COMPANION & WORKING ANIMALS UNIT
Global Companion Animal Ownership and Trade: Project Summary, June 2008
Amber Batson BVetMed MRCVS
Aim: [Outline the aim of the document in a few sentences. Keep this paragraph indented]
www.wspa-international.org
Contents
INTRODUCTION
1. Overview 2. Information Collation Methods
Further detailed information sourcing
3. Results
CHAPTER ONE
3.1 Distribution of returned questionnaires 3.2 Pet population statistics 3.3 Welfare and registration legislation 3.4 Pet acquisition
Reasons for acquisition / ownership Methods of acquisition Age at acquisition Rescue Centre acquisition statistics Living arrangements Diet
SUMMARY
3.5 Basic pet husbandry 3.6 Basic pet health
CONTENTS
3.7 Pet relinquishment
Vaccination trends Neutering trends Life expectancy Common mortality causes Zoonoses Reasons for relinquishment Methods of relinquishment Global veterinary departments Global vet to pet ratio Neutering practices Euthanasia agents
3.8 Veterinary Presence
REFERENCES
4. Summary
Scoring system and results Critique
1. Overview
The project began in January 2008 with the intention to collect as much data as possible regarding pet trade and pet ownership across the globe. During the initial brief, it was decided to leave aside investigations into a small number of countries that WSPA were already familiar with and were known to have limited companion animal welfare issues or issues that were being addressed through the presence of numerous active animal welfare associations. These included USA, Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
2. Information collation methods
Initial investigations began with obtaining as many pet population statistics globally as possible alongside sourcing human demographics that may be related to pet ownership. Statistics including the percentage of urbanisation, ageing population and married population as well as the economic status and death rates, have...
