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Animals
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Animal Sentience: Theories and Practices
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Animal Sentience: Theories and Practices

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Welfare".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 October 2022) | Viewed by 15234

Special Issue Editor

Dr. James W. Yeates

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, Sussex RH17 7TT, UK
Interests: animal ethics; veterinary ethics; sustainability; animal welfare; positive welfare; value of life

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is something of an “it feels like” factor to sentience in animals, and that something matters. Which animals are sentient is important scientifically, ethically, politically, psychologically and practically. Being deemed sentient is often an “entry ticket” to respect, protection or consideration under national and international legislation. We use scientific, philosophical and empathetic methods to ascribe sentience to some animals – and not to others. There is considerable disagreement about which animals are sentient, what (and how much) evidence is necessary or sufficient to warrant an ascription, and which methods are valid and appropriate to use. Now is the time for us to review, evaluate and apply what we understand about sentience, in order to address, and perhaps resolve, some of our long-standing questions. This Special Issue welcomes submissions on all aspects of sentience, in particular its definition, ascription and implications. It particularly encourages submissions from a wide range of fields, interdisciplinary efforts, new methodologies, and treatments of topical issues in the current public and political forums.

Dr. James W. Yeates
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sentience
  • consciousness
  • feelings
  • awareness
  • pain
  • cephalopods
  • decapods

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1993 KiB  
Article
Ferrets (Mustela furo) Are Aware of Their Dimensions
by Ivan A. Khvatov, Alexey Yu. Sokolov and Alexander N. Kharitonov
Animals 2023, 13(3), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030444 - 28 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1988
Abstract
Self-awareness is a complex phenomenon expressed as the ability of an individual to separate “self-entity” from “other entity”. One of its earliest evolutionary components is body size awareness, namely, the ability to consider the boundaries of one’s own body as factors influencing interaction [...] Read more.
Self-awareness is a complex phenomenon expressed as the ability of an individual to separate “self-entity” from “other entity”. One of its earliest evolutionary components is body size awareness, namely, the ability to consider the boundaries of one’s own body as factors influencing interaction with surrounding objects. For ferrets, Mustela furo, the task requiring the penetration of various holes is ecologically relevant. We designed an experimental study in which the ferrets were supposed to select one opening out of three to get the bait. The first experiment was aimed at studying whether ferrets would prefer the holes basing on the hole size. In the second experiment, we tested the ferrets’ ability to select a single passable hole on the first try while the impassable ones were larger in area. Results from the first experiment show that when choosing from the three passable openings, the animals preferred the shortest path to the bait and ignored the size of the holes. In the second experiment, all tested ferrets preferred to penetrate the passable opening on the first attempt, even though the areas of the two impenetrable ones were larger. We argue that these data indicate that ferrets are aware of their own body size. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Sentience: Theories and Practices)
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11 pages, 237 KiB  
Article
Sentience, Harmony and the Value of Nature
by James William Yeates
Animals 2023, 13(1), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13010038 - 22 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2120
Abstract
Concern for nature and for animal sentience are important public and political moral concerns. Using frameworks such as Harmony for Nature and One Health and the recent IPBES report on the Diverse Values of Nature, this paper considers how the two issues interrelate, [...] Read more.
Concern for nature and for animal sentience are important public and political moral concerns. Using frameworks such as Harmony for Nature and One Health and the recent IPBES report on the Diverse Values of Nature, this paper considers how the two issues interrelate, in terms of our concepts of sentience and nature, and sentience-based values’ importance in relation to nature-based values. Animals’ sentience is part of nature, and part of its diversity, harmony, health and value. Sentient animals’ feelings represent animals’ evaluations of nature that go beyond valuing nature for solely for market-based and anthropocentric interests. Sentience is therefore relevant for measurement, leveraging and embedding sentience-based values in environmental concerns, including in environmental impact assessments, science-based UN policy-making, interdisciplinary and interagency collaboration, and to strengthen transformative and system-based action for nature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Sentience: Theories and Practices)
13 pages, 285 KiB  
Article
Animal Welfare Compromises Associated with Causes of Death in Neonatal Piglets
by Kirsty L. Chidgey, Nutnapong Udomteerasuwat, Patrick C. H. Morel and Fernanda Castillo-Alcala
Animals 2022, 12(21), 2933; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12212933 - 26 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1517
Abstract
This pilot study aimed to assess the welfare impacts of different causes of pre-weaning deaths in piglets. Piglets that died between 0–7 days after birth (n = 106) were collected from two commercial pig farms and subject to post-mortem examination to confirm [...] Read more.
This pilot study aimed to assess the welfare impacts of different causes of pre-weaning deaths in piglets. Piglets that died between 0–7 days after birth (n = 106) were collected from two commercial pig farms and subject to post-mortem examination to confirm their cause of death as well as any contributing factors. Using the Five Domains Model, the most likely affective experiences associated with the pathological findings were carefully inferred to better understand affective experience as it related to known causes of liveborn piglet mortality. The most common causes of liveborn piglet mortality were starvation (23%), crushing (23%) and non-viable (21%). Thirty one piglets had evidence of starvation, but it was only considered the primary cause of death in 15 piglets, as cofactors such as poor viability (n = 13) were also present in many piglets with evidence of starvation. All 15 piglets that were crushed died within 24 h after birth and most had evidence of thoracic and/or abdominal internal bleeding. This study found that common causes of liveborn piglet death were associated with compromises in Domains 1 (Nutrition/hydration), 3 (Health/function), and4 (Behavioural interactions), with the most likely resulting affective states described in Domain 5 (Mental state). This highlights the interaction between physical/functional and situation-related (behavioural) aspects that influence an animals’ welfare status. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Sentience: Theories and Practices)
14 pages, 233 KiB  
Article
Ascribing Sentience: Evidential and Ethical Considerations in Policymaking
by James William Yeates
Animals 2022, 12(15), 1893; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12151893 - 25 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2131
Abstract
Deciding which animals are sentient is an important precursor for decisions about the application of animal welfare legislation, and the wider assessment of the impacts of policies on animal suffering. We ascribe sentience in order to inform decisions about how animals should be [...] Read more.
Deciding which animals are sentient is an important precursor for decisions about the application of animal welfare legislation, and the wider assessment of the impacts of policies on animal suffering. We ascribe sentience in order to inform decisions about how animals should be treated, and how their treatment should be regulated. This ascription is both an ethical and an evidential process, and what evidence to use and require are ethical questions. Policymakers, therefore, cannot simply rely on scientific evidence in an ethically neutral way, but must be conscious of the ethical assumptions and positions underlying the process of ascription and its application in policy and law. As such, ethical principles that apply to policymaking apply to the ascription of sentience. This paper considers the implications of the Nolan principles for public service on the ascription of animals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Sentience: Theories and Practices)
21 pages, 2866 KiB  
Article
Welfare Assessment of Invertebrates: Adapting the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG) for Zoo Decapods and Cephalopods
by Tanya M. Narshi, Danielle Free, William S. M. Justice, Sarah Jayne Smith and Sarah Wolfensohn
Animals 2022, 12(13), 1675; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12131675 - 29 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3099
Abstract
Consumer demand for invertebrates is on the rise as their numbers in the wild dwindle. However, with the growing conservation efforts of modern zoos and aquariums, and evidence from over 300 studies showing that invertebrates are capable of sentience, public interest, and moral [...] Read more.
Consumer demand for invertebrates is on the rise as their numbers in the wild dwindle. However, with the growing conservation efforts of modern zoos and aquariums, and evidence from over 300 studies showing that invertebrates are capable of sentience, public interest, and moral concern for welfare of invertebrates have increased. The challenge for zoos and aquariums is in developing an objective and repeatable method for evaluating welfare that can be applied to invertebrates in zoological collections. Recently introduced into zoological collection management is the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG). The AWAG helps to identify negative and positive welfare states, through assessing animal- and environmental-based indicators to make changes that lead to a better quality of life. Originally developed for the assessment of laboratory primates, the system has been successfully adapted to assess a variety of taxa across different environments, facilitated by the development of cloud-based software. In this study, the AWAG has been adapted to assess the cumulative lifetime experience of captive decapods and cephalopods at two different institutions, Marwell Zoo and National Marine Aquarium. This study has provided further evidence that the AWAG is adaptable and demonstrates the first time any objective scoring system has been successfully adapted for use in invertebrates. Through graphical representation, the results show that the AWAG identifies changes in welfare scores that can be attributed to specific events and can be used to predict the future vulnerability of species to welfare changes and suggest alternative management methods. This monitoring tool provides a versatile method of implementing practical welfare monitoring in zoos and aquariums. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Sentience: Theories and Practices)
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9 pages, 238 KiB  
Commentary
Sentience Matters: Analysing the Regulation of Calf-Roping in Australian Rodeos
by Morgan Stonebridge, Di Evans and Jane Kotzmann
Animals 2022, 12(9), 1071; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12091071 - 20 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3253
Abstract
Animal sentience is recognised either implicitly or explicitly in legislation in all Australian states and territories. In these jurisdictions, animal welfare legislation prohibits acts of cruelty towards animals because animals have the capacity to experience pain or suffering. This acknowledgement is supported by [...] Read more.
Animal sentience is recognised either implicitly or explicitly in legislation in all Australian states and territories. In these jurisdictions, animal welfare legislation prohibits acts of cruelty towards animals because animals have the capacity to experience pain or suffering. This acknowledgement is supported by scientific research that demonstrates animal sentience, as well as public opinion. Despite these legal prohibitions, calf-roping, a common event at rodeos, is permitted in the majority of Australian jurisdictions. In recent times, calf-roping has generated significant public concern due to the potential for injury, pain or distress for the calves involved. This concern is evidently shared in some overseas jurisdictions, such as New Zealand, where animal advocacy organisations have filed a legal challenge asserting that rodeo events violate New Zealand’s animal welfare legislation due to the pain and distress inflicted on the animals. This commentary discusses these welfare concerns, the legislative inconsistencies between Australian jurisdictions and the problematic legal status of calf-roping in Australia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Sentience: Theories and Practices)
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