Welfare Science

Animal Welfare Film and Television

Documentaries and fictional narratives about animals have significant power to influence public attitudes and drive welfare improvements.

Key Facts

Earthlings (2005) and Dominion (2018) have been credited with influencing many people toward veganism
Wild animal documentary series increasingly include welfare context alongside natural history
Social media content about individual animals generates powerful empathy responses
Film and TV portrayals can perpetuate welfare harms by normalising animal use
Award-winning documentaries about factory farming have contributed to policy debates

Welfare Considerations

Animal welfare storytelling through film and media has demonstrable impact on attitudes and behaviour. Supporting welfare-positive media and creating compelling animal welfare narratives are important advocacy strategies.

What You Can Do

Watch and share impactful animal welfare documentaries with your network
Engage critically with animal portrayal in entertainment media
Support filmmakers producing welfare-positive animal stories
Advocate for accurate welfare context in natural history and wildlife programming
Create your own animal welfare content to reach new audiences