Welfare considerations in responding to stranded whales, dolphins, and porpoises on beaches.
Cetacean stranding response involves acute welfare decisions under time pressure. The welfare-optimal outcome for a survivable stranding is rapid, expert-assisted refloating that minimizes handling stress and returns the animal to appropriate habitat. For non-survivable strandings — animals with severe injuries, chronic disease, or physiological deterioration — the welfare-optimal outcome is often rapid humane euthanasia rather than prolonged attempted care that extends suffering. The tendency to delay euthanasia decisions in the hope of improvement is a welfare failure when prognosis is poor. Well-trained stranding networks that can make confident prognosis assessments provide better welfare outcomes than untrained, emotionally driven response.