ALTEX :: Alternatives to Animal Experiments

2005, VOLUME 4

Ethics as a scientific basis for animal protection - On the advancement and amendment of the Codex Veterinarius

Ingrid Kuhlmann¹ and Jörg Luy²

¹Tierforschungsanlage der Universität Konstanz, Germany, ²Institut für Tierschutz und Tierverhalten, FU Universität Berlin, Germany

SUMMARY

Seven years ago, the veterinary association for animal protection (Tierärztliche Vereinigung für Tierschutz e.V., TVT) in Germany first published an orientation guide on the ethics of animal protection aimed at the entire veterinary profession: the "Codex Veterinarius - ethical guiding principles on veterinary action for the good and the protection of animals". The dilemmas of the veterinary profession have not changed since then, but as the principle that "nothing can be so good that it cannot be improved" also applies to the Codex, the two authors have attempted to optimise the few weak spots of the Codex.

Jörg Luy sees the task of the Codex in surpassing the animal protection law in two respects: on the one hand regarding moral aspects that cannot be regulated (e.g. respect for the "intrinsic value" of the animal, which is greater than its "utilitarian value") and on the other hand in cases where the law does not live up to its own goals (e.g. regarding the inconsistent regulation on causing "longer term or repeated grave pain or suffering").

Keywords: animal welfare, bioethics, ethics, professional ethics