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Abattoirs are faced with the challenge of moving livestock efficiently through the plant, while also engaging in handling practices that assure good animal welfare. Achieving optimal outcomes for both of these goals can bring them into conflict. An additional source of conflict can arise from the design of the abattoir. These problems are compounded by the dearth of research available to inform how livestock should be handled to achieve all of these goals. We applied the concept of ‘Optimal Flow’ to describe conditions under which rate of movement is maximised while overt signs of distress in sheep are minimised. Effectively, this represents the point at which trade-offs between speed and welfare converge. The current pilot study examined the behavioural interactions between humans (n = 5), livestock herding dogs (n = 7), and sheep (n = 3235) in a large Australian abattoir to describe the factors associated with an increase or decrease in rate of sheep movement per minute. It revealed that distress behaviours in sheep were associated with dog presence and with a decrease in livestock movement rate. However, we found that as sheep density increased, there was increased livestock movement rate as well as an elevated incidence of distress behaviours. Optimal Flow at this abattoir was achieved by maintaining sheep at lower densities. Our report discusses the possible confounds in this interpretation.
Melissa J. Starling; Elyssa Payne; Paul McGreevy. Optimal Flow—A Pilot Study Balancing Sheep Movement and Welfare in Abattoirs. Animals 2021, 11, 344 .
AMA StyleMelissa J. Starling, Elyssa Payne, Paul McGreevy. Optimal Flow—A Pilot Study Balancing Sheep Movement and Welfare in Abattoirs. Animals. 2021; 11 (2):344.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelissa J. Starling; Elyssa Payne; Paul McGreevy. 2021. "Optimal Flow—A Pilot Study Balancing Sheep Movement and Welfare in Abattoirs." Animals 11, no. 2: 344.
Infrared thermography (IRT) can be used to identify stressors associated with greyhound racing procedures. However, factors unrelated to stress may influence measurements. Validation of an eye side (right or left) and a reference point on the eye is required if IRT is to be standardised for industry use. Infrared images of greyhound heads (n = 465) were taken pre-racing and post-racing at three racetracks. Average temperature was recorded at seven different locations on each eye. A multivariate analysis model determined how several factors influenced eye temperature (ET) pre-racing and post-racing. As expected, ET increased after racing, which may be attributed to physical exertion, stress and arousal. The right eye and lacrimal caruncle had the highest sensitivity to temperature changes and could be considered reference points for future studies. Additionally, dogs that raced later had higher ET, and Richmond racetrack had the lowest pre-race ET, but the highest post-race ET. This may suggest that arousal increases as the race meet progresses and certain track attributes could increase stress. Furthermore, ET increased as humidity increased, and higher post-race ET was associated with light-coloured, young and low-performing dogs. Environmental and biological factors need to be considered if IRT is to become accurate in the detection of canine stress and monitoring of greyhound welfare.
Belle Elias; Melissa Starling; Bethany Wilson; Paul McGreevy. Influences on Infrared Thermography of the Canine Eye in Relation to the Stress and Arousal of Racing Greyhounds. Animals 2021, 11, 103 .
AMA StyleBelle Elias, Melissa Starling, Bethany Wilson, Paul McGreevy. Influences on Infrared Thermography of the Canine Eye in Relation to the Stress and Arousal of Racing Greyhounds. Animals. 2021; 11 (1):103.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBelle Elias; Melissa Starling; Bethany Wilson; Paul McGreevy. 2021. "Influences on Infrared Thermography of the Canine Eye in Relation to the Stress and Arousal of Racing Greyhounds." Animals 11, no. 1: 103.
The willingness of racing greyhounds in Australia to chase a mechanical lure on racetracks will affect the longevity of its racing career. Racing greyhounds that fail to chase may be retired from racing at an early age and their fate becomes uncertain and may in some cases be euthanasia. At the end of races, greyhounds are diverted into a catching pen while the lure continues on. Racing greyhounds may also run on straight tracks for training purposes, where the lure comes to a stop either within the catching pen or just outside it, rather than continuing on. The purpose of the current study was to determine if these different track conditions and lure features affected greyhound behaviour before and after chasing the lure. Video cameras were used to record the behaviour of greyhounds immediately before chasing a lure either on one of two straight trial tracks (n = 89 greyhounds) or during race-meets on oval racetracks (n = 537), as well as at the end of the chase in the catching pen. The results were analysed with logistic regression mixed models and coefficients expressed as odds ratios. It was predicted there would be a higher frequency of behaviours indicating frustration in the catching pen at tracks where no chase objects were accessible. This pattern was present, but not significant. It was also predicted there would be a higher frequency of behaviours that may indicate high anticipation before chasing at tracks where chase objects were accessible in the catching pen. This pattern was not realised. Behaviours prior to chasing varied between track types and days, suggesting these behaviours are unlikely to be good indicators of anticipation or motivation to chase. This study shows that greyhounds behave differently in the catching pen depending on the track and lure features.
Melissa Starling; Bethany Wilson; Paul McGreevy. Effects of Lure Type on Chase-Related Behaviour in Racing Greyhounds. Animals 2020, 10, 2262 .
AMA StyleMelissa Starling, Bethany Wilson, Paul McGreevy. Effects of Lure Type on Chase-Related Behaviour in Racing Greyhounds. Animals. 2020; 10 (12):2262.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelissa Starling; Bethany Wilson; Paul McGreevy. 2020. "Effects of Lure Type on Chase-Related Behaviour in Racing Greyhounds." Animals 10, no. 12: 2262.
Australia has no national roadkill monitoring scheme. To address this gap in knowledge, a roadkill reporting application (app) was developed to allow members of the public to join professional researchers in gathering Australian data. The app is used to photograph roadkill and simultaneously records the GPS location, time and date. These data are uploaded immediately to a website for data management. To illustrate the capacity to facilitate cost-effective mitigation measures the article focuses on two roadkill hotspots—in Queensland and Tasmania. In total, 1609 reports were gathered in the first three months of the project. They include data on mammals (n = 1203, 75%), birds (n = 125, 7.8%), reptiles (n = 79, 4.9%), amphibians (n = 4, 0.025%), unidentified (n = 189, 11.8%) and unserviceable ones (n = 9). A significant finding is variance in the distribution of mammals and birds at different times of day. These findings reflect diurnal variation in the activity levels of different species and underline the need for data on a targeted species to be collected at appropriate times of day. By continuing to facilitate roadkill monitoring, it is anticipated that the data generated by the app will directly increase knowledge of roadkill numbers and hotspots. Indirectly, it will provide value-added information on animal behaviour, disease and population dynamics as well as for species distribution mapping.
Bruce Englefield; Melissa Starling; Bethany Wilson; Caidyrn Roder; Paul McGreevy; Bruce Englefield. The Australian Roadkill Reporting Project—Applying Integrated Professional Research and Citizen Science to Monitor and Mitigate Roadkill in Australia. Animals 2020, 10, 1112 .
AMA StyleBruce Englefield, Melissa Starling, Bethany Wilson, Caidyrn Roder, Paul McGreevy, Bruce Englefield. The Australian Roadkill Reporting Project—Applying Integrated Professional Research and Citizen Science to Monitor and Mitigate Roadkill in Australia. Animals. 2020; 10 (7):1112.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBruce Englefield; Melissa Starling; Bethany Wilson; Caidyrn Roder; Paul McGreevy; Bruce Englefield. 2020. "The Australian Roadkill Reporting Project—Applying Integrated Professional Research and Citizen Science to Monitor and Mitigate Roadkill in Australia." Animals 10, no. 7: 1112.
The racing greyhound industry in Australia has come under scrutiny in recent years due to animal welfare concerns, including wastage where physically sound greyhounds fail to enter or are removed from the racing industry because of poor performance. The reasons why some greyhounds perform poorly in racing are not well understood, but may include insufficient reinforcement for racing or negative affective states in response to the race meet environment. The current study investigated ways to measure affective states of greyhounds (n = 525) at race meets across three racetracks and the factors influencing performance by collecting behavioural and demographic data, and infrared thermographic images of greyhounds’ eyes at race meets. Increasing Eye Temp After had a negative association with performance (n = 290, Effect = −0.173, s.e. = 0.074, p-value = 0.027), as did increasing age (n = 290, Effect = −0.395, s.e. = 0.136, p-value = 0.004). The start box number also had a significant association, with boxes 4, 5 and 7 having an inverse relationship with performance. There was a significant effect of racetrack on mean eye temperatures before and after the race (n = 442, Effect = 1.910, s.e. = 0.274, p-value < 0.001; Effect = 1.595, s.e. = 0.1221, p-value < 0.001 for Gosford and Wentworth respectively), suggesting that some tracks may be inherently more stressful for greyhounds than others. Mean eye temperature before the race increased as the race meet progressed (n = 442, Effect = 0.103, s.e. = 0.002, p-value < 0.001). Behaviours that may indicate frustration in the catching pen were extremely common at two of the tracks but much less common at the third, where toys attached to bungees were used to draw greyhounds into the catching pen.
Melissa Starling; Anthony Spurrett; Paul McGreevy. A Pilot Study of Methods for Evaluating the Effects of Arousal and Emotional Valence on Performance of Racing Greyhounds. Animals 2020, 10, 1037 .
AMA StyleMelissa Starling, Anthony Spurrett, Paul McGreevy. A Pilot Study of Methods for Evaluating the Effects of Arousal and Emotional Valence on Performance of Racing Greyhounds. Animals. 2020; 10 (6):1037.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelissa Starling; Anthony Spurrett; Paul McGreevy. 2020. "A Pilot Study of Methods for Evaluating the Effects of Arousal and Emotional Valence on Performance of Racing Greyhounds." Animals 10, no. 6: 1037.
To increase the public’s awareness of and exposure to animals needing homes, PetRescue, Australia’s largest online directory of animals in need of adoption, lists all currently available animals from rescue and welfare shelters nationwide. The current study examined the photographs in the PetRescue online profiles of the three most common breeds within these data, namely, Staffordshire bull terriers (n = 3988), Labrador retrievers (n = 2246), and Jack Russell terriers (n = 2088), to identify the inferred preferences of potential adopters. By investigating the attributes of these photographs, we were able to identify visual risk factors associated with protracted lengths of stay (LOS). The longest stays were associated with dogs with erect ears and those photographed in a natural environment, i.e., 18.32 days and 19.57 days, respectively. Dogs photographed in a kennel and with mouths closed had the shortest LOS, i.e., 11.54 d and 14.44 d, respectively. Heightened awareness of the roles of photographic attributes in generating interest among potential adopters may increase the speed of adoption by guiding the creation of online profiles and selection of photos to optimise the promotion of dogs at risk of long stays.
Mizuho Nakamura; Navneet Dhand; Bethany J. Wilson; Melissa J. Starling; Paul D. McGreevy. Picture Perfect Pups: How Do Attributes of Photographs of Dogs in Online Rescue Profiles Affect Adoption Speed? Animals 2020, 10, 152 .
AMA StyleMizuho Nakamura, Navneet Dhand, Bethany J. Wilson, Melissa J. Starling, Paul D. McGreevy. Picture Perfect Pups: How Do Attributes of Photographs of Dogs in Online Rescue Profiles Affect Adoption Speed? Animals. 2020; 10 (1):152.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMizuho Nakamura; Navneet Dhand; Bethany J. Wilson; Melissa J. Starling; Paul D. McGreevy. 2020. "Picture Perfect Pups: How Do Attributes of Photographs of Dogs in Online Rescue Profiles Affect Adoption Speed?" Animals 10, no. 1: 152.
The rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured and orphaned Australian wildlife is managed by over 20,000 carers, mostly voluntarily. These volunteers experience mental, physical and financial challenges that have not been researched adequately. This study collated the responses (n = 316) to a survey conducted among Australian wildlife carers who actively foster orphaned joeys for hand-raising and injured adult mammals for rehabilitation and release. It confirmed 86% of rehabilitators are female, 70% are over the age of 46 years and their prime motivation is an affinity with animals. The average time spent in the sector is 11.5 years, and the work week is 31.6 h, caring for 15 animals per year, with an average of 2.6 dying. The average financial commitment is AUD5300 annually and up to AUD800,000 over a lifetime. Regarding the grief experienced by carers, the lower the age, the longer the time spent, the greater the financial input and the more joeys that died, the more severe is the grief experienced. Moderate to severe grief is experienced by 28% of carers, which, coupled with other factors, could lead to burnout or compassion fatigue. Soon, wildlife carer welfare will likely be compromised unless financial and mental support is provided and their workload reduced.
Bruce Englefield; Steve Candy; Melissa Starling; Paul McGreevy. The Demography and Practice of Australians Caring for Native Wildlife and the Psychological, Physical and Financial Effects of Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release of Wildlife on the Welfare of Carers. Animals 2019, 9, 1127 .
AMA StyleBruce Englefield, Steve Candy, Melissa Starling, Paul McGreevy. The Demography and Practice of Australians Caring for Native Wildlife and the Psychological, Physical and Financial Effects of Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release of Wildlife on the Welfare of Carers. Animals. 2019; 9 (12):1127.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBruce Englefield; Steve Candy; Melissa Starling; Paul McGreevy. 2019. "The Demography and Practice of Australians Caring for Native Wildlife and the Psychological, Physical and Financial Effects of Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release of Wildlife on the Welfare of Carers." Animals 9, no. 12: 1127.
Spaying of female dogs is a widespread practice, performed primarily for population control. While the consequences of early spaying for health are still being debated, the consequences for behaviour are believed to be negligible. The current study focused on the reported behaviour of 8981 female dogs spayed before 520 weeks (ten years) of life for reasons other than behavioural management, and calculated their percentage lifetime exposure to gonadal hormones (PLGH) as a proportion of their age at the time of being reported to the online Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ). We found that 23 behaviours differed between entire and spayed dogs, of which 12 were associated with PLGH and 5 with age-at-spay (AAS). Two behaviours, chewing and howling, were significantly more likely in dogs with longer PLGH. In contrast, longer PLGH was associated with significantly reduced reporting of 10 (mostly unwelcome) behaviours. Of these, one related to fearfulness and three to aggression. The current data suggest that dogs’ tendency to show numerous behaviours can be influenced by the timing of spaying. They indicate how female dog behaviour matures when gonadal hormones are allowed to have their effect. The differences reported here between undesirable behaviours of spayed and entire dogs were in the range of 5.33% and 7.22%, suggesting that, for some dogs, partial or complete denial of maturation may reduce howling and chewing and improve retrieval and recall, but have other undesirable consequences. Veterinarians may take these data into account to discuss the risks and benefits of spaying with clients, and the timing of the procedure.
Melissa Starling; Anne Fawcett; Bethany Wilson; James Serpell; Paul McGreevy. Behavioural risks in female dogs with minimal lifetime exposure to gonadal hormones. PLoS ONE 2019, 14, e0223709 .
AMA StyleMelissa Starling, Anne Fawcett, Bethany Wilson, James Serpell, Paul McGreevy. Behavioural risks in female dogs with minimal lifetime exposure to gonadal hormones. PLoS ONE. 2019; 14 (12):e0223709.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelissa Starling; Anne Fawcett; Bethany Wilson; James Serpell; Paul McGreevy. 2019. "Behavioural risks in female dogs with minimal lifetime exposure to gonadal hormones." PLoS ONE 14, no. 12: e0223709.
The racing greyhound industry in Australia has come under scrutiny in recent years due to animal welfare concerns, including so-called behavioural wastage whereby physically sound greyhounds are removed from the racing industry because of poor performance. The non-medical reasons why greyhounds perform poorly at the racetrack are not well understood, but may include insufficient reinforcement for racing, or negative affective states associated with the context of racing. This study sought evidence for the affective states of greyhounds (n=525) at race meets and associations of those states with performance. It collected demographic, behavioural and performance data, along with infrared thermographic images of greyhounds at race-meets to investigate whether arousal influenced performance. It also collected behavioural data in the catching pen at the completion of races to examine possible evidence of frustration that may reflect sub-optimal behavioural reinforcement.Linear regression models were built to determine factors affecting greyhound performance. Increasing mean eye temperature after the race and increasing greyhound age both had a statistically significant, negative effect on performance. The start box number also had a significant effect, with boxes 4, 5 and 7 having a negative effect on performance. There was a significant effect of track on mean eye temperatures before and after the race, suggesting that some tracks may be inherently more stressful for greyhounds than others. Behaviours that may indicate frustration in the catching pen were extremely common at two tracks, but much less common at the third, where play objects in motion were used to draw greyhounds into the catching pen. The study provides evidence for the use of eye temperature in predicting performance, guidance for assessment of poor performance in greyhounds and suggested approaches to the management of frustration in racing greyhounds.
Melissa Starling; Anthony Spurrett; Paul McGreevy. Evaluating the effects of arousal and emotional valence on performance of racing greyhounds. 2019, 831552 .
AMA StyleMelissa Starling, Anthony Spurrett, Paul McGreevy. Evaluating the effects of arousal and emotional valence on performance of racing greyhounds. . 2019; ():831552.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelissa Starling; Anthony Spurrett; Paul McGreevy. 2019. "Evaluating the effects of arousal and emotional valence on performance of racing greyhounds." , no. : 831552.
Adjustment for spatial and temporal trends using a Generalised Additive Model with Poisson error also failed to detect a significant VF effect. A simulation study used to estimate the power to detect a statistically significant reduction in roadkill rate gave, for median estimates of reduction of 21%, 48%, and 57%, estimates of power of 0.24, 0.78, and 0.91, respectively. Therefore, this study failed to confirm previously reported estimates of reduction in roadkill rates claimed for this VF of 50%–90%, despite having adequate power to do so. However, point estimates obtained for these three species of reductions ranging from 13% to 32% leave open the question of there being a real but modest effect that was below statistical detection limits.
Bruce Englefield; Steven G. Candy; Melissa Starling; Paul D. McGreevy. A Trial of a Solar-Powered, Cooperative Sensor/Actuator, Opto-Acoustical, Virtual Road-Fence to Mitigate Roadkill in Tasmania, Australia. Animals 2019, 9, 752 .
AMA StyleBruce Englefield, Steven G. Candy, Melissa Starling, Paul D. McGreevy. A Trial of a Solar-Powered, Cooperative Sensor/Actuator, Opto-Acoustical, Virtual Road-Fence to Mitigate Roadkill in Tasmania, Australia. Animals. 2019; 9 (10):752.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBruce Englefield; Steven G. Candy; Melissa Starling; Paul D. McGreevy. 2019. "A Trial of a Solar-Powered, Cooperative Sensor/Actuator, Opto-Acoustical, Virtual Road-Fence to Mitigate Roadkill in Tasmania, Australia." Animals 9, no. 10: 752.
To increase the public's awareness of animals needing homes, PetRescue, Australia's largest online directory of animals in need of adoption, lists animals available from rescue and welfare shelters nationwide. The current study examined the descriptions accompanying online PetRescue profiles. The demographic data and personality descriptors of 70,733 dogs were analysed for associations with LOS in shelters-with long stays being a potential proxy for low appeal. Univariable and multivariable general linear models of log-transformed LOS with personality adjectives and demographic variables were fitted and the predicted means back-transformed for presentation. Further analyses were conducted of a subset of the dataset for the four most common breeds (n = 20,198 dogs) to investigate if the influence of personality adjectives on the LOS differed by breed. The average LOS of dogs was 35.4 days (median 18 days) and was influenced by several adjectives. Across all breeds, the LOS was significantly shorter if the adjectives 'make you proud', 'independent', 'lively', 'eager' and 'clever' were included in the description. However, the LOS was longer if the terms 'only dog', 'dominant', 'sensitive' and 'happy-go-lucky' were included in the description. Some of the association of descriptors with relatively long LOS are difficult to explain. For example, it is unclear why the terms "obedient" and trainable" appear unappealing. The confidence adopters have in these terms and their ability to make the most of such dogs merits further exploration. As expected, the LOS differed in different breeds with the Labrador retrievers having the fastest adoption rate among the most common four breeds with an average LOS of 14.5 days. Breed had interactions with four personality adjectives (gentle, active, quiet and energetic) indicating that the adoption rate of dogs with these descriptors in their online PetRescue profiles differed by breed. This highlights an important knowledge gap, suggesting that potential adopters have differing expectations according to the breed being considered. Increased awareness of the breed-specific influence of personality adjectives on appeal to potential adopters, may enhance adoption success by allowing dogs with risk factors for low appeal to be promoted more intensively than high-appeal dogs.
Mizuho Nakamura; Navneet K. Dhand; Melissa J. Starling; Paul D. McGreevy. Descriptive Texts in Dog Profiles Associated with Length of Stay Via an Online Rescue Network. Animals 2019, 9, 464 .
AMA StyleMizuho Nakamura, Navneet K. Dhand, Melissa J. Starling, Paul D. McGreevy. Descriptive Texts in Dog Profiles Associated with Length of Stay Via an Online Rescue Network. Animals. 2019; 9 (7):464.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMizuho Nakamura; Navneet K. Dhand; Melissa J. Starling; Paul D. McGreevy. 2019. "Descriptive Texts in Dog Profiles Associated with Length of Stay Via an Online Rescue Network." Animals 9, no. 7: 464.
The Australian constitution makes no mention of native animals. Responsibility for animal welfare is largely retained by the states and territories via a fragmented, complex, contradictory, inconsistent system of regulatory management. Given that most jurisdictions have expressly made the possession of wildlife unlawful, the action of taking and possessing an animal, to rehabilitate it, defies the regulatory process. In most jurisdictions, it is illegal to microchip, band, or mark an animal, meaning that no reliable method is available to monitor an animal. Each year, a minimum of 50,000 rehabilitated native animals are released back to the wild, with little post-release monitoring. Where required, the assessments of behavioural and health requirements to confirm suitability for release may be undertaken by people with either negligible or questionable qualifications. Whilst it can be appropriate to rehabilitate and release injured native animals back to the wild, there may be moral, ethical, and practical reasons for not releasing hand-reared orphan native animals. This article examines the evolution, and explains the consequences, of decentralised regulation on wildlife carers and rehabilitating animals. It recommends that the practice of placing hand-reared native animals into the wild, and the regulatory framework that provides for it, should be reviewed.
Bruce Englefield; Simone A. Blackman; Melissa Starling; Paul D. McGreevy. A Review of Australian Animal Welfare Legislation, Regulation, Codes of Practice, and Policy, and Their Influence on Stakeholders Caring for Wildlife and the Animals for Whom They Care. Animals 2019, 9, 335 .
AMA StyleBruce Englefield, Simone A. Blackman, Melissa Starling, Paul D. McGreevy. A Review of Australian Animal Welfare Legislation, Regulation, Codes of Practice, and Policy, and Their Influence on Stakeholders Caring for Wildlife and the Animals for Whom They Care. Animals. 2019; 9 (6):335.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBruce Englefield; Simone A. Blackman; Melissa Starling; Paul D. McGreevy. 2019. "A Review of Australian Animal Welfare Legislation, Regulation, Codes of Practice, and Policy, and Their Influence on Stakeholders Caring for Wildlife and the Animals for Whom They Care." Animals 9, no. 6: 335.
The non-human animal deaths and injuries that result from collisions with motor vehicles are known colloquially as roadkill, and often lead to individuals from various taxa being orphaned. The complexities of multiple spatial and temporal variables in the available data on Australian roadkill and the scale of orphaning and injury make statistical analysis difficult. However, data that offer proxy measures of the roadkill problem suggest a conservative estimate of 4 million Australian mammalian roadkill per year. Also, Australian native mammals are mainly marsupial, so female casualties can have surviving young in their pouches, producing an estimated 560 000 orphans per year. A conservative estimate is that up to 50 000 of these are rescued, rehabilitated and released by volunteer wildlife carers. These roadkill-associated orphans are in addition to those produced by other anthropogenic and natural events and the injured adult animals in the care of volunteers. In accepting total responsibility for rescued animals, wildlife carers face many demands. Their knowledge base can require days of initial instruction with the need for continual updates, and their physical abilities and personal health can be tested by sleepless nights, demanding manual tasks and zoonoses. This review article explores the impact of this commitment and conservatively estimates carers’ financial input to raise one joey at approximately $2000 a year, and their time input at 1000 h, equating to $31 000 per year, applying a dollar value of $31 per hour. It categorises relevant types of grief associated with hand-rearing orphans and rehabilitating injured animals, and suggests that wildlife carers most likely experience many types of grief but are also susceptible to burn-out through compassion fatigue. A perceived lack of understanding, empathy and appreciation for their work by government can add to the stressors they face. Volunteering is declining in Australia at 1% per year, social capital is eroding and the human population is aging, while the number of injured and orphaned animals is increasing. Wildlife carers are a strategic national asset, and they need to be acknowledged and supported if their health and the public service they provide is not to be compromised.
Bruce Englefield; Melissa Starling; Paul McGreevy. A review of roadkill rescue: who cares for the mental, physical and financial welfare of Australian wildlife carers? Wildlife Research 2018, 45, 103 .
AMA StyleBruce Englefield, Melissa Starling, Paul McGreevy. A review of roadkill rescue: who cares for the mental, physical and financial welfare of Australian wildlife carers? Wildlife Research. 2018; 45 (2):103.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBruce Englefield; Melissa Starling; Paul McGreevy. 2018. "A review of roadkill rescue: who cares for the mental, physical and financial welfare of Australian wildlife carers?" Wildlife Research 45, no. 2: 103.
The competing needs of maintaining productivity within abattoirs, and maintaining high standards of animal welfare, provide fertile grounds for applied research in animal behavior. However, there are challenges involved in capturing useful behavioral data from the supply chain (from paddock to processing plant). The challenges identified in this report are based on a review of the scientific literature as well as field study observations. This article describes those challenges as they relate to collecting behavioral data on livestock-herding dogs, humans and livestock as they interact in abattoirs, and provides insights and recommendations for others embarking on animal studies in confined spaces, as well as in commercial settings. Direct observation of livestock behavior permits animal-welfare assessments and evaluations of the efficacy of operations in unfamiliar and high-pressure contexts, such as abattoirs. This brief report summarizes the factors that must be considered when undertaking in situ studies in abattoirs. There is merit in passive behavioral data-collection using video-recording equipment. However, the potential for hardware issues and sampling difficulties must be anticipated and addressed. Future research directions and recommendations to avoid such issues are discussed. This information will be highly beneficial to future abattoir studies focusing on efficiency and animal welfare at commercial abattoirs. Furthermore, it may also be relevant to any analyses involving large cohorts of animals in a confined environment.
Elyssa Payne; Melissa Starling; Paul McGreevy. Addressing the Challenges of Conducting Observational Studies in Sheep Abattoirs. Animals 2017, 7, 82 .
AMA StyleElyssa Payne, Melissa Starling, Paul McGreevy. Addressing the Challenges of Conducting Observational Studies in Sheep Abattoirs. Animals. 2017; 7 (12):82.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElyssa Payne; Melissa Starling; Paul McGreevy. 2017. "Addressing the Challenges of Conducting Observational Studies in Sheep Abattoirs." Animals 7, no. 12: 82.
Paul McGreevy; Melissa Starling; Elyssa Payne; Pauleen Bennett. Defining and measuring dogmanship: A new multidisciplinary science to improve understanding of human–dog interactions. The Veterinary Journal 2017, 229, 1 -5.
AMA StylePaul McGreevy, Melissa Starling, Elyssa Payne, Pauleen Bennett. Defining and measuring dogmanship: A new multidisciplinary science to improve understanding of human–dog interactions. The Veterinary Journal. 2017; 229 ():1-5.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaul McGreevy; Melissa Starling; Elyssa Payne; Pauleen Bennett. 2017. "Defining and measuring dogmanship: A new multidisciplinary science to improve understanding of human–dog interactions." The Veterinary Journal 229, no. : 1-5.
The merits of students exchanging views through the so-called human continuum exercise (HCE) are well established. The current article describes the creation of the virtual human continuum (VHC), an online platform that facilitates the same teaching exercise. It also reports feedback on the VHC from veterinary science students (n = 38). First-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students at the University of Sydney, Australia, trialed the platform and provided feedback. Most students agreed or strongly agreed that the VHC offered: a non-threatening environment for discussing emotive and challenging issues; and an opportunity to see how other people form ideas. It also made them think about how to express their ideas and make arguments; and left them feeling more comfortable about expressing their views using it than they would discussing ideas face-to-face (98%, 84%, 79% and 76%, respectively). All respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the VHC encouraged them to consider other opinions. These data suggest that the transition of the HCE to an online platform facilitates dialogue on difficult ethical issues in a supportive environment.
Paul D. McGreevy; Vicky Tzioumis; Chris Degeling; Jane Johnson; Robert Brown; Mike Sands; Melissa J. Starling; Clive J. C. Phillips. The Use of a Virtual Online Debating Platform to Facilitate Student Discussion of Potentially Polarising Topics. Animals 2017, 7, 68 .
AMA StylePaul D. McGreevy, Vicky Tzioumis, Chris Degeling, Jane Johnson, Robert Brown, Mike Sands, Melissa J. Starling, Clive J. C. Phillips. The Use of a Virtual Online Debating Platform to Facilitate Student Discussion of Potentially Polarising Topics. Animals. 2017; 7 (12):68.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaul D. McGreevy; Vicky Tzioumis; Chris Degeling; Jane Johnson; Robert Brown; Mike Sands; Melissa J. Starling; Clive J. C. Phillips. 2017. "The Use of a Virtual Online Debating Platform to Facilitate Student Discussion of Potentially Polarising Topics." Animals 7, no. 12: 68.
Equitation science is an evidence-based approach to horse training and riding that focuses on a thorough understanding of both equine ethology and learning theory. This combination leads to more effective horse training, but also plays a role in keeping horse riders and trainers safe around horses. Equitation science underpins ethical equitation, and recognises the limits of the horse’s cognitive and physical abilities. Equitation is an ancient practice that has benefited from a rich tradition that sees it flourishing in contemporary sporting pursuits. Despite its history, horse-riding is an activity for which neither horses nor humans evolved, and it brings with it significant risks to the safety of both species. This review outlines the reasons horses may behave in ways that endanger humans and how training choices can exacerbate this. It then discusses the recently introduced 10 Principles of Equitation Science and explains how following these principles can minimise horse-related risk to humans and enhance horse welfare.
Melissa Starling; Andrew McLean; Paul McGreevy. The Contribution of Equitation Science to Minimising Horse-Related Risks to Humans. Animals 2016, 6, 15 .
AMA StyleMelissa Starling, Andrew McLean, Paul McGreevy. The Contribution of Equitation Science to Minimising Horse-Related Risks to Humans. Animals. 2016; 6 (3):15.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelissa Starling; Andrew McLean; Paul McGreevy. 2016. "The Contribution of Equitation Science to Minimising Horse-Related Risks to Humans." Animals 6, no. 3: 15.
Melissa J. Starling; Nicholas Branson; Denis Cody; Timothy R. Starling; Paul D. McGreevy. Developing an optimism index using results from a cognitive bias task. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 2014, 9, e17 -e18.
AMA StyleMelissa J. Starling, Nicholas Branson, Denis Cody, Timothy R. Starling, Paul D. McGreevy. Developing an optimism index using results from a cognitive bias task. Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 2014; 9 (6):e17-e18.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelissa J. Starling; Nicholas Branson; Denis Cody; Timothy R. Starling; Paul D. McGreevy. 2014. "Developing an optimism index using results from a cognitive bias task." Journal of Veterinary Behavior 9, no. 6: e17-e18.
Paul D. McGreevy; Cathrynne Henshall; Melissa J. Starling; Andrew N. McLean; Robert Boakes. The importance of safety signals in animal handling and training. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 2014, 9, 382 -387.
AMA StylePaul D. McGreevy, Cathrynne Henshall, Melissa J. Starling, Andrew N. McLean, Robert Boakes. The importance of safety signals in animal handling and training. Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 2014; 9 (6):382-387.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaul D. McGreevy; Cathrynne Henshall; Melissa J. Starling; Andrew N. McLean; Robert Boakes. 2014. "The importance of safety signals in animal handling and training." Journal of Veterinary Behavior 9, no. 6: 382-387.
Kitty W. Cheung; Melissa J. Starling; Paul D. McGreevy. A comparison of uniaxial and triaxial accelerometers for the assessment of physical activity in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 2014, 9, 66 -71.
AMA StyleKitty W. Cheung, Melissa J. Starling, Paul D. McGreevy. A comparison of uniaxial and triaxial accelerometers for the assessment of physical activity in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 2014; 9 (2):66-71.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKitty W. Cheung; Melissa J. Starling; Paul D. McGreevy. 2014. "A comparison of uniaxial and triaxial accelerometers for the assessment of physical activity in dogs." Journal of Veterinary Behavior 9, no. 2: 66-71.