台灣獸醫師對動物福利態度之調查

Abstract

近年來，動物福利已成為最重要的國際議題之一，亦是現代公民社會的義務和責任。獸醫師專業在其中更扮演著關鍵性的重要角色。為了進一步瞭解台灣獸醫師對於動物福利、現行動物保護制度以及動物福利教育等相關議題的態度。本研究以問卷調查的方式進行，受訪者為全台灣889位獸醫師，有效問卷回覆率為百分之三十四。問卷的結果顯示，獸醫師認為台灣現行的動物保護法以及相關制度無法有效保護保護動物。此外台灣獸醫師普遍欠缺對動物福利的基本概念認知，因此多數認為動物福利無法提升其獸醫師的專業能力和形象。然而多數的獸醫師對於五大自由(FAWC)的內容以及動物倫理與動物福利相關的教育訓練皆表達了高度支持。我們認為台灣獸醫師並沒有否定動物福利的必要性和重要性，但由於缺乏相關的教育和訓練，因此對動物福利普遍欠缺信心。此項調查研究的結論指出，對於在動物保護上仍有很大努力空間的台灣來說，提高獸醫師對動物福利的意識和專業能力，讓獸醫師真正有能力為動物保護和動物福利議題發聲，給予獸醫師專業的動物福利教育是刻不容緩的第一步。

A survey was carried out to examine the attitudes of Taiwan veterinarians towards animal welfare issues and current systems related to animal protection, and asked the respondents to express the extent to which they agreed with the importance of the Five Freedoms (FAWC 2004) and relevant education in animal welfare. The survey was sent to 889 veterinarians and the response rate was 34%. Taiwan veterinarians consider that the current animal protection laws in Taiwan and their relevant systems are unable to protect animals effective. They mostly disagree about the statement that animal welfare can upgrade their professional abilities or enhance their image, in that they generally have a very low awareness of animal welfare and also lack further understanding of the importance and the influence of animal welfare. However, many veterinarians highly support the content of “The Five Freedoms” and relevant training of animal welfare and ethics. Instead of denying the necessity and importance of animal welfare, we consider that veterinarians are less confident of animal welfare merely because of the lack of relevant training. The results of the survey indicated that providing veterinarians with professional education of animal welfare is the first step which brooks no delay.