Regulation by government can act as a constraint to improving the humaneness of rodent control, or it can be used to support improvements. How do we make sure it does one and not the other? Societal support and understanding, economic impacts and current knowledge can all ‘make or break’ progress towards improved rodent control. This is also true in the development of regulations to support this improvement. Moreover, the development of regulations can itself slow progress towards better rodent control. There are many ways that governments, working in a national co-ordination role and as research funders, animal pest managers and regulators, can support a move towards improved rodent control. Progress will depend on finding ways that meet the need to control the impacts of rodents as pests and that are acceptable to citizens and budgets.

Carbon dioxide stunning of broilers is not permitted in Germany. However, the competent authority can license a system for testing, during which scientific evaluation with regard to animal welfare is required. Between 2004 and 2011 several aspects of three systems have been evaluated in Germany and Italy under practical conditions including: (i) supply to the stunning system; (ii) induction conditions; (iii) stunning effectiveness; and (iv) process control. The systems were: (i) LINCO progressive gas-stunning system in which broilers in their transport crates are lowered stepwise into a pit filled with CO2 and exposed to slowly increasing concentrations of CO2 in air up to between 50 and 65% with total dwell times between 275 and 440 s depending on birds’ weight; (ii) Stork PMT two-phase gas-stunning system (40% CO2/30% O2/30%N2 for 1 min/80% CO2 for 2 min) in which broilers are tipped onto a belt, on which they pass through the gas atmospheres; and (iii) Anglia Autoflow two-phase CO2-stunning system, in which the birds are exposed to the atmosphere in their crates. Results on the third system are pending as the investigation is still ongoing. In systems (i) and (ii) analysis of behaviour showed that birds were only exposed to high CO2 concentration (> 40%) after becoming unconscious. Stunning effectiveness was very high but, nevertheless, occasionally birds (0.027% LINCO system and 0.003% Stork PMT system) were able to regain consciousness. Examples of evaluation of behaviour during induction are presented in this paper and animal welfare aspects are compared. Controlled-atmosphere stunning systems for broilers using less than 40% CO2 until animals are unconscious, show obvious advantages compared to electrical water-bath stunning, for example, the avoidance of shackling and achieving high stunning effectiveness.

Management of invasive vertebrate species often requires the use of lethal control tools such as toxins, traps, or shooting. However, because these pest species are sentient and have the capacity to suffer, the application of such tools raises concerns about welfare impacts. To address such concerns, research, policy and regulation have focused most often on the welfare impacts (humaneness) of the tools at the individual animal level (ie the ‘quality’ of the impact) with no attempt to assess welfare at the population level (ie the ‘quantity’ of the impact). Because control programmes often target large numbers of animals, we suggest that when the welfare costs of pest control operations and strategies are being evaluated, the numbers of individuals involved should be considered in addition to the intensity and duration of individual suffering. We explore this concept using a modelling framework and three New Zealand case studies (brushtail possums [Trichosurus vulpecula], ship rats [Rattus rattus], and Bennett's wallabies [Macropus rufogriseus]) to assess the extent to which typical control strategies used by land managers influence the numbers of animals killed. We test whether a predicted relationship between numbers killed and position on the population growth curve holds across these scenarios, and identify whether it would be economically viable for end-users to adopt more welfare-friendly control strategies (ie those that kill fewer individuals to achieve the required management outcomes) for these pest species, or whether some form of incentive would be required. Computer modelling showed that for four simulated brushtail possum control strategies, the number of animals killed on a 1,000-ha area over 30 years ranged from approximately 13,000 to 26,000. Similarly, for two ship rat control strategies, numbers killed over a 20-year period were 977 for an aerial strategy versus 1,517 for a ground-based strategy. For both species, the strategies that killed fewest animals generally also cost the least. For Bennett's wallabies, because farmers only carry out control for production benefits, the control strategy they are most likely to select would result in the highest number of wallabies killed. To reduce the number of wallabies killed while allowing farmers to achieve some production benefits, farmers would need to receive some additional financial benefit. The concept of welfare incentive then raises questions such as ‘what willingness is there to pay for increased welfare’ and ‘to what extent can reducing control costs substitute for incentive payments in reducing numbers killed?’

Recent developments related to quantitative analysis of the electroencephalogram (EEG) have allowed the experience of pain to be assessed more directly than has hitherto been possible. Variables derived from the EEG of animals anaesthetised using our minimal anaesthesia model respond to noxious stimulation in a manner similar to those from conscious animals. This methodology has been used in a variety of applications including the evaluation of analgesic options for painful husbandry procedures and investigation of developmental aspects of the perception of pain. We have now applied the minimal anaesthesia model to the question of the slaughter of calves by ventral-neck incision. A series of studies evaluated the magnitude of EEG response to the noxious stimulus of ventral-neck incision and the physiological mechanisms that underlie this response. We also investigated the EEG effects of stunning by non-penetrating captive bolt and the ability of such stunning to ameliorate the response to ventral-neck incision. The results demonstrate clearly, for the first time, that the act of slaughter by ventral-neck incision is associated with noxious stimulation that would be expected to be painful in the period between the incision and subsequent loss of consciousness. These data provide further support for the value of stunning in preventing pain and distress in animals subjected to this procedure. We discuss the development of the minimal anaesthesia model and its adaptation for use in the investigation of slaughter by ventral-neck incision as well as considering the contributions of these studies to the ongoing development of international policy concerning the slaughter of animals.

Stunning by inhalation of nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) mixtures reduces aversion compared to high concentrations of CO2 in pigs and poultry. The objective of the study was to assess the aversion to 90% of CO2 (90C) and an alternative gas mixture of 80% N2 and 20% CO2 (80N20C) in commercial rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Sixty animals, divided into two groups, were used. During the first day, the rabbits of both groups were lowered in pairs into the pit with atmospheric air and their behaviour was recorded as control. During the second day, one group was exposed, again in pairs, to 90C and the other to 80N20C for 1 min. Exploratory behaviour and general activity were assessed 2 min before the exposure, during the exposure and for 2 min subsequently. During the exposure, signs of respiratory distress, loss of balance, muscle twitching and recovery of balance were also assessed. In the control sessions (atmospheric air), animals did not show respiratory distress or muscle twitching and were less active while the crate was descending than when gas treatments were applied. The percentage of animals with respiratory distress was higher in 90C (97%) than 80N20C (40%). Muscle twitching occurred earlier in 80N20C (97%; 23.9 s) than in 90C (17%; 37.4 s). A second phase of muscle twitching occurred only in 90C at 93.0 s. Mean latency of lost of balance and recovery were lower in 80N20C (24.2 and 98.6 s, respectively) than in 90C (28.2 and 110.2 s, respectively). It is concluded that rabbits showed less signs of respiratory distress to inhalation of 80N20C than 90C but more signs of aversion than when they were exposed to atmospheric air.

Some pedigree and other dogs suffer from serious genetic health problems. It is sad to acknowledge that this is not new. Dogs have been exposed to an increasing number of hereditary diseases for decades. Some of the diseases are the result of naturally occuring processes that result in mutations and the close linkeage of undesirable traits with desirable ones, others, however, are the result of choices made by breeders and owners about what is desirable for the dog breed. An owner with a sick dog, has recourse to consumer's legislation should they wish to get some of the money back that they paid for the ‘defective’ animal. Consumer's law is based on EU standards, and does give the owner some opportunities to litigate. This paper explains EU legislation, and provides an overview of the opinion of (Dutch) judges regarding cases involving animals with genetic defects. Legal and veterinary perspectives do not always work together in a satisfactory manner. The need for further legislation to prevent the continued breeding of dogs with serious genetic defects is discussed.

Electrical head-only stunning is a widely used method in sheep (Ovis aries) slaughter. To investigate the influence of current level on stun and meat quality in practice, two studies were carried out at a commercial slaughterhouse. In trial one, 200 lambs were randomly assigned to four groups with a current level of 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.25 A, respectively, using 50-Hz sine wave supply voltage and a stun duration of 10.5 s. In trial two, 135 lambs were randomly assigned to two groups, with electrical current of 1.25 A applied for 14 and 3 s. For each lamb, the position of the tongs was observed and classified as correct or incorrect. The stun quality was evaluated based on observations of the corneal reflex, eye movements, rhythmic breathing, head-righting reflex and kicking during the tonic phase. Blood splash (haemorrhages in Longissimus dorsi muscle) was evaluated four days after slaughter. Incorrect tongs’ positioning was seen commonly, and positively correlated with poor stun quality. The lowest current level tested produced an unsatisfactory stun in the majority of animals observed. Short stun duration increased the risk of a poor stun quality. There was no significant effect of current level, stun duration or tongs’ position on the risk of blood splash. These data underline the importance of a correct technique, including choice of tongs’ positioning, sufficient current levels and sufficient stun duration, for electrical stunning of lambs to achieve unconsciousness before sticking and thereby avoiding unnecessary suffering at commercial slaughter.

Veterinary practice is subject to veterinary surgeons’ professional ethics, which ensure that patients’ welfare is considered paramount and clients’ interests are considered important. The provision of veterinary services is also subject to market forces that can affect transactions between clients and veterinarians. Veterinary markets could encourage or permit welfare harms due to potential market variations, imperfections and limitations, for example where financial constraints limit owners’ willingness to pay for treatment or veterinarians’ abilities to provide pro bono treatment. Consequently, economic factors could lead to potential welfare compromises through animals being undertreated, overtreated or mistreated. Fortunately there are possible solutions to these problems. Some are supplier-driven, for example improved the market functioning through transparency and honesty, strategically disrupting it through co-ordinating clinical standards and protocols or using veterinary authority to influence clients. Others are consumer-driven, for example improving consumer decision-making through the actions of insurance companies.