Modern animal welfare science emphasises not just the absence of suffering but the presence of positive experiences, requiring new indicators and frameworks for assessment.
A fundamental shift in animal welfare science has moved the field beyond the goal of merely preventing suffering toward the aspiration of promoting positive experiences and good lives. Animals in genuinely good welfare do not simply lack pain and fear — they also experience play, curiosity, social bonds, comfort, and positive anticipation. Measuring these positive states is more challenging than measuring suffering, but validated tools including the Qualitative Behaviour Assessment, play behaviour scoring, and cognitive bias tests are making it increasingly practical. The next frontier for welfare certification and monitoring is integrating positive welfare indicators alongside negative ones to create a fuller picture of animal experience.