes with those of another leading to extreme polarizing positions. In this instance the author takes us through his own experience of being one of those engaged in biomedical research, using animals, who hadhis laboratory destroyed, data lost and himself and his family threatened. What is unique and moving about this book is how Dr. Morrison shares his journey from his first emotional response to how he has come to look into this as a problem to be understood on many levels: historically(where did this come from), psychologically (what motivates these people), socially (what can we do to reduce the level of threat that leads to such confrontations)? In this it is a model of using our brain power strength to find ways to possible alternatives in such right/wrong dilemmas. There is never any compromising in this book on the need for the use of animals in research aimed at understanding disease and dysfunction and in testing potential treatments, at least at this time. But also that animals should be cared for as humanely as possible in this endeavor.The author does not stop there in defending his turf, but looks at the cultural and ethical issues in other destructive uses of animals-bullfighting, cock fighting and how animals are used to produce our food and clothing. In this wide ranging look at the many ways we use our ability to control animals for our purposes without their consent we have responsibilities to do as little harm as possible, and to seek creative alternatives. This reader came away admiring the author as a survivor of a personal attack from which he examined himself, and his profession for any culpability and can now share the changes he advocates that will preserve the mission in a more respectful way.

couldn't finish the book...
This book started out too philosophical, then became too scientific.After reading about 1/3 of the book, I skipped to the conclusion and returned the book to the library.I already knew the author's stance on animals from reading the jacket.I couldn't force myself to trudge through the boring details.

Thoughtful analysis is what this issue needs
Morrison has written a thoughtful book about a complex and difficult issue: where do humans stand in relation to animals? The title is apt because it is truly an odyssey: a long, wandering, and eventful journey.

I only wish that more people who find themselves entrenched in one or another point of view could step back and ask themselves penetrating questions about what they believe, and why they believe it.

A Balanced and Nuanced Look at Animal Research
Whether you are a researcher or a lay person, pro-research or pro-animal rights--or anywhere in between--this book will give you much to pause and consider. Despite having been personally harassed by extremists for years, his own lab destroyed by animal rights vandals, Morrison has written no polemic. Instead he uses these attacks as a jumping off point from which to delve into the issues that surround human use of animals. In doing so, he uncovers layers of nuance in a debate notorious for its polarization.

Morrison brings a multi-faceted perspective to the debate: he is a pet-lover, a farm-boy, a veterinarian, a research scientist, and even a clinical research trial volunteer. Over the last 15 years, he has made a methodical study of the animal rights issue--its history, its messages, and the many schools of thought within and around it.

Morrison offers a strong and convincing case for animal research. He describes the specific role animal research has played in his own research into REM sleep as well as in many historical discoveries. He then systematically refutes both scientific distortions and philosophical presumptions of the animal rights movement.

He does not, however, let researchers off the hook. He encourages his fellow scientists to avoid dismissing all advocates for animals out of hand, lest they disregard legitimate welfare recommendations as efforts to stymie discovery. Morrison supports the humane use of animals, but only so long as we remember our responsibility to them.

He makes his own views clear, along with his reasoning for them, while leaving room for readers to come to their own, likely divergent, decisions. No matter where you eventually fall in the debate yourself, reading _Odyssey_ will enrich your understanding of a difficult and complex issue and add depth to whatever conclusions you draw.
... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
(Blackwell Publishing) Univ. of Oxford, UK. Covers every area of animal care and aims to improve animal welfare through best practice and refinement of techniques. Information on all species include euthanasia, management of pain, surgery, biology, and husbandry. Covers new material on ethical issues. British-oriented. Previous edition: c1998. Softcover. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Practical and comprehensive
This book is a very practical, quick read, reviewing appropriate/humane procedures for handling all types of research animals during behavior tests, pre-surgical, surgical, and post-surgical care. Based on British regulations, but applicable anywhere. I would say it should be a required read for anyone who is going to be working with lab animals. Both for the animals' sake and your research results' sake. ... Read more

Product Description
Cass Sunstein and Martha Nussbaum bring together an all-star cast of contributors to explore the legal and political issues that underlie the campaign for animal rights and the opposition to it. Addressing ethical questions about ownership, protection against unjustified suffering, and the ability of animals to make their own choices free from human control, the authors offer numerous different perspectives on animal rights and animal welfare. They show that whatever one's ultimate conclusions, the relationship between human beings and nonhuman animals is being fundamentally rethought. This book offers a state-of-the-art treatment of that rethinking. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Informative, Thought Provoking
Animal Lessons: How They Teach Us to Be Human

If you like this you should read Animal Lessons: How They Teach Us to Be Human by Kelly Oliver.

A balanced and insightful book
MY RATING SYSTEM:

* - if you have to chose between torture and reading this book, then you might want to consider reading the book - although it depends on just how severe the torture would be.

** - if you've lost your job and have quite a bit of free time on your hands, and don't have anything else better to do, then you might want to consider reading this book; don't expect to learn much or really be entertained. It will however, help you pass the time until your death.

*** - meh...I'm indifferent. Reading this book will not alter your life in any significant way, yet it is not so horrendously dreadful that your taking the time to read it will be a complete waste of time.

**** - Good book to great book zone here. You should probably read this book if you have some spare time. This book could be interesting, entertaining, or informative.

***** - Outstanding book! Make time to read this book - you'll learn or be entertained or intrigued. The book might even be good enough to provide original or helpful insights into the world that we live in.

REVIEW:

Sunstein and Naussbaum have put together a fantastic collection of essays on the controversial and often incompletely understood topic of animal rights.This book is a must for any self-proclaimed animal rights proponents and, I think, a very informative read for anyone interested in the subject of the interaction between humans and animals.While the essays can, at times, be dense and academic (after all, there are some real intellectual heavyweights who have contributed to this book), I found most of the essays to be well worth the time and energy required to go through them.

The book starts out with several essays on issues that form a theoretical or principled debate on the issue of the role and appropriateness of animal rights, often drawing on and developing philosophical arguments to support a variety of competing positions.Generally, the essays search for the existence of a foundation for 'animal rights', or, as some of the authors might argue, if one exists at all.The middle section of the book tended to focus the more practical foundations and implications of a system of animal rights, including an informative essay by David J. Wolfson and Mariann Sullivan on the restricted application of animal cruelty laws in the North American agribusiness sector.The final essays of the book tend to be theoretical prescriptive explorations, examining where animal rights developments might progress in the future.

In summary, I think that this was an extremely valuable book, and definitely one that I will find myself returning to several times in the future.

Good survey of hot topics
Great debates on the most recent issues in animal law.A great resource for Animal Law instructors.

refreshingly new perspectives
Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions explores the human - animal relationship from a range of perspectives.It aims to assist in the fundamental rethinking of the relationship between human beings and nonhuman animals.The book consists of fourteen chapters, each written by a different author.It is this format of the text, drawing on an impressive list of contributors, which makes it so distinctive and significant. The chapters flow surprisingly well, in some cases engaging with each other's arguments.While the great proportion of the book is concerned with positive reforms towards the increased recognition of the interests of nonhuman animals it does, rather uniquely, contain contributions from both sides of the animal rights debate.

Those acquainted with recent animal rights literature will be familiar with some of the contributors' work.Steven Wise contributes an excellent chapter which is adapted from his book "Drawing the Line", while Gary Francione's chapter draws on ideas mapped out in his groundbreaking work "Animals, Property and the Law". In addition to the contributions of the more prominent authors, the book contains a number of stimulating and fresh ideas from thinkers who haven't published extensively in this field.

The book represents a comprehensive exploration of the major contemporary animal rights debates.The chapters on law and policy reform are particularly engaging and insightful, with a number of the contributors putting forward substantial and compelling suggestions for reform.

It is certainly not an introductory type of text.The book is distinctly academic in tone, as one would expect given the overwhelming majority of the contributors are professors from prestigious universities.

A highly recommended read and a valuable reference for those interested in theoretical debates on animal rights.It's a timely book for the animal rights movement representing a compendium of fresh ideas and a roadmap for legal reform.

Contains an important "fragment" from Catharine MacKinnon
From an animal rights persective, this book is inconsistent.

The reader will be treated, however, to a new voice -- that of Catharine MacKinnon, in a fascinating piece named "Of Mice and Men: A Feminist Fragment on Animal Rights." In it, Professor MacKinnonasks if "missing the misogyny in animal use and abuse" hinders animal rights successes.

We live in a culture that's largely comfortable thinking that what humans do to nonhuman bodies does not matter - at least what's done in regular, institutionalized ways.

As female people have often been defined and valued in terms of the use of their bodies and their reproductive functions, it is logical that nonhuman-rights advocates could find a message of value in the social movement for women's equality.

Regarding the treatment of nonhumans and the treatment of women, MacKinnon notes that the "denial of social hierarchy in both relations is further supported by verbiage about love and protection" as though it mitigates the domination. Often, rights for women have been denied because love and protection have been considered good enough. Could we not say the same about the animals we have domesticated?

If so, then the animal advocacy movement richly needs the contribution that MacKinnon's feminist fragment provides.
... Read more

Product Description
Behaviour is a significant indicator of health in animals and understanding behaviour is the key to good management. Animal behaviour and animal welfare science are fast becoming core topics in the curriclua of agriculture and veterinary students. The eagerly awaited fourth edition of Farm Animal Behaviour and Welfare builds on the coverage of the previous edition, fully updating it to take into account developments over the last 10 years. This new edition covers companion animals as well as farm animal species including farmed fish. It is an indispensible textbook covering the major and growing areas in agricultural and veterinary science and practice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

one fantastic book,\
packed full of objective knowledge on the world of animal behavior. worth the read, even if you don't need this book for a class or not ... Read more

Product Description
This accessible and cutting-edge work offers a new look at the history of western _civilization,_ one that brings into focus the interrelated suffering of oppressed humans and other animals. Nibert argues that the oppression both of humans and of other species of animals is inextricably tangled within the structure of social arrangements. Nibert asserts that human use and mistreatment of other animals are not natural and do little to further the human condition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An important addition to animal ethics scholarship
Whereas a large portion of the scholarship regarding humans' ethical responsibilities towards animals has focused on the roles and morality of the individual - this book takes a sociological perspective in order to express a direct correlation between the systematic exploitation of humans and other animals. It is the same sort of attitudes and social norms which cause humans to promote and sustain oppresive systems towards all subjects of a life, and Nibert's book does an excellent job of chronicling this reality.

Groundbreaking Study of Systemic Oppression
While I was familiar with historical episodes of oppression and violence, I never really connected the dots to see how many of these events were related and largely motivated by greed and avarice. I was opposed to cruel treatment of animals, but I did not realize the connections between their treatment and human oppression until reading this book. This book opened my eyes to the structural causes of oppression (and motivated me to become a vegetarian). I highly recommend it.

Putting oppression in historical context
In this ambitious undertaking, Nibert attempts to demonstrate the entwined fates of humans and animals throughout the history of the western world. In a style that will be well received by fans of Howard Zinn, Nibert uses this historical review to put contemporary oppression in a broader context. Framing this overview in sociological theory, Nibert suggests that the capitalist system and neoliberalist, global development policies and practices bear considerable responsibility for much of the suffering of humans and animals throughout the world today. A very good read for students and progressive activists for all causes.

A must for anyone concerned with equality...
David Nibert does a wonderful job of using social theory to explain animal oppression and show the ties of animal oppression to the institution of capitalism.He enhances his topic by showing how the oppression of animals is deeply entangled with the oppression of humans based on ethnicity, gender, and social class.Using a slightly modified version of Donald Noel's theory of ethnic stratification, Nibert clearly maps out his ideas concerning the oppression of non-human animals.He covers all aspects of oppression, ranging from the truths behind flesh consumption to the use of animals in vivosects.His topics then expand to show how the autrocities committed against animals then lead to, and help support, the oppression of humans.
This book is a must for anyone concerned with animal rights AND human rights.Equality will not come from seperate movements fighting for one cause.Coming together, and realizing that the cause being fought for is universal and spans the bridge between humans and animals, is the only way to make progess.David Nibert makes this issue painfully clear. ... Read more