Articles Archive

Feb 20, 2024 Beaver: Nature’s Ecosystem Rewilders

Posted at 14:21h In Animal Sentience, Animal Well-being, Articles, Environment Well-being, Land Management, Public Awareness/Attitudes, Sustainability/Biodiversity, Tales of WellBeing, Wild Animals - By John Hadidian, PhD

In 1700, so many beaver pelts were stored in Montreal warehouses that they threatened to glut the market, something that traders had already experienced in previous years. So, fearing that prices in Europe would crash, orders were given to pile up and burn fully three-quarters...

Old English Sheepdog | Photo credit: Chris, AdobeStock

Feb 20, 2024 Changing Fashions and Fads, including Dogs?

Posted at 14:21h In Animal Well-being, Articles, Companion Animals, Public Awareness/Attitudes, Tales of WellBeing - By Andrew Rowan, DPhil and Kathleen Rowan CEO, WellBeing International

February and March bring crocuses and daffodils to the Northern Hemisphere and extensive media coverage of “clothing and other fashions” in Milan, Paris, New York, and London. In mid-March last year, there were numerous media reports that the Labrador retriever had been deposed as America's...

Chickens | Photo credit: juancajuarez, AdobeStock

Feb 05, 2024 Farmed Animals and Food Systems: Global Developments

Posted at 14:28h In Animal Sentience, Animal Well-being, Articles, Farm Animals, WellBeing News - By Andrew Rowan, DPhil

At the end of 2023, Open Philanthropy, a nonprofit organization, distributed its newsletter, including a global progress report on farmed animal welfare and food system change. Lewis Bollard, the Farm Animal Welfare Program Officer for Open Philanthropy, authored the report. Bollard’s initial comments address the...

Wolves | Credit: Film Studio Aves, iStock

Feb 05, 2024 Animals and Healthy Ecosystems: It’s Complicated!

Posted at 14:23h In Animal Well-being, Articles, Sustainability/Biodiversity, WellBeing News, Wild Animals - By Andrew Rowan, DPhil

Wild animals are integral to healthy ecosystems; even small changes in species composition may affect biodiversity. For example, a recent paper reports that an invasive ant from Mauritius has adversely affected lion predation in Kenya by reducing the impact of native ants who protect acacia...

Tigers relaxing | Video credit: cgtoolbox

Jan 23, 2024 Las Vegas’ Last Tiger Show

Posted at 09:55h In Animal Sentience, Animal Well-being, Articles, Public Awareness/Attitudes, Tales of WellBeing, Tigers in America, Wild Animals - By Andrew Rowan, DPhil and Kathleen Rowan CEO, WellBeing International

In 2017, the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus closed down, reportedly because of declining attendance. However, the circus had also been a target of escalating protests by animal advocates. Shows involving wild animals in Las Vegas have also been under attack by animal...

Andres attending to a dog | Photo credit: The GAAP

Jan 23, 2024 Changing Human-Dog Interactions: One Organization at a Time

Posted at 09:47h In Animal Well-being, Articles, Companion Animals, Global Dog Campaign, Public Awareness/Attitudes, Tales of WellBeing - By Andrew Rowan, DPhil

Thousands of nongovernment organizations (NGOs) are working worldwide to improve the well-being of dogs. Still, providing even a rough estimate of the global impact of these dog welfare projects has proved very challenging. Some organizations – such as the Soi Dog Foundation – have and...

Lab | Photo credit: Microgen, Shutterstock

Jan 23, 2024 A History of Alternatives to the Use of Animals in Research and Testing

Posted at 09:40h In Animal Well-being, Articles, Laboratory Animals, Tales of WellBeing - By Dr. John Parascandola

I have recently completed the manuscript for a book on The History of the Development of Alternatives to Animals in Research and Testing, which is scheduled to be published by Purdue University Press in July 2024. Andrew Rowan has asked me to write a short...

Centenarian | Photo credit: cometary, iStock

Jan 09, 2024 The Blue Zones, Well-being, and Feel Better

Posted at 10:14h In Articles, Human Well-being, Public Awareness/Attitudes, WellBeing News - By Andrew Rowan, DPhil and Kathleen Rowan CEO, WellBeing International

Multiple media reports have been published on five “Blue Zones” – areas with relatively high numbers of people living to be 100 years old or older. In addition, these centenarians have lower rates of dementia and enjoy good health. Are there genetic or environmental traits...

Gas plant flaring | Photo credit: Alexisaj, Shutterstock

Dec 26, 2023 Methane and Climate Change

Posted at 10:30h In Articles, Climate Change, Well-being, WellBeing News - By Andrew Rowan, DPhil

Methane is the smallest hydrocarbon – a chemical compound containing only carbon and hydrogen molecules – and has the chemical formula CH4. It is the main component (70-90%) of natural gas, and when burned, one molecule of methane produces one molecule of carbon dioxide and...

Photo credit: corradobarattaphotos, iStock

Dec 20, 2023 Well-Being

Posted at 08:44h In Articles, Tales of WellBeing, Well-being - By Andrew Rowan, DPhil and Kathleen Rowan CEO, WellBeing International

“A responsible caretaker of our world must safeguard people, animals, and the environment for each element is tightly connected and dependent on the well-being of the others.” ~Andrew RowanGlobal interest in the well-being of people, animals, and a sustainable environment has grown dramatically. This increasing...