Alternatives to animal disposal--epilogue: what the future holds

The quest for alternatives to mass animal destruction and disposal represent the findings and advancement of an international initiative that was originated by Canada. Slaughter will remain an important disease management tool for zoonotic and highly infectious diseases. When animal diseases do not constitute a public health risk, however, mass slaughter will continue to be questioned. Solving broad issues of economic, political and social forces is equally as important as addressing technical needs. These issues influence gaining, maintaining or losing consumer confidence during disease events. Therefore, effective, meaningful and inclusive communication with the public is necessary. Furthermore, strategic investments to develop new technical tools collaboratively will be required on a global scale. In addition, other positive contributing factors include capacity building in veterinary services, the use of disease modelling, trends analysis, anticipation and agricultural intelligence, and the vision and enthusiasm of young scientists. The challenges which lie ahead are threefold, namely: to find acceptable alternatives, to develop new international standards to provide confidence and to communicate future approaches more effectively. The concluding result is a re emphasised statement of the urgent need for legitimate, alternative strategies, the challenges which make this difficult and the exciting opportunities ahead. There is a need for renewed creativity, innovation and support to further advance the concept and vision of the four international workshops on animal disposal alternatives for the betterment of global society.