Animal welfare science uses ethology, physiology, and cognitive science to objectively assess and improve animal welfare in managed and wild settings.
Welfare science provides the evidence base that distinguishes evidence-based animal care from tradition and assumption. Rigorous welfare assessment reveals what animals actually need - often differing from what keepers assume. The field is maturing from identifying absence of suffering to characterizing positive welfare states. This expanded framework enables us to ask not just 'is the animal suffering?' but 'is the animal thriving?' - a more complete and morally appropriate welfare standard.