European politicians have used IFAH-Europe's first ever European Pet Night to draw attention to new legislation on animal health and welfare. The strategy is intended to improve the wellbeing of companion animals and their owners.
European Pet Night, which aims to highlight the importance of companion animals to human health, happiness and wellbeing, was held in Brussels, Belgium, on November 21st. Europe's animal health industry association hopes that the level of attendance it attracted, from Members of the European Parliament to representatives from many pet animal organizations, will turn it into an annual event.
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| Declan O'Brien, MEP Neil Parish and MEP Paulo Casaca, hosts of European Pet Night 2007 | European Pet Night aims to highlight the importance of companion animals to human health, happiness and wellbeing | |
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| MEP Edite Estrela, MEP Paulo Casaca, MEP Neil Parish and Pet Night participants with the mounted police | MEP Neil Parish and Declan O'Brien with the assitance dogs and their owners | |
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| MEP Neil Parish says in his opening speech that he was delighted to see "vivid examples of just how important animals can be for human wellbeing" | Seeing double? Officers from the Belgian Mounted Police and IFAH-Europe's Healthy Happy Horse welcome the guests |
MEP Neil Parish, chair of the Intergroup of animal welfare and of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee, said in his opening speech that he was delighted to see "vivid examples of just how important animals can be for human wellbeing".
The previous chair of the Intergroup on animal welfare MEP Paulo Casaca emphasized that political will was important to translate legislation, such as the new common animal health strategy, into action. The strategy, introduced earlier this year, is based on the "prevention is better than cure" principle. It provides a framework for animal health and welfare measures for the next six years. Mr Casaca commented: "The success of Pet Night shows that citizens take a keen interest in animal health and welfare. So, animals might not only be good for human health, they might also bring the European Union closer to its citizens."
Speakers included representatives from the Blue Dog Trust, a collaboration of veterinarians, child psychologists and teachers. The Blue Dog is an interactive CD that shows children how to interact safely with family dogs. It was developed in response to the high numbers of dog bites and injuries recorded among children aged between three and six years old. Research has found no correlation between the frequency of dog bites and breed, but found that most bites depended on several interacting factors, such as genetics, early socialization and the victim's behavior.
The International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO) brought along Shana, a canine representative of its pets in schools project, along with the teacher who had integrated the animal into her class. IAHAIO promotes research, education and practical development in the field of human-animal interaction. It provides a forum for sharing ideas between the organization and its members, and it educates policy makers at local, national and international levels about the benefits of human-animal interaction.
Other speakers discussed the use of horses and dogs in Belgian community policing and the increased use of dogs to help people with a variety of disabilities.
In his closing speech, Declan O'Brien, managing director of IFAH-Europe, said: "The event highlights the keen interest of politicians, interest groups and citizens in the animal cause. Animals are important to society, so we should work together to protect their health and welfare."
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