Scientific understanding of animal sentience has advanced dramatically and is increasingly informing animal welfare legislation and policy in countries worldwide.
Legal recognition of animal sentience creates obligations for governments to consider animal welfare when making policy decisions. The growing scientific consensus that a wide range of animals including fish, crustaceans, and some invertebrates may have sentience-relevant neural substrates is expanding the circle of welfare concern. Policy frameworks that require formal sentience consideration in government decision-making represent significant progress, though implementation and enforcement remain challenging.