Compelled by her passion for animal and environmental advocacy, University of Western Cape law graduate Celine Doak revealed that the commercial ostrich industry in South Africa is alarmingly unregulated.
Doak’s work focuses on legislation affecting animal welfare including commercially farmed animals and the environment. Through her critical analysis of South Africa’s world-leading commercial ostrich industry in obtaining her LLM cum laude, she found that laws and legislation are very poorly implemented.
Poor animal welfare regulations
“My research advocates for animals to be legally recognised for their intrinsic value on an individual level, and not merely protected for human use and exploitation,” she said.
According to Doak, current regulations are guided by soft laws and are lacking in binding legislation for animal welfare. She found that welfare infringements such as high-stress levels, poor adaptation to farming environments, and high disease prevalence was common in the commercial ostrich industry.
“Gaps in legislation, the free-market approach, government incentives and purposes not aligning at the detriment of animals and the environment are all areas of possible future research and government action,” she stated.
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Need for revised legislation
“In the conclusion of my work, I recommend the development of national legislation with legally binding standards to ensure the recognition of animal sentience and intrinsic value and to enforce welfare standards for all animals in the commercial farming industry,” she said.
Doak advised South Africa to join the ranks of countries prioritising animal welfare and sustainable agriculture.
Her deep love for animals inspired her research topic. “When it came to choosing a research topic for my LLM dissertation, I was keen to explore the intersection of animal welfare and the legalities that surround them.
“My journey began with an investigation into the use of wild animals in performances, focusing on the legal protections and care standards afforded to performing animals,” Doak said.
Doak’s meticulous work earned her a LLM cum laude from the Global Environmental Law Centre (GELC), faculty of law from the University of Western Cape.
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