There are significant welfare concerns regarding the plight of working donkeys (Equus asinus) in developing countries. To-date, however, there has been limited work assessing the welfare of donkeys in many parts of Africa, including Kenya. This study aimed to characterise the unique welfare concerns of working donkeys in Meru County, Kenya. Baseline information was gathered, concerning challenges with feeding, working conditions and disease faced by owners and drivers with differences between pack and cart donkeys investigated. To this end, 102 donkeys underwent evaluation using a Standardised Equine Based Welfare Assessment Tool (SEBWAT) and 58 owners were surveyed. Important welfare concerns, including low body condition scores (BCS) (median [IQR] 2 [1.5, 2.5 out of 5]), hobbling (81/102; 79%) and mutilation wounds (49/102; 48%) were identified in all donkeys. The following categories registered significant physical differences between cart and pack donkeys: signalment (cart 100% male, pack 21% male); BCS (median cart 2.0, pack 1.5); and presence of skin wounds on the neck (cart 30%, pack 0%). Behaviour was assessed with differences noted in chin contact avoidance (cart 56%, pack 97%), tail tuck presence (cart 46%, pack 97%), number of donkeys owned (median cart 2, pack 1), reported administration of de-worming medication by owners (cart 95%, pack 17%), and occurrence of reported illness (cart 81%, pack 38%). This initial survey addresses welfare concerns related to the Meru County donkey population and will serve as a useful benchmark for future assessments as well as targeted interventions, including the introduction of modified carts to the region.

Small mammals are particularly dependent on owner-provided housing and husbandry yet are frequently kept in conditions that do not meet their welfare needs. This study used the COM-B model (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation = Behaviour) to identify behavioural drivers influencing housing provision among 723 UK small mammal pet owners. This model of human behaviour proposes that behaviour occurs when individuals have the capability, opportunity, and motivation to act. Owners of the eight most commonly kept small mammal species were surveyed: rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus), hamsters (Cricetinae), gerbils (Gerbillinae), rats (Rattus norvegicus), mice (Mus musculus), chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera), and degus (Octodon degus). Opportunity, particularly the availability of suitable enclosures, emerged as the primary barrier, while Capability and Motivation were identified as facilitators, with most pet owners willing and able to provide good levels of welfare. Owner approaches to assessing health and welfare at home were examined through qualitative word frequency analysis, with responses mapped to the Five Domains model. This analysis focused on rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, and hamsters due to limited data availability for other species. Overall, behavioural indicators were most commonly used to identify positive health and welfare, while nutritional and physical signs were cited most frequently for negative states. Changes in eating behaviour were the most frequently cited indicators of ill health or poor welfare across all four species, suggesting this may serve as a practical health and welfare indicator for owners. Improving access to suitable housing and further exploring eating behaviour as an early health and welfare indicator may together support better husbandry for small mammal pets.

The study of animal welfare is essential for undergraduates seeking to pursue careers with animals, yet pedagogical research on this topic is limited. While animal welfare is an accepted (albeit relatively new) scientific discipline, student views on animal welfare as a science require further exploration. This article reports the findings from a mixed-methods action research project undertaken at Harper Adams University (HAU) in the UK. Undergraduate student questionnaire responses (n = 123) revealed key attitudinal constructs related to animal welfare, and relationships to demographic factors. Students overwhelmingly defined animal welfare in terms of health; however, rural (compared to urban) students more often perceived ‘naturalness’ as important in the maintenance of good welfare. Notions of what constitutes good animal welfare appeared to be mediated by prospective career paths. For instance, veterinary nursing students were more likely to define animal welfare based upon resource-based measures and appropriate treatment of animals, which may link to their future role in educating clients on these topics. Finally, student attitudes toward animal welfare science revealed deeper epistemological views on the meaning of ‘science’. That is, natural sciences were seen as trustworthy; students invoked the Scientific Method and disciplines such as neurobiology to bring credence to animal welfare science. Conversely, aspects of animal welfare addressed by the social sciences were dismissed as unscientific. Based on these results, recommendations for action are proposed, which include further research into the attitudes of educators, strategies for engaging with dissatisfied student groups, and elevating the social sciences within animal welfare curricula.

The popularity of keeping domesticated cats (Felis catus) indoor-only or outdoor-indoor varies according to geographical location, and both have risks and benefits. Walking cats (e.g. on leashes) may enable mitigation of roaming risks while providing outdoor access, but the practice of walking cats appears relatively uncommon and is yet to be examined in the literature. Semi-structured online interviews (21 participants across seven countries) were conducted to explore cat walking perceptions and experiences in owners who currently practise it. Interview recordings were transcribed and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Five main themes were generated: (1) Benefits of walking; (2) Challenges around walking; (3) Safety for walking; (4) Cat individuality and walking; and (5) Attitudes about walking across geographic contexts. Themes highlighted that participants perceived benefits of walking for both cat and owner but faced challenges largely due to dogs and their owners in addition to judgment from others in the community. The main priorities of walking were seen to be ensuring safety and attending to the individual needs of each cat. Reactions to cat walking appeared to vary according to local norms and attitudes about cats and owner-cat relationships. The subjective nature of both the concept and practice of cat walking was also emphasised. These findings provide an initial base for what the experience of walking cats can be like and highlight that further research to directly investigate the welfare impacts of walking on cats and their owners is now needed.

The World Organisation for Animal Health describes animal welfare as a “complex and multi-faceted subject with scientific, ethical, economic, cultural, social, religious and political dimensions.” In this study, an online survey in English and Japanese was developed based on the Five Freedoms, with the aim of investigating attitudes of veterinarians and behaviour/welfare scientists in the United Kingdom (UK) and Japan toward management of companion, farmed, experimental, zoo and wildlife animals. Respondents from the UK (n = 212) were more familiar with the Five Freedoms than those from Japan (n = 321) but both countries tended to prioritise ‘survival-related’ attributes (health and nutrition) over ‘situation-related’ attributes (behaviour) and the environmental impacts (discomfort). In Japan, however, fewer respondents recognised the ‘Freedom to express normal behaviour’ as important for domesticated animals compared to UK respondents. When considering vignettes with practical situations of cat management and dog euthanasia, UK respondents considered the provision of outdoor access to represent better management for cat welfare while most Japanese respondents thought cats should be managed entirely indoors, although the benefits and risks of going outdoors were similarly recognised in both countries. For the vignette of dog pain relating to an incurable tumour, severe pain and the dog’s mental stress motivated respondents from both countries to consider euthanasia. However, for Japanese respondents, the data suggested a perception that mental stress did not have an association with the dog’s inabilities to express normal behaviour. These data highlighted the importance of understanding the manner in which people perceive animals in different contexts and the value of considering different cultural approaches.

Good welfare is of inherent value to all captive animals and promotes species conservation objectives. Concern for animal welfare is growing globally, and research shows that animal welfare is a top priority for zoo visitors. There is, therefore, an urgent need for zoos to develop and validate species-specific welfare assessment tools with a shift in focus away from avoiding negative affective states, and towards promoting positive ones. This shift in emphasis requires the development of comprehensive and robust welfare assessment protocols incorporating species-specific indicators. This study aimed to identify and propose welfare indicators for captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) that could be used to adapt the EU Welfare Quality® protocol for this species. A literature review was carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the authors followed the principles of a systematic review to identify a comprehensive set of welfare indicators for this species. Overall, 14 animal-based and 16 resource-based indicators are proposed to assess the 12 criteria and four principles of Welfare Quality®. This study represents the first effort to adapt the EU Welfare Quality® protocol to assess captive chimpanzee welfare and illustrates how this protocol can be adapted to develop a taxon-specific welfare assessment tool once species-specific natural history and biology are considered.

Sheep (Ovis aries) are stoic, prey animals that have evolved to mask signs of pain and vulnerability, making behavioural indicators of poor welfare difficult to detect. Body condition scoring (BCS) remains one of the most practical, animal-based indicators of chronic undernutrition and compromised welfare in grazing ruminants. Disruption of the incisor apparatus due to dental disorders or tooth loss can impair grazing efficiency, resulting in reduced nutritional intake and contributing to poor body condition. Despite this, there has been little research into the prevalence or welfare impact of dental disorders in sheep. This preliminary study aimed to assess the prevalence of incisor wear in extensively grazed Dohne Merino ewes, examine its distribution across age groups, and evaluate associations with bodyweight and BCS. A total of 818 ewes aged 2 to 10 years were evaluated during routine husbandry. Incisor wear was scored based on dentine exposure using a 0–3 ordinal scale. BCS was determined through hands-on palpation, and liveweight was recorded. Wear affecting more than one-third of tooth enamel was present in at least one incisor in 99% of ewes over five years of age. Greater incisor wear was significantly associated with lower bodyweight and BCS in ewes over two years, irrespective of age. These findings underscore the potential role of incisor wear as a contributing factor to nutritional compromise and welfare risk in older sheep. Monitoring incisor health may facilitate more accurate welfare assessments and enhance management strategies in extensive systems.

Increasing recognition of the diverse benefits of human-animal interactions (HAIs) has propelled related studies. Although most of the benefits have been illustrated by academic literature (e.g. journal articles, academic theses, and project reports), the grey literature contributes to a comprehensive understanding of HAIs and offers new perspectives, informing prospective research, practices, and policies. Adapting the Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach, this rapid review examined 151 articles covering HAIs from 2016–2022. The univariate analysis results revealed that the sources covered various animal species (e.g. dogs, cats, birds), types of animals (e.g. companion animals, therapy animals, zoo animals), and vulnerable populations (e.g. older adults, people with disabilities). HAIs could be found across different settings, such as households, schools, healthcare facilities, and more. The thematic analysis identified three primary categories associated with HAIs’ benefits in public education: (1) HAIs benefit the well-being of individuals, families, and animals; (2) HAIs promote prosocial behaviours and community development; and (3) HAIs improve disaster preparedness and response. The results highlight the multifaceted positive influences of HAIs on human well-being, animal welfare, and building healthy and resilient communities. Grey literature plays an essential role in knowledge mobilisation through public education, promoting the interconnectedness between human well-being and animal welfare.

There has been limited research into the effectiveness of penetrating captive bolt (PCB) for stunning horses (Equus caballus) at slaughter. This study observed 100 horses at a commercial abattoir in Mexico, stunned using pneumatic PCB. Animals were assessed at the time of stunning and immediately after for signs of effective/ineffective stunning and shot positioning, with macroscopic gross brain pathology conducted to determine brain trauma. Twenty-five percent (25/100) received more than one shot and 28% (28/100) displayed behavioural signs of ineffective stunning. Of these 28 animals, all had deviations of more than 10 mm from the suggested shot position outlined by the Humane Slaughter Association with rostral-caudal deviation associated with an absence of damage to the thalamus, midbrain, and pons. Forty-four percent (44/100) of animals displayed no damage to critical brain structures (thalamus, midbrain, pons and medulla), with this associated with ineffective stunning. Overall, 16% of shots missed the brain (16/100), with a higher proportion of poll shots (30%) missing the brain compared to frontal shots (12%). There is the potential, when animals are shot into the poll, for paralysis from damage to the spinal cord and caudal brainstem structures. Appropriate position, angle and performance of PCB is therefore vital to achieving an effective stun, by targeting critical brain structures responsible for maintaining consciousness and ensuring proper PCB maintenance. Animals should be routinely checked between stunning and exsanguination, with minimal time between these stages, to minimise recovery of consciousness and alleviate suffering for horses at slaughter.

There is concern amongst the public, equestrians, animal welfare organisations, and horse-sport governing bodies regarding the welfare of performance horses, but equestrian culture appears slow to change. The present study seeks to increase our understanding of human factors underlying the persistence of welfare-compromising management and training practices within the performance horse world. Individual, semi-structured interviews focused on equestrians’ attitudes were conducted with 22 equestrians from classical equestrian disciplines in the US, Canada, and the UK. Interview transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Five main themes were identified: perception of welfare issues; conflicting conceptions of a good life; objectification of the horse; instrumentalisation of horse care; and enculturation. Participants perceived and were concerned about horse welfare, but expressed dissonance-reducing strategies, including trivialisation, reframing and justification. Participants shared conflicting conceptions of a good life and described how equestrian activities may infringe upon horse welfare. Objectification of horses was among the attitudinal factors identified that may permit persistence of harmful practices, while the instrumentalisation of care theme showed how management practices often focused on performance and the horse’s job more than care about the horse. Finally, enculturation (the process of adopting attitudes and behaviours of a culture) in equestrianism may be fundamental to maintaining practices and attitudes that compromise horse welfare. These findings provide an enhanced understanding of why horse welfare issues persist in classical equestrian disciplines and may inform future human behaviour change strategies to promote improved horse welfare.

Increasing disease outbreaks and declining biodiversity underscore the need for understanding the impact pathogens have on wildlife populations. To understand how zoonoses impact wild animal welfare, we created a severity index. Using signs of disease information from a bacterial zoonotic disease database, we quantified severity of each sign of disease combined with the number of welfare domains and body systems the pathogen impacts to find the severity index value (SIV) of each unique host-pathogen relationship. We then investigated the effects of host-pathogen richness and conservation status against SIV. We found there to be a strong, negative correlation between increasing pathogen richness and SIV. Species of least concern (LC) were not significantly more likely to have higher SIV than species of conservation concern (CC), but CC species did not have a significant decline of SIV with increasing pathogen richness. This study provides an insight into the relationships between pathogen richness and the risk of pathogen infections to wildlife.

The transition from conventional cage systems to cage-free egg production in China remains limited despite apparently increasing consumer demand for cage-free eggs. This study interviewed 15 large-scale Chinese egg producers using cages and/or cage-free systems (i.e. single-, multi-tier and free-range) to investigate the perceived challenges and opportunities during the transition. The cage farms’ scales range from 110,000 to 30 million, while the cage-free farms keep between 12,000 and 300,000 laying hens. Drawing upon the COM-B model of the Behaviour Change Wheel, this study explored how producers’ Capabilities, Opportunities, and Motivations impact decision-making processes. Key findings reveal that cage and cage-free producers considered consumer demand and profitability as primary drivers for adopting cage-free systems. While free-range producers were more confident in the market, barn system producers faced greater uncertainty due to limited engagement from corporate buyers. Moreover, these cage-free producers believed reliable certification and labelling schemes to be critical for building consumer trust and ensuring the success of cage-free operations. All the participants perceived access to sufficient land and financial resources to be essential for a successful transition. While most studies propose education as a long-term strategy to promote the growth of the cage-free egg sector, our findings are the first to highlight that engaging corporate buyers and establishing trustworthy certification schemes are the most crucial short-term interventions required to drive the development of large-scale cage-free farms and support sustained improvements in animal welfare in China.

Breeding management in laboratory rodents is challenging, particularly around parturition and the neonatal period, where cage disturbance is often avoided in an attempt to limit neonatal mortality. Nevertheless, cage-side observations and single daily checks frequently underestimate pup numbers born and miss parturition complications. Home Cage Monitoring (HCM) systems are gaining popularity in animal facilities, detecting critical events such as food availability and activity levels. Parturition is a complex event involving specific patterns of behaviour, activity and vocalisations. In this study, audio and video data were collected from parturition events of single-housed C57BL/6J females and breeding pairs housed in a prototype rack with integrated microphones. Vocalisations were detected during parturition in both housing conditions, with minimal vocalisations observed prior to parturition, except for ultrasonic sounds in pair-housed mice (Mus musculus). After parturition, all vocalisations gradually decreased. Despite limitations such as the need for post-event analysis and the focus on a single mouse strain, this study suggests that detecting vocalisations can be a promising basis for developing automated parturition detection. This highlights the potential of HCM systems for improving breeding management and welfare in laboratory rodent colonies.

Dog relinquishment has been a persistent issue in Taiwan. The commercialisation of companion animals, inadequate regulation of pet shops and unethical breeding, and the cultural opposition to euthanasia have contributed to rising stray populations and overwhelmed shelters. However, current measures in Taiwan have focused predominantly on post-relinquishment management, with insufficient attention paid to the sources of relinquished dogs. This study examines the pathway of dog relinquishment by tracing acquisition motivation, choice of purchase channel, ownership experience, and potential relinquishment. Using an online survey of 444 Taiwanese dog owners, this study explores the interplay between these factors. While several factors relate to relinquishment, owners’ knowledge and motivations are the strongest predictors of successful ownership, as better-prepared owners tend to choose more appropriate acquisition channels, apply more effective training methods, and report fewer problem behaviours. Strengthening pre-acquisition education and tightening channel regulations may be key to reducing dog relinquishment and improving animal welfare in Taiwan.

Depopulation of end-of-lay hens can result in stress and injury for both hens and catchers. A pilot study was assessed to optimise hen and catcher well-being during loading. Two add-on prototypes for attaching to transport container drawers were tested on five commercial aviary farms: prototype 1 (metal tube with vertical flaps); and prototype 2 (frame with horizontal flaps). Per flock, a subset of 800 end-of-lay hens was assigned to one of three treatments: Standard container with 15 drawers; Standard container plus prototype 1; and Standard container plus prototype 2. Parameters (filling duration, number of escapes, number of body part entrapments, restlessness, and loading inefficiency in container) were scored during the catch, supplemented by a post-loading catcher survey, and at the slaughterhouse (loading damage prevalence, number of dead-on-arrivals). The three treatments were compared using a 1–7 Likert scale. Hens were significantly calmer with prototype 1 compared to prototype 2 with no significant difference relative to the standard container. Loading was less efficient for prototype 2 vs the standard container. Catchers preferred prototype 1 and the standard container over prototype 2 for ease of use and hen calmness and prototype 2 showed no advantages for efficiency or animal and catcher well-being. Prototype 1 resulted in fewer breast bruises than the standard container with no difference in loading efficiency and requires larger-scale testing for enhancing effectiveness, animal and catcher well-being.

The use of camera traps in wildlife conservation and ecological research is a popular method of data capture due in large part to the perceived low interference levels for the animals being studied. However, evidence exists that some species alter their behaviour when exposed to this technology. The primary aim of this study was to address whether researchers working with this technology in the ecology and forestry fields are making considerations for the possible impacts of cameras on animal behaviour. A secondary aim was to investigate how the use of this technology is framed in recent publications. In this rapid systematic literature review, we conducted a search on Web of Science and we identified 267 papers published in the last five years, in the fields of ecology and forestry, that met our inclusion criteria. We screened the studies for mentions of the impact of camera traps on the welfare of wildlife. Surprisingly, only 7.5% of the papers considered the possible animal welfare impacts of camera use on the wildlife species of interest in their study, with most comparing it to invasive methods and therefore framing this technology positively. We strongly encourage researchers working in this field to consider the impact of this technology on the specific species being studied. Whilst we recognise that the use of camera traps avoids direct handling of the animals, the short- and long-term effects of using this technology should not be ignored and should, at a minimum, be acknowledged in the limitations.

Much research has assessed methods of pain control for cattle castration, but there remains a lack of consensus regarding best practice. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of published research including both an untreated control (i.e. castrated without pain mitigation) and at least one unimodal or multimodal analgesia treatment (i.e. castrated with a local anaesthetic alone, or in combination with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) to summarise findings on castration pain management. Studies were included if they castrated by surgery, elastration or crushing, and reported at least one of the following outcomes: cortisol, change in bodyweight, foot stomping, wound licking, a subjective assessment of pain using a visual analogue scale, or stride length. Our search identified 383 publications, of which 17 were eligible for inclusion. Most publications focused on surgical castration (n = 14), and the most frequently reported outcome was blood cortisol (n = 13). None of the included studies were assessed as having a low risk of bias, mostly due to a lack of reporting blinding procedures and reasons for missing data. Using a three-level random effect model, we concluded that multimodal analgesia reduced blood cortisol concentrations in the first hour following surgical castration in comparison to the control group; this effect was diminished but still evident at 3 and 4 h, but not beyond at 6, 12 and 24 h. Too few data were available to meaningfully assess other outcomes and methods. Variability in methods and outcomes between studies, and risks of bias, hinder our capacity to provide science-based recommendations for best practice.

North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli), endemic to New Zealand (NZ), are held in captivity both within and outside of NZ. However, more knowledge is required regarding how kiwi are housed and managed. This study aimed to characterise the demographics and reported health/behavioural issues of the captive population of kiwi, investigate current housing and husbandry practices, and explore the association between reported behavioural problems and housing practices. Between November 2021 and June 2022, all 31 facilities holding kiwi were invited to participate in a questionnaire. Thirteen facilities within NZ (92.9% response rate) and ten elsewhere in the world (58.8%) responded, covering 97 kiwi in NZ (93.3%) and 40 outside NZ (83.3%). Kiwi in NZ were younger on average than birds elsewhere. Environmental conditions, including enclosure size, temperature, and lighting, varied across facilities. Health issues were reported in 39% of kiwi and behavioural in 20%, with common behavioural issues including stereotypical or reproduction-related behaviours. Kiwi in those facilities outside of NZ were heavier and housed in smaller enclosures. Kiwi in nocturnal houses were more likely to be reported as displaying behavioural problems than off-display enclosures. A higher proportion of NZ kiwi were housed in nocturnal houses compared to elsewhere, and one in five NZ kiwi were reported as displaying a behavioural problem, compared to 1/8 in other countries. Behavioural issues in kiwi may be underreported due to their nocturnal nature, and both behavioural and health challenges could negatively impact their welfare. Further research is essential to optimise captive conditions and improve health, behaviour, and welfare outcomes for this iconic species.