Modern animal welfare science has expanded beyond preventing suffering to actively measuring and promoting positive emotional states that contribute to good lives for animals.
The shift from welfare as merely the absence of suffering to welfare as the presence of positive experiences represents a fundamental advance in the field. An animal that is not suffering but also has no opportunities for positive experiences is not living well in the fullest sense. Research into positive welfare indicators provides tools to assess and improve the quality of animal lives beyond minimum standards. This approach places a moral obligation on caretakers not just to prevent harm but to actively promote flourishing.