Welfare Science

Positive Animal Welfare: Beyond the Absence of Suffering

Modern animal welfare science increasingly focuses on promoting positive experiences and quality of life, not merely preventing negative states.

Key Facts

The Five Freedoms (1965) focused on preventing suffering
The Five Domains model adds a fifth domain: mental/positive states
Positive welfare indicators include play, exploration, grooming, and affiliative behaviour
Indicators of poor welfare include stereotypies, apathy, and aggression
Welfare assessment is shifting from outputs (disease rates) to animal-based measures

Welfare Considerations

Preventing suffering is necessary but not sufficient for good welfare. Animals that lack pain can still be in a poor welfare state through boredom, fear, or frustration. Conversely, animals provided with opportunities for positive experiences show measurable physiological and behavioural benefits: improved immune function, longer lifespans, and better reproductive success. The Positive Subjective Experiences in Animals (PSEA) framework guides enrichment design.

What You Can Do

Advocate for animal welfare assessment systems that include positive welfare indicators
Support enrichment programmes in farms, zoos, and shelters
Ask care facilities how they measure and promote positive states, not just prevent disease
Engage with organisations like the Animal Welfare Institute that promote positive welfare
Support research into what constitutes a good life for different animal species