Animal welfare research is moving beyond identifying what keeps an animal healthy, to focus more on their state of being and their happiness. For years, farmers have justified the way they manage and house animals based on objective measures of their health: disease prevalence, growth rates and feed consumption. Consumer research, however, shows that’s not […] Read more

Greig: Animal welfare research focusing more on emotional states

Stampede is a champion of animal welfare, says researcher
The Calgary rodeo is a leader in giving access to researchers, and they haven’t found high levels of animal stress or abuse
Reading Time: 3 minutes Animal activists are quick to denounce the Calgary Stampede for animal cruelty. But it turns out very little research has been done on animal welfare at rodeo events. “As a scientist, I can say that there is no data on rodeo and how animals are being treated. That’s where some of the research we’ve been […] Read more

Paying it forward — family’s donation to create animal welfare ‘win-wins’
Already a leader in the field, the U of C’s vet school will expand research to help both producers and the animals in their care
Reading Time: 3 minutes It is, by any measure, a lot of money. But her family’s $5-million donation to the University of Calgary’s faculty of veterinary medicine for animal welfare research is money well spent, says Cochrane-area rancher Wynne Chisholm. “We love animals and have a soft spot for cows. Cow-calf is underserved in terms of research,” said Chisholm, […] Read more

Ranchers give $5-million gift to boost animal welfare research
Jack Anderson and daughter Wynne Chisholm want U of C to be ‘No. 1 in terms of animal care and welfare research in the world’
Reading Time: 3 minutes Father and daughter cattle ranchers with a passion for animal care and welfare have donated $5 million to support research at the University of Calgary. Building on a commitment to best practices and the use of technology in their own operations, J.C. (Jack) Anderson and his daughter Wynne Chisholm from W.A. Ranches made the gift, […] Read more