Citizen science programmes engage members of the public in data collection for animal welfare monitoring, combining large-scale coverage with awareness-raising about welfare issues.
Citizen science for animal welfare monitoring democratises data collection in ways that professional monitoring programmes cannot match for scale and coverage. Public engagement in welfare monitoring also raises awareness of the issues monitored, creating a dual benefit: data collection and education simultaneously. The limitations of citizen science - including geographic bias toward accessible areas and variable observer skill - require careful methodological design to produce reliable welfare-relevant data. When properly designed and quality-controlled, citizen science programmes can detect population trends with welfare implications at scales impossible for professional monitoring alone.