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Human-animal relationships in the Norwegian dairy goat industry: attitudes and empathy towards goats (Part I)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

K Muri ,
PA Tufte ,
E Skjerve  and
PS Valle
K Muri*
Affiliation:
Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, PO Box 8146 Dep, 0033 Oslo, Norway
PA Tufte
Affiliation:
Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Centre for the Study of Professions (SPS), PO Box 4 St Olavs Plass, 0130 Oslo, Norway
E Skjerve
Affiliation:
Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, PO Box 8146 Dep, 0033 Oslo, Norway
PS Valle
Affiliation:
Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, PO Box 8146 Dep, 0033 Oslo, Norway Molde University College, Head Office, PO Box 2110, 6402 Molde, Norway
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: [email protected]
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Abstract

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The quality of human-animal relationships in the livestock industries has been increasingly recognised as an important determinant of animal welfare. Attitudes and empathy are multi-dimensional traits that may be associated with the stockpersons’ behaviour. The aim of this study was to determine the dimensionality of the goat-oriented attitudes and empathy of stockpeople in the Norwegian dairy goat industry. We also explored how empathic and attitudinal dimensions are interrelated, and how the demographic background variables may predict empathy and attitudes. A total of 260 dairy goat farmers participated in the study, by the means of either postal or internet-based questionnaire formats. Multi-item rating scales were developed specifically for the assessment of attitudes and empathy towards goats, and Principal Component Factor Analysis was conducted to determine the dimensionality of the farmers’ goat-oriented attitudes and empathy. Subsequently, linear and ordinal regression analyses were performed to explore the interrelationships. The analyses revealed dimensions of empathy that can be recognised from studies of human-oriented empathy, and attitude dimensions that can be interpreted similarly as dimensions described in studies from other livestock industries. Our results show that different dimensions of attitudes and empathy were associated with different demographic variables, and that each empathy dimension was associated with a different attitude factor.

Keywords

animal welfareattitudesdairy goatsdemographicsempathyhuman-animal relationships
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , November 2012 , pp. 535 - 545
Copyright
© 2012 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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