Declawing pet cats, or onychectomy, is a surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia that permanently removes a cat's claws. This procedure entails amputating the last bone in each toe and is analogous to removing the last joint of a human finger. The procedure is reported...
As discussed in a three-part series of articles in WellBeing News, the world regularly overlooks the devastating impact of human conflict on non-human animals and the environment. The tragic loss of human lives and families and the destruction of homes and cities capture our attention....
About fifty years ago, a research study found that men with dogs were more successful in persuading women to go on dates than men without dogs. The presence of a dog seemed to signal good character. Thirty years later, another study concluded that pets act...
Numerous predictions exist about the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on various aspects of human life. One significant area where AI is already making a difference is language translation. It is being used for everything from providing subtitles for video productions to helping tourists communicate...
A new book by philosopher Jeff Sebo presents a series of arguments for expanding the group of entities regarded as moral patients to include all conscious beings. Sebo contends that consciousness is the key factor distinguishing which entities should be included in a broader moral...
On January 27, 2025, the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) gazetted (that is, opened for formal public comment) a new report on the management of elephants in the country entitled the National Elephant Heritage Strategy. According to the preamble, this draft...
WellBeing News has periodically carried articles on global and US dog populations. For example, in the November 2020 Issue, we included an article summarizing several core findings from projects carried out by WellBeing International and others over the past ten years. For example, we noted that...
Over the years, the United Nations (UN) has faced significant criticism of its operations; however, the various UN organizations deserve praise for their valuable and engaging reports and analyses on key global issues. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recently launched a series of reports on...
Jonathan Birch is a philosopher at the London School of Economics who has dedicated significant time and effort to studying sentience and how to identify sentient beings or systems reliably. He was the lead author of a report that advised the UK Government on the...
Over the past seventy-eight years, my reflections on the world have become more organized. Unsurprisingly, my reflections align closely with WellBeing International's six main program areas: Animals in Conflict, Democratizing Information, Animal Sentience, Global Awareness, the Global Dog Campaign, and the Feel Better campaign. The...
