Despite enormous remaining challenges, animal welfare has made measurable progress over the past 50 years through legislation, consumer behavior, and advocacy.
The arc of animal welfare progress, while frustratingly slow, is demonstrably real. Practices that were universal 50 years ago — battery cages, veal crates, routine antibiotic use — have been reduced or eliminated through the combination of scientific evidence, consumer advocacy, and legislative change. This progress demonstrates that sustained effort by welfare advocates creates genuine improvement in animal lives.