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Abstract The symbiotic relationship between humans and animals is so intwined that it can be considered a primary factor in the shaping of modern-day societies, including our current livestock production systems. This relationship is complex and involves the use of animals for food, labor, materials as well as companionship, entertainment and even religious practices. There is no question that significant changes in the care, understanding and acknowledgement of animals as sentient beings have evolved over the past 100 yr. Early misunderstandings of the differences between those advocating for animal rights (any use of animals is unacceptable) versus those advocating for animal welfare (humane use of animals is acceptable) resulted in push back and mistrust by industry stakeholders. Initially, animal welfare advocates promoted basic aspects of animal care such as being treated humanely and ensuring that animals were not subjected to unnecessary suffering. However, current ideology includes the ability of an animal to lead a natural life, taking their feelings and needs into consideration. Advances in veterinary and animal welfare science have been key factors in improving our understanding of optimal animal welfare and its close association with animal health. Examples from Canadian beef cattle production will be used to show how cattle health and welfare have evolved in the past century and will cover painful management procedures, transport, handling, as well as the management of vulnerable and ill cattle. Livestock health and welfare in Canada will continue to evolve and will be shaped by factors including societal views, food safety, production costs, environmental impacts, new technologies and continued research.
Schwartzkopf-Genswein et al. (Sun,) studied this question.