Common questions about animal welfare
1. What is the difference between animal welfare and animal rights?
In the field of animal welfare, animals are viewed as sentient beings and their quality of life is considered paramount. The utilisation of animals for human interests (e.g., food, clothing, draught power) is understood to be necessary to an extent. The welfare of animals is evaluated on a spectrum of “very bad” to “very good”. Physical factors such as absence of pain and disease and protection from the elements are crucial for welfare; however, the way that animals perceive their life experience, and the absence of suffering, together with the ability to express natural behaviours is equally important. The goal of animal welfare is to achieve ‘a good life’ – the absence of negative states, together with the presence of positive states.
From the animal rights perspective, all sentient beings are equal and the use of animals by humans in any way is unacceptable. Veganism is an example of this school of thought. Animal rights supporters reject a ‘speciesist’ belief system i.e., the ideology that humans consider themselves superior to other species. They assert that prioritising human needs and wants at the expense of other non-human animals is ethically wrong. Animal rights is a subjective perspective taken by people; animal welfare is objectively concerned with the emotional state experienced by animals themselves. Animal welfare is an integral part of animal rights, but the animal rights movement goes further than welfare, and adopts the moral principle that animals are autonomous and should be able to live the natural life they choose, free from human influences or desires.
2. What is animal welfare science?
Animal welfare science is a multi-disciplinary field involving specialists from veterinary, animal behaviour (ethology), physiology and comparative psychology backgrounds. Animal welfare science recognises the sentience of non-human animals and aims to objectively measure and effectively improve animal welfare. Methods of measurement are commonly based on animal physiology and behaviour, but can also be based on other factors such as husbandry and production measures.
Operational welfare indicators (OWIs) are practical tools used to measure and guide animal welfare on- and off-site. These can be physical, behavioural, environmental and nutritional. OWIs were developed from the concept of the ‘Five Freedoms’ for animals.
3. What are the Five Freedoms?
The Brambell Report, published by the British Government in 1965, is widely considered the foundation of the field of animal welfare science. The Report conceptualised the issues of animals experiencing ‘suffering’ and need’, and led to the development of the Five Freedoms for Animals:
- Freedom from hunger and thirst
- Freedom from discomfort
- Freedom from pain, injury and disease
- Freedom from fear and distress
- Freedom to express normal behaviour
The Five Freedoms are very well recognised and have influenced much animal welfare legislation globally. However, the underlying concept behind animal welfare has evolved since 1965.
4. What are the Five Domains of animal welfare?
The Five Domains model evolved from the Five Freedoms, as understanding of animal welfare increased. It is a more thorough means to evaluate and measure factors which enhance animal welfare as well as compromise it.
A 2016 article by animal welfare pioneer, Prof. David Mellor, explains that the Five Freedoms do not differentiate between the basic physiological needs of animal welfare, such as good nutrition, protection from the elements, and absence of disease and injury, and affective* elements of animal welfare, e.g. experiences of thirst, hunger, discomfort, pain, fear and distress. Therefore, the Five Freedoms is an inadequate tool for proper assessment of animal welfare.
Mellor’s Five Domains model advocates for ‘a life worth living’ for animals. The goal of this model is to provide opportunities for animals to survive and thrive. Survival entails basic physiological functioning, such as fulfilling nutritional needs. Thriving means that animals are able to experience comfort, pleasure, interest, confidence and a sense of control. These are above and beyond merely mitigating the presence of negative states.
The Five Domains of nutrition, environment, health, behaviour and mental state all have positive and negative affects associated with them, as illustrated below.
* “Affect” or “affective state”: feelings or emotional state as experienced by animals
5. What does an animal welfare consultant do?
Depending on the individual’s training, background, personal strengths and interests, the consultant may focus on a specific sector e.g., wildlife and conservation, farmed animals, marine animals, or species e.g., horses, cattle, dogs or cats. The criteria by which animal welfare is assessed will change depends on multiple factors, i.e., husbandry, species, intention for animal use. For example, welfare audits for farmed animals commonly assess housing, transport and slaughtering protocols. However, welfare criteria used for assessing animals involved in film production would be different, based on the circumstances and species involved. Animal welfare consultants are frequently involved in data collection and research for animal welfare science, as well as the development and implementation of best practice standards and policies. Please see here for a detailed list of services offered by Animal Ethos Consulting.