Animals that serve as disease reservoirs or are affected by zoonotic pathogens require welfare consideration alongside public health management.
Zoonotic disease management creates welfare crises when large-scale culling is required to control disease spread. The welfare of culled animals is often subordinated to public health considerations without adequate attention to whether the welfare cost is proportionate or whether alternatives exist. Developing rapid, humane culling methods, investing in vaccines and alternative management approaches, and setting clear welfare standards for disease response operations would reduce the enormous welfare toll of current disease management approaches.