ANIMAL WELFARE IN DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION GUIDELINES

In the conception of these guidelines, it was recognized that development cooperation projects that involve animals should also include animal welfare in the design and scope of the project in order to identify practical ways of solving some of the main welfare problems that normally arise during implementation of the project.

Therefore, WTS through its ‘animal welfare in development cooperation programme’, initiated an investigation of welfare and health of animals in projects funded by international NGOs based in Germany and Europe. We assessed important areas such as responsibility of care of animals involved in the project, animal welfare knowledge/level of training of care takers, presence of guidelines for care of animals and prevention of negatives to welfare of animals.

 

Results showed a significant and urgent need to address welfare of animals in the design and implementation of these development cooperation projects. In addition, an on-ground assessment of the welfare of animals involved in the same projects was carried out for majority of the NGOs whereby, the results also alluded to the same. The investigation also generated practical improvement guidelines that NGOs could benefit from in their efforts to improve animal welfare in development cooperation projects.

Thus, the implementation of these welfare improvement guidelines coupled with reliable monitoring and evaluation systems, will support NGOs in better planning and adoption of good animal welfare and routine improvements. Clearly, the ultimate use and benefit from these guidelines will be dependent upon many different actors such as the international NGOs, their local partner organisations, political developments at EU, AU, regional levels, and scientific animal welfare developments across the globe (Africa).