Policy and Welfare

The Five Domains Model of Animal Welfare

The Five Domains model provides a comprehensive framework for assessing animal welfare across nutrition, environment, health, behavior, and mental state.

Key Facts

The Five Domains model was developed by David Mellor and colleagues in New Zealand
It extends the Five Freedoms framework to include positive as well as negative states
Mental state assessment integrates the four physical domains to provide overall welfare judgment
The model is now used in zoo accreditation, farm assurance, and research ethics worldwide

Welfare Considerations

The Five Domains model represents a significant advance over the Five Freedoms by recognizing that welfare involves more than absence of suffering. Animals in good welfare should have opportunities for positive experiences including pleasure, comfort, and engagement with their environment. This positive welfare perspective is increasingly influencing both research and practical standards.

What You Can Do

Use the Five Domains model to assess welfare of animals in your care
Advocate for positive welfare indicators to be included alongside negative ones in certification schemes
Support research validating positive welfare indicators for different species
Engage with the model when evaluating claims about animal welfare from producers and retailers