Animal welfare science is a relatively young discipline that has transformed how we think about and measure animal wellbeing. Understanding its development helps appreciate current debates and frontiers.
Animal welfare science has transformed our ability to assess and improve animal lives. Early welfare thinking focused on physical needs — freedom from hunger, injury, disease. The addition of behavioural needs, mental states, and now positive welfare represents a progressive deepening of what we understand welfare to require. Current frontiers include validated measures of positive affect in diverse species, welfare implications of animal cognition research, and the application of welfare science to previously neglected species including fish, invertebrates, and wild animals. The field's influence on policy, practice, and public understanding has been profound.