Perception of animal welfare by Cheikh Anta Diop University’s students

Abstract

Animal welfare is a very complex concept to define, but it is important for the quality of livestock products. To assess the perception of this concept, a study was conducted with stu­dents from the University of Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) in Dakar between January 16 and May 2, 2012. The student population was 84,396 at time of study. In total 168 students were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The results showed that only 57% of them had heard of animal welfare at least once and 60.4% among them via media. Students’ knowledge on animal welfare varied between schools: stu­dents of the School of Sciences and Technology of Education and Training (FASTEF) were the most informed. Moreover, 73.2% believed that animals are sentient and 93% that there is a relationship between animal welfare and productivity. It is essential to make students aware of this concept and to do so via media, because media are the channels of information the most used by UCAD students.