Urban animal welfare in Belgium : strategies for uptake

The 2018 UN World Urbanization Prospects report predicts that by 2050, 68% of the human population will live in urban areas, which will lead to an increase in interactions between humans and non-human animals. Animal welfare research has hitherto mainly focused on controlled environments such as laboratories, animal industry and zoos. In urban environments, on the other hand, the complexity of ecosystems and the effects of human-animal interactions must be taken into account. The thesis in this dissertation is that animal welfare science should be further developed to tackle the specific challenges of urban contexts.

The dissertation presents five publications, looking at the development, implementation and public perception of governmental policy and management that influences the welfare of urban animals. Two research questions are developed based on the identified research gaps in order to study the ethical, scientific and policy-related aspects of urban animal welfare in Belgium. On the one hand, how do governmental policy and its implementation influence the welfare of urban animals (domestic and commensal), with particular attention to cats, dogs, pigeons, foxes, mice and rats? On the other hand, what strategies can enhance the harmonious urban coexistence of these animals and humans from the point of view of animal welfare? Each chapter deals with both the first and second questions.

Chapter 1 presents a literature review on animals in the city, grounded in animal welfare science, animal ethics, and urban animal management.

Chapter 2 investigates Flemish residents' acceptance or opposition to seven direct and indirect strategies for managing stray cat populations in Flanders, with regard to the new Flemish Animal Welfare legislation on household cat neutering and registration, as well as the responsibility of municipalities to manage stray cats within their territories. The discerning socio-demographic factors that influenced the acceptance of these management scenarios were also investigated. The study revealed that fostering responsible household cat ownership (89.9%) and conversion of stray cats to community cats (76.3%) were most supported by the respondents. Conversely, the least supported strategies were the killing of stray cats (7.7%) and undertaking no action (3.3%). The demographic analysis of the surveyed persons identified three primary factors influencing the acceptance of these management scenarios: attitude towards cats, area of residence, and gender. These findings underscore the value of substantiating public policy decisions on comprehensive local data, encompassing both resident demographics and area-specific information. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that a one-size-fits-all approach is inadequate; instead, tailored strategies are essential for each city aiming to sustainably manage stray cat populations.

In Chapter 3, the focus is on the historical evolution of thinking about animals in Western Europe. In the first section of Chapter 3, A Brief History of Thinking About Animals, it was observed how the study of animals has been profoundly influenced by the quest to identify what characterizes humans and distinguishes them from other animals. Over time, the Western perspective on animals has been gradually shifting. In the past, it was common for animals to be viewed as fundamentally different from humans. The primary reason for their value was their instrumental purposes. However, there is a growing recognition of human kinship with other species. This ongoing shift in perspective is accompanied by a transformation in how animals are valued, from being viewed as utilitarian to having intrinsic value. Ethics, philosophy, veterinary medicine, and ethology laid foundations for the initiation of granting (legally enforceable) rights to animals, though still within the context of their relationship to humans rather than based on species-specific characteristics. Following the perspectives of Jacques Derrida and Martha Nussbaum, it becomes evident that the growing body of welfare knowledge about animal species should inform the development of appropriate legal foundations, and the place animals are given in our moral reasoning. In the second part of Chapter 3, it was determined that human sensory abilities guide their perception, observation, and understanding of animals. Furthermore, it was found that human attitudes towards animals are influenced by animals’ phylogenetic relatedness to humans. Innate releasing mechanisms, as termed by Konrad Lorenz, play a dominant role in shaping human views and interactions with animals. These biases must be recognized and addressed in considerations of whether to grant rights or intrinsic value to different animal species. Consequently, more in-depth animal welfare research is essential for coexistence with animals.

The objective of the study in Chapter 4 was to assess the impact on rodent welfare of both lethal and non-lethal control methods, which included three dispatch methods. The study developed animal welfare scores for fourteen control and dispatch methods, revealing distinct impacts. Integrated Pest Management emerged as a crucial strategy for humanely managing rodent populations. Integrated Pest Management aligns with the evolving ethics, which increasingly recognize the intrinsic value of non-human animals and our moral obligation to treat rodents with compassion. However, the efficacy of Integrated Pest Management could be enhanced by incorporating animal welfare scores to minimize pain, suffering, and distress when selecting control methods. The study also underscored the necessity for empirical research on the impact of rodent control methods on animal welfare and for the testing of standard operating procedures. Additionally, it highlights the importance of legal provisions concerning the sale of high-quality traps and enhancing public awareness of the animal welfare implications of various rodent control methods. The findings may assist both laypeople and professionals in making informed decisions about controlling mouse and rat populations, and to guide regulatory agencies and legislators in the development of rodent welfare management policies and legislation.

Chapter 5 describes an emerging trend in Western Europe, where rodents are more and more framed as urban neighbours, challenging the prevailing negative perceptions. It is demonstrated that Integrated Pest Management is an essential strategy for addressing urban rodent populations. However, Integrated Pest Management must integrate scientific research concerning the welfare implications of various methods. This integration is crucial to prevent uninformed debates about the most humane approaches to rodent management. The core issue, however, is the necessity for a fundamental shift in human behaviour. This shift can be facilitated by creating new imaginative geographies through exhibitions and city research projects. The endeavour to establish these new imaginative geographies, which lead to changes in human behaviour, will significantly impact the urban coexistence of humans and rodents. By shifting the focus from mere eradication to a more integrative approach, harmonious coexistence will be achieved.

Chapter 6 aimed to understand the development and implementation of urban animal welfare policies by municipal and police officers for four species in public spaces in the Brussels Capital Region: cats (Felis catus), dogs (Canis familiaris), pigeons (Columbia livia domestica), and foxes (Vulpes vulpes). Examining the findings of the sixth Chapter, it becomes clear that integrating animal welfare into urban policy frameworks is a complex challenge. Despite its ethical importance, animal welfare has not yet achieved substantial adoption at the urban policy level. The study identified six recommendations for urban animal welfare policy and six suggestions for urban animal welfare practice. Policy recommendations included clarifying the animal welfare concept, broadening the range of species in animal welfare legislation to include non-owned species, collecting animal welfare data, adjusting animal welfare legislation, promoting cross-sectoral animal welfare collaboration, and creating an animal welfare label. Six suggestions for urban animal welfare practice were actively engaging reform minded officers, organizing meetings with key actors, establishing partnerships, providing training, facilitating mediation, and developing procedures for handling animal welfare issues outside of office hours. The findings highlight the need for multilevel implementation strategies to reshape the city from a multispecies perspective, emphasizing governmental responsibility.

The studies in this dissertation demonstrated that cities are still designed from a human point of view, with municipal, regional, and federal legislation defining various policies for and about animals. This presents challenges in dealing with conflicts between people and animals, which also vary per city, culture and species. Addressing these challenges within an interdisciplinary framework such as One Welfare will raise awareness of urban animal welfare among policy makers, municipal and law enforcement officers, citizens and scientists. This dissertation has shown that urban animal welfare policy requires a multifaceted approach that integrates scientific knowledge, collaborative efforts, ethical considerations, and comprehensive policy strategies to arrive at a multispecies urban perspective, combined with a deeper understanding of both human and animal behaviours in their coexistence. City governments play a pivotal role in the development and implementation of urban One Welfare policies, therefore eight strategies for uptake of animal welfare science were formulated: The integration of urban animal welfare science as a foundational component in urban biopolitics; The recognition of the management and welfare of domestic and commensal animals as a core responsibility of urban governments; The tailoring of urban animal welfare management based on the unique ecological and social characteristics and dynamics of the urban environment; The recognition of the agency of urban animals, both as actors in their relationships with humans and within the urban ecosystem; The application of urban animal welfare knowledge to inform, educate, and empower both officers and citizens; The development of indicators that help build up the welfare and management of urban animals, whether they are domestic or commensal; The implementation of transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration and The consideration of attitudes of citizens towards urban animals and their management. Three general strategies for the Belgian context were also formulated: The integration of urban animal welfare science into urban animal biopolitics and policies; The equitable distribution of importance and resources to the welfare of both domestic and commensal animals within urban policy; and The implementation of multidisciplinary approaches, including transsectoral policy cooperation and the incorporation of various scientific fields.

This dissertation concludes that the uptake and increased involvement of the field of animal welfare science in urban animal governance, and across all scientific disciplines addressing urban animal questions, is critical.