Animal Welfare and Social Innovation: Evidence from a Case Study in Southern Brazil

Abstract

This study examined the Cão Terapia (Dog Therapy) project, developed by a civil society organization, in order to verify how it generates social innovation based on practices focused on animal welfare. It is a qualitative case study, with an exploratory and descriptive approach. It consists of literature review, documentary research, participant observation, and interviews with volunteers and managers of the Bem-Animal organization. Bem-Animal seeks to promote the welfare of animals rescued by the government after complaints of abuse, being run over, and other serious situations. We found that the initiatives of this organization result in social innovation, above all, by providing social actions contrary to the speciesist, instrumental, and consumerist mentalities. They contribute to an experience of ethical precepts and to the consolidation of rights for non-human animals within the society.

Social Innovation as a Support for the Visibility of Vulnerable Communities

“…Some concepts of social innovation focus on the process and the result of innovations [60,61]. The concepts that guide social innovation toward a result of the solution applied to a social demand seem to emphasize the utilitarian character of innovation, without the need to commit to structural changes about the major problems that plague today's societies [18,36,62]. In turn, there are concepts based on the mechanisms that permeate the process of social innovation [12,[63][64][65], which include training, mobilization, and effective strategies for social inclusion [66,67].…”

“…The impact of social innovation requires an understanding of optimal practices and a pedagogical approach: (1) Successful projects emphasize creating new human interactions, social structures, and relations aimed at enhancing human and natural quality of life, advocating for the sustainable preservation of the natural world and dignified human life as guiding principles [34][35][36]. (2) Unlike traditional education models, social innovation promotes a reciprocal teaching-learning process, valuing knowledge from all participants, including inherited and experientially gained insights.…”