Far from being a topic rooted only in science, how we protect animal welfare is affected by such diverse elements as politics, ethics, and semantics, said international speakers at a welfare symposium at Michigan State University held earlier this month.

The three-day Joint International Educational Symposium on Animal Welfare was developed and co-sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). It included international speakers discussing the vast array of inputs and influences affecting animal welfare decisions.

Dan Marsman, DVM, PhD, chair of the AVMA Animal Welfare Committee and head of the Animal Welfare and Animal Alternatives Section, Product Safety & Regulatory Affairs Department at Procter & Gamble, was particularly excited at the opportunity to bring together a diverse group of individuals with such broad backgrounds to exchange information and determine how they might work cooperatively to find reasonable approaches to animal welfare challenges.

"Although our roles and experiences may be vastly different, we all have a vested interest in good animal welfare outcomes," Marsman said. "It's important for scientists and others who have valuable information to contribute to be able to come together in one venue to provide their perspectives and share ideas