Schneider A, Bubeck M (2025)
Publication Language: English
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2025
URI: https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12/8/696
Caring for the lives and welfare of animals is central to veterinary and animal sanctuary work, yet the meaning remains a subject of complex debates. Different stakeholders negotiate what constitutes appropriate care, leading to conflicting demands and expectations from internal and external sources. This article is based on two qualitative studies: Study I explores the multifaceted aspects of death work in farm animal medicine, emphasising the practical, emotional and ethical challenges involved. Study II examines human–animal interaction in sanctuaries, which reveal tensions between instrumental and relational care in animal-centred work. Relational care represents a subjectifying approach with individual attention to animals, while instrumental care is a more objectifying perspective based on species representation. These demands can often be contradictory, complicating day-to-day decision making under pressure. To analyse these complexities, this study employs Clarke’s situational analysis (social worlds/arenas mapping), providing a means of comparing care work across different fields. This approach highlights how actor constellations, institutional settings, and structural constraints influence the negotiation of care. Addressing these issues provides a more nuanced understanding of the professional challenges of animal-centred care and the necessary skills to navigate its inherent contradictions.
APA:
Schneider, A., & Bubeck, M. (2025). The Dual Character of Animal-Centred Care: Relational Approaches in Veterinary and Animal Sanctuary Work. Veterinary Sciences. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12080696
MLA:
Schneider, Anna, and Marc Bubeck. "The Dual Character of Animal-Centred Care: Relational Approaches in Veterinary and Animal Sanctuary Work." Veterinary Sciences (2025).
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