Moving beyond measuring suffering, positive welfare science identifies indicators of genuine thriving that provide a higher and more meaningful welfare standard for all species.
The shift to positive welfare represents a maturation of animal welfare science from asking what is wrong to asking what good life looks like for each species. Positive indicators are visible, measurable, and provide a higher aspiration than minimum suffering standards. Play behaviour, exploratory behaviour, positive vocalisation, and affiliative social interaction are all visible indicators that an animal is experiencing something positive. Welfare assessments that include positive indicators alongside negative ones provide a more complete picture of animal quality of life.