The Danish Animal Ethics Council

The Danish Animal Ethics Council first produced a memorandum on various ethical approaches to human obligations to animals and to what is a good animal life in 2015. In the memorandum, the Animal Ethics Council describes the members' positions on animal ethics and animal welfare, as well as the work in general in the Animal Ethics Council. The note is updated regularly – the translated version is from October 2019.

Animal ethics, animal welfare and the Danish Animal Ethics Council

The Danish Animal Ethics Council issued a statement on the use of horses for sport in 2023. Sport horses can be under pressure both physically and mentally due to people's ambitions and economic interests. In this statement, the Council discusses, among other things, the horse's soundness and longevity, housing, as well as training and competitions. The Council presents both general considerations and a number of specific recommendations, e.g. in relation to education, age limits for horses' participation in competitions, housing, training, use of equipment and tack, transport, monitoring and inspection at competitions, as well as registration of injuries, medication and surgical interventions.

Statement on the use of horses for sport

The Danish Animal Ethics Council produced a statement on mink production in 2021. Following the Covid-19 pandemic all mink in Denmark were culled and a temporary ban on mink production was introduced. In this statement, the Council discusses whether the purpose of mink production is acceptable; whether mink production in its current form (up to 2020) can be considered acceptable; and, if not, on what animal welfare conditions production should be carried out if resumed.

Statement on mink production

The Danish Animal Ethics Council produced a statement on the use of animals for rewilding in nature management in 2018. Rewilding e.g. involves the release of large animals in nature, where they are meant to cope as wild animals as far as possible. In this statement, the Council’s focus is on the welfare of the released animals and human responsibility for them. The Council recommends a number of specific initiatives, e.g. regarding the selection of areas and animals to be released, plans for monitoring and management, collection of documentation, and communication about the projects.

Statement on the use of animals for rewilding in nature management

The Danish Animal Ethics Council produced a statement on the Animal Protection Act in 2016, the 100th anniversary of Denmark's first Animal Protection Act. In the light of current knowledge and norms on the keeping and use of animals, the Council discusses a number of issues of principle, e.g. balancing considerations for animals vs. considerations for humans, the scope of the Animal Protection Act in relation to species, stages of development and degree of protection, purposes of animal use and unequal treatment of animals. In 2020 Denmark got a new Animal Welfare Act.

Statement on the Animal Protection Act

The Danish Animal Ethics Council produced a statement on the breeding of dog and cats in 1999, more specifically on two kinds of problem: extreme breeding and inherited diseases. In the statement the Council discusses the breed standards and the selection of breeding animals, and makes recommendations for those who share the responsibility for changing the situation, i.e. show judges, breeders, kennel clubs, buyers of puppies and kittens, and veterinarians. The factual information in the report, e.g. regarding specific diseases, may be outdated, but unfortunately some problems e.g. regarding extreme breeding, are still of major concern. Many of the ethical considerations and the recommendations in the report are thus still relevant, and they are often used as a basis for the Council’s responses to legislative initiatives and in public debates.

Statement on the breeding of dog and cats