CEU Event: Welfare is ‘Good’, but Well-being is ‘GRRREAT!’: A ‘RUFFFF’ Guide to Heavenly Happiness in Pups and

When: Ongoing
Where: Online

CEUs

*CPDT-KA: 1 *CBCC-KA: 0
CPDT-KSA Knowledge: 1.00
CPDT-KSA Skills: 0.00

* Courses approved for CBCC-KA CEUs may be applied to a CPDT-KA or CPDT-KSA recertification. Courses approved for CPDT-KA or CPDT-KSA may not be applied to a CBCC-KA recertification.

PLEASE NOTE: CPDT-KA can earn a MAXIMUM of 12 CPDT-KSA Skills CEUS within their 3 year certification period.

Description

We humans believe that we are very good at objectively quantifying ‘well-being’ and ‘happiness’ in both ourselves and in the other animals we share our lives with. My claim in this presentation is that this assumption is unwise and dangerous because in life, good is the enemy of great. ‘Good’ makes us complacent, which is why we end up with mediocre governments, mediocre schools and mediocre dog trainers! Governments, guided by the Social Sciences, are very good at thinking about and objectively quantifying ‘well-being’ and ‘happiness’ in us humans. These terms are reserved as the yardstick for the standards for living we expect as the norm. In contrast, the term ‘welfare’ in our society is restricted to those unfortunate individuals who find themselves living below those accepted standards, at the bottom of the economic heap, and in a state of poverty and ill health. In complete contrast, the concept of ‘welfare’ is the yardstick for non-human animals. Government departments use this as the standard for drawing up the legislation defining Animal Welfare Law. The two most widely used welfare frameworks are the Five Freedoms and Provisions (launched in 1979), and the more recent Five Domains Model (launched in 1993). In 2022, the European Cooperation in Science and Technology launched another welfare initiative called “Lifting Farm Animal Lives” (LIFT). The good news is that this project has 4 years of Government funding, ending in 2026. The bad news is that this funding is for paying animal scientists to ‘…DO MORE RESEARCH’! On the surface, this sounds great, doesn’t it? But I argue that it’s just another missed opportunity to MAKE A DIFFERENCE NOW. We already have over a decade of great research and in this presentation, I show you how we can put the emphasis back into animal well-being and happiness, using the knowledge we already have. I believe that this approach will open up more opportunities for an ongoing incremental welfare program that is much easier to understand, implement and disseminate across the globe. An overarching ‘One-Welfare’ approach for all animals, regardless of their role on this planet (companion pets, farm livestock, working animals, wildlife etc.). A Well-being is ‘GRRREAT!’ approach that is a truly ‘RUFFFF’ Guide to Heavenly Happiness in Pups and their People! Learning Objectives Understand how we are all very good at characterizing ‘well-being’ and ‘happiness’ in our own human species. Understand how we are stuck in a welfare-centric model in other animals, and specifically why our dogs are “limping towards well-being”. Understand why a One-Welfare approach automatically creates a compassionate well-being and happiness-centered model for both pups and their people.

Sponsor:Pet Professional Guild
Speaker(s):Dr. Robert Falconer-Taylor

Contact: Rebekah King
 Email: events@petprofessionalguild.com
 Web: https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/webinars-events/webinars/welfare-is-good-but-well-being-is-grrr