Animal Welfare Assurance Programs Research Paper

Animal Welfare Assurance Organizations

Animal welfare: Assurance organizations

Organization 1: Manes and Tails Mission (Hoboken, NJ)

Manes and Tails Mission, located in Hoboken, NJ is a locally-based organization that oversees a variety of efforts to reduce cruelty against horses. Given the faltering economy, many horses have been abandoned and/or abused, as fewer and fewer people have the ability to care for their animals properly. Horses from the racetrack or who have been used in vocations like the Mounted Police often have difficulties finding good homes after they retire. This organization resolves to "rescue, rehabilitate, retrain, and re-home the most commonly slaughtered breeds of horses - Quarter horses, Thoroughbreds, and Standardbreds." (Mission statement, 2011, Manes and Tails.). It does not sell horses, although it does lease them. It also provides retirement homes for Mounted Police horses. It educates the public about equine slaughter. It also provides community service through reduced rate boarding, maintenance of rare breeds, and promotes holistic horse care education.

The program is fairly balanced in terms of how it promotes preserving horses physically and mentally, and also attempts to keep horses in as natural a state as possible, regardless of where they are housed (including promoting keeping horses shoeless whenever possible). Providing educational and supportive resources to the community rather than outcomes are emphasized -- the organization is small and its goals are varied, so it does not keep metrics on monitoring how much of a positive or negative effect it has had upon the equine community. The organization disseminates information to all horse owners about improving the care of their animals and tries to help horses on a case-by-case basis. It acknowledges in its mission statement that it is a local organization with limited resources and strives to create liaisons with other community organizations and national organizations devoted to horse rescue and care.

Organization 2: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

In contrast to the small, localized horse rescue Manes and Tails, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is a national organization. Like Manes and Tails, the ASPCA is devoted to preventing animal cruelty and to educating the public about how to better take care of their animals. The ASPCA is devoted to helping livestock, pet and companion animals, and also wild animals live a life free of cruelty. "The ASPCA's policies are grounded in the belief that animals inherently deserve of our respect, compassion and consideration of their needs" and its mission is broad and not focused on one specific animal (ASPCA Position statement 1.3).

The ASPCA has specific policy guidelines on a variety of issues pertaining to many types of animal populations. Regarding pets, it strongly supports spay and neuter programs and specifically defines what is entailed by humane pet-keeping (versus 'puppy farming,' hoarding, etcetera). The ASPCA views euthanasia as only a last resort. Regarding livestock, "the ASPCA firmly believes that animals who are bred, raised and killed or harvested for human consumption, like all animals, are entitled to protection from distress and suffering during their lives and at the time of their deaths" (ASPCA Position statement 3.1). Likewise, the ASPCA takes a moderate position on animal testing, arguing that it should only be deployed when alternatives do not exist (ASPCA Position statement 4.3).

The ASPCA guidelines are…