is a journalism student with a masters degree in contemporary philosophy from the Pantheon-Sorbonne University. He writes for the special issue of Philosophie magazine.
What will become of the orca whales currently living at the marine life animal park Marineland in the south of France when the French ban on captivity comes into force in 2026? Will they be sent to live in another marine park in Japan? Animal welfare associations would rather they go to a marine sanctuary in Canada where they could lead a peaceful retirement. Do animals earn the right to retire?
The question of retirement for animals is just beginning to surface in the world of ideas. In an article entitled Paving the Path Toward Retirement for Assistance Animals: Transitioning Lives published in 2019 veterinarian Zenithson Y. Ng and animal psychologist Aubrey Fine broach the subject of retirement for assistance animals such as guide dogs.
The authors emphasise that, despite a growing interest in animal welfare, “the concept of retirement, or withdrawing the animal from its working life, is an important welfare consideration that has received minimal discussion in scientific literature”. The two Americans are particularly interested in “the emotional impact of this life-altering event on both animal and handler”.
Retirement at 10 years old… for dogs
Ng and Fine set out to define the best approach to deal with the transition. “The decisions of when and how to appropriately retire an animal are typically made at the discretion of the assistance animal agencies and handlers, but standard evidence-based guidelines for the proper retirement of assistance animals are currently unavailable.” Standards should be set, especially when the decision is left to owners. “Recommendations for retirement may arguably be more important for […] independent handlers to adhere to th…
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