Obesity has significant implications regarding the welfare of companion animals. Data regarding obesity in exotic companion mammals (ECM) are sparse. The aim of this study was to investigate obesity in pet rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus), and rats (Rattus norvegicus) in Estonia, and to survey husbandry practices and owner awareness. Husbandry data were collected from patients visiting the Estonian University of Life Sciences’ small animal clinic via anonymous questionnaires over an eleven-month period. Three hundred and fifty-one questionnaire responses and body condition score (BCS) data for 177 patients (71 rabbits, 73 guinea pigs, 33 rats) were collected. Twenty-eight percent of rabbits, 23% of guinea pigs and 28% of rats were overweight (BCS > 3/5). Male rats were more likely to be overweight than females and there was a negative correlation between age and body condition. There was an increased likelihood of male guinea pigs being underweight. Owner questionnaires revealed that 20% of rabbit owners, 14% of guinea pig owners and 11% of rat owners believed their pets to be overweight while 58% of owners had not received husbandry advice from a veterinarian. Obesity is a significant welfare issue in the Estonian ECM population and several detrimental husbandry practices were identified, including inappropriate feeding, insufficient physical activity, individual housing. Further studies might investigate veterinarian awareness of the issues at hand and tendencies for other species.

In different parts of the world the claim is increasingly being made that continuous confinement of pet cats (Felis catus) is beneficial for both wildlife conservation and cat welfare. The first part of the claim is almost incontrovertible, but the second is misleading. The assertion that confined animals have superior welfare is rooted in thinking pre-dating the 1960s that equates welfare with physical health. By contemporary accounts of animal welfare, confinement of animals presents major welfare risks, and this recognition has been a major driver of refinement in livestock industries, e.g. moves towards free-range systems. Yet, these risks have not been widely acknowledged in debates over pet cat management. We argue that the current pervasive rhetoric from conservationists and some regulators that cat confinement is beneficial for wildlife and cats is, at best, confusing health with welfare. At worst, it is a deliberate attempt to mislead the public through portraying a win-win scenario where, instead, a trade-off must be navigated. Failure to recognise this trade-off undermines conservation goals three-fold. First, it limits the efficacy of behaviour change interventions to increase confinement. Second, it erodes public trust in organisations perceived as knowingly misleading the public. Finally, it reduces the incentive to make the one decision yielding long-term benefits for both cats and ecosystems; ceasing to own cats at all. Policy-makers should be wary of the allure of false win-win narratives when tackling contentious issues that require trade-offs to be made.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of gillnet soak time to gain a better understanding of fish welfare, mortality, stress, and quality (as measured as muscle haemoglobin) during experimental gillnet fishery of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). An experimental study was conducted in a large-scale tank at a research facility with 131 wild-caught fish in four groups with gillnet soak times of 0, 2, 12, and 24 h (23–34 fish per soak time). Longer soak time caused higher mortality, with a mortality rate of 0, 7, 18, and 25% in the 0-, 2-, 12- and 24-h groups, respectively. Blood lactate levels were significantly affected by soak time, peaking at 2 h (with the widest confidence interval) and showing their lowest concentrations at 0 and 24 h. Soak time also significantly increased blood glucose and serum cortisol levels. Magnesium, creatinine, and iron increased significantly in all groups compared with control levels, but there was no significant difference between soak times. Haemoglobin content in the loin increased significantly only after 24 h of soak time for live fish. There was no significant increase in haemoglobin in the belly as a function of soak time. However, for all soak times, the belly had significantly more haemoglobin than the loin. Physiological evidence of traumatic injuries and stress were noted prior to increased muscle haemoglobin, meaning that good quality did not necessarily equate to good welfare. However, a higher level of muscle haemoglobin is a strong indication of poor welfare.

Helicopter-based shooting using either a .308 semi-automatic rifle or a semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun is widely used to manage non-native ungulate populations in Australasia, but the animal welfare outcomes of these two firearms have not been robustly compared. We conducted a randomised field study to compare the animal welfare outcomes of helicopter-based shooting of fallow deer (Dama dama) using a shotgun with three types of lead-based shot (Winchester® 00 Buck, 1 Buck or 4 Buck) relative to a .308 rifle with 135-grain lead-based bullets in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023. All deer that were shot at (n = 390) were killed. Time-to-event curves for times from pursuit to first shot, first shot to insensibility, and the sum of these two metrics (‘total time’), were similar among the four ammunition types. The mean number of shots fired per deer was similar across all four ammunition types, but the mean number of wound tracts per deer increased across the four ammunition types with the number of projectiles per cartridge. All deer subjected to post mortem examination had $ \ge $ 1 wound tract or projectile in the thorax. Our study indicates that using a .308 semi-automatic rifle or a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun for helicopter-based shooting of non-native deer, when the latter is used at ranges ≤ 30 m, provides similar animal welfare outcomes.

The decisions made by horse owners on behalf of their animal, including decisions to involve a veterinarian, play an important role in the management of pain. This study explored horse owners’ experiences to understand how they conceptualised chronic pain within the context of their horse-human relationship, what led them to seek veterinary involvement, and how veterinary interactions shaped their perceptions of pain and its management. An ethnographic approach using constructivist grounded theory methods was adopted. This paper draws upon field notes generated through 200 h of observation undertaken within four veterinary practices in the UK, as well as interviews with horse owners and carers. Analysis identified that owners’ understandings of pain-related issues of their horse were based upon knowledge of what was normal for their animal, and deviation from this norm. Horse behaviours were ascribed meaning by owners in light of contextual factors, in turn affecting owners’ perceptions of pain. While pain could factor into decisions to initiate a veterinary consultation, it was generally not the specific reason owners presented their animal. Veterinarians’ approaches to identifying and treating painful problems played a role in the formulation of owners’ understanding of their horse’s behaviour. Interactions had implications not only for treatment opportunities, but for perceptions of veterinary expertise. This study highlights the context-specific nature through which pain recognition and decisions regarding a horse’s treatment arise. It highlights the drivers of human decision-making and offers potential avenues to support human behaviour change and improve horse welfare.

Animal welfare awareness (AWA) during transportation and in markets is a critical concern in livestock production, influencing the health of animals and other outcomes for stakeholders. Nevertheless, it remains understudied in many developing regions. This study investigates the level of awareness and practices regarding animal welfare during and after transportation among primary stakeholders — sellers, drivers, and buyers — in three livestock markets in Nigeria: Achida, Ikorodu Sabo, and Amansea. A structured survey focusing on the stakeholders’ familiarity with the concept of animal welfare, the Five Freedoms, the Animal Diseases (Control) Act, and encounters with veterinary control posts was conducted across the selected markets between February and July 2024. Furthermore, stakeholders were also questioned about barriers to improving practices. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed to explore associations between the dichotomised awareness of animal welfare and key variables. A significant association between AWA and market location was revealed, but not with occupation. Further analysis showed that dichotomised awareness of Veterinary Control Posts (VCPs) and the Animal Diseases (Control) Act had significant negative associations with AWA, suggesting complex relationships between legal knowledge and familiarity with the concept of animal welfare. Additionally, transport-related mortality was reported by 70.7% of respondents, with overcrowding and sickness identified as primary causes. However, significant barriers, including economic constraints and a lack of authority to mandate standards, were the leading challenges often faced by stakeholders. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions and policy reforms, including increased enforcement.

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.