This study investigated the effect of group size on tail damage and growth performance in growing-finishing pigs with intact tails. A total of 432 pigs were housed indoors on fully-slatted floors and assigned to either small (nine pigs per pen) or large (18 pigs per pen) groups, with equal space and resource allocation per pig. No environmental enrichment was provided. From nine to 23 weeks of age, pigs were monitored weekly for tail injuries using a 5-point scale (0 = no injury, 4 = partial or total loss). The most severe score observed during each four-week period was used for analysis, and outbreaks were defined as the occurrence of one or more pigs per pen with a tail score ≥ 2. Group size did not influence average daily gain, feed intake, or feed to gain ratio. However, pigs housed in small groups experienced more frequent and severe tail injuries, including a higher proportion of removals due to tail wounds. In contrast, pigs in large groups were more likely to receive healed tail scores (score 1) or mild injuries (score 2), and experienced fewer removals. While these results suggest that tail damage may be less severe in larger groups, the total number of pigs affected by tail biting was similar across treatments. These findings highlight the importance of managing tail-damage severity and suggest that group size can influence welfare outcomes in systems where pigs are raised with intact tails.

While animal welfare is a growing global concern, there has been very little research into how it is understood in Iran. Cultural, religious, and legal factors influence attitudes and practices in ways not addressed by existing research. This study provides culturally grounded insights for improvement of animal welfare in Iran. Utilising a validated survey tool, we investigated the attitudes of Iranians toward the welfare of farmed, companion, and wild animals. A total of 325 responses were collected. The findings indicate that animal welfare is considered important to Iranians, with the majority expressing interest in improving the welfare practices. Despite varying degrees of familiarity with different animal species, there was a consensus on the importance of enacting laws to protect animal welfare. Most participants agreed that chickens feel pain (92.9%) and emotions (79%), whereas fewer attributed these capacities to fish, with 63.6% acknowledging pain and 59.5% acknowledging emotions. Furthermore, most of the participants agreed that animals should not endure pain in the slaughter process (97.8% agreement). While the majority of participants agreed that pre-slaughter stunning was better for the animals (78.7%), only 51.7% agreed that they would prefer to eat meat from animals that had been stunned; reflecting the traditionally held views regarding the role of stunning in Halal meat production. The results of the current study support previous findings suggesting that concern for animals may be a universal human inclination, although, in Iran, attitudes towards specific species and agricultural practices are also shaped by religious perspectives.

Zoos and aquaria have an ethical responsibility to ensure the welfare of the animals in their care. Developing and implementing an animal welfare strategy is central to fulfilling this obligation. An animal welfare strategy is a comprehensive framework that integrates animal welfare into all zoo operations, policies, and procedures, aiming to embed effective animal welfare practices across the entire organisation and extend these practices into the broader community. The strategy should reflect a clear ongoing commitment to animal welfare, incorporate the latest developments in animal welfare science, ensure an evidence-based approach, and be fully integrated into all policies and procedures. In addition, the strategy should provide a clear framework, measurable goals, and key performance indicators (KPIs), to ensure a structured, objective approach to animal welfare monitoring and enhancement. Creating a strategy involves nine key steps. Structuring the strategy around these steps through the lens of four primary domains: animal care; animal welfare assessment; communication; and evaluation, ensures a comprehensive institution-wide commitment to animal welfare. Once established, the strategy should be sufficiently flexible to ensure continued self-examination and improvement, and an ability to incorporate key insights from the rapidly developing field of animal welfare science. Implementing such a strategy requires sustained effort, strong leadership, and an organisational culture that supports shared values and continual improvement.

Previously, consideration of purebred cat welfare has focused heavily on links between specific breeds and their predispositions to disease, extreme morphology, and behavioural traits. While these are certainly important to consider, negative messaging about purebred cats is often poorly evidenced and can be alienating to owners and breeders, with consequent limited or even negative welfare gain. Negative focus on individual breeds also risks overlooking the wider picture, where propagation of genetic traits that impinge upon welfare should be avoided across all cats (Felis catus). An account of purebred cat welfare must also consider husbandry and breeding practices, new experimental breeds and motivations behind changing acquisition trends. This review used a framework based on the five welfare needs from UK legislation, bolstered by published feline quality of life assessment tools, to review the literature on purebred cats. This aimed to re-orient the discussion on purebred cat welfare away from excessive focus on individual breed statements and instead explore broader, generalisable evidence-based welfare considerations. The review concludes that purebred cat welfare in the UK falls short of ideal in numerous ways. These include more obvious conformational concerns, such as osteochondrodysplasia in Scottish Folds and the increasingly flattened faces of brachycephalic cats. Several areas where strong evidence is lacking were also identified, including current breeding conditions, impact of morphological changes on social behaviour, and the breeding and keeping of hybrid cats. More evidence on the motivations behind owning cats with specific morphology is also required to better target interventions to improve the lives of cats.

The welfare of fast-growing broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) raised in intensive farming systems is of global concern for the public, animal advocates and animal welfare scientists. This study investigated the animal husbandry factors which affect broiler chicken welfare on farms in West Java, Indonesia. Foot-pad dermatitis (FPD) and hock burn (HB) were used as welfare indicators with data collected from 14 farms across West Java. Welfare Quality® data were collected from 150 chickens from six locations on each farm, a total of 2,104 chickens, alongside data on the husbandry management and micro-climate inside the chicken house. Cumulative Link Mixed Models (CLMM) were employed using the ordinal package in R to analyse environmental predictors of welfare indicators. Litter quality and breed of chicken were predictors of FPD, whereas litter quality, bodyweight, light intensity, humidity, wind and CO2 predicted HB. There was wide variation in the FPD scores between farms. Sampling locations at the door end of the chicken houses showed consistently worse litter scores, welfare outcomes, and higher variation in micro-climate compared to areas near the negative pressure fans. Chickens were usually sent for slaughter at 32 days, which resulted in better welfare outcomes compared to other countries reported in the literature, where chickens are usually slaughtered at an older age and heavier bodyweight. This research could form the basis for better welfare standards on broiler chicken farms in Indonesia.

Pet guardianship is a common practice globally that enhances human well-being by offering companionship and emotional support. However, it also entails financial responsibilities that can pose challenges to both human and animal well-being. This study used an online survey distributed between January and March 2019 to adults residing in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), to investigate financial aspects of pet guardianship, including the importance of pet insurance, the impact of veterinary costs, and the ethical considerations of owning a pet. Understanding these aspects is crucial for promoting responsible pet ownership and ensuring animal welfare. Data were collected through a nationwide online survey, part of the Furry Whānau Wellbeing research project. The survey included questions regarding the financial aspects of pet guardianship, and respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement with various statements. A total of 2,744 respondents participated in the survey. Of these, 2,358 respondents answered the pet guardianship section. Among them, 885 (37.5%) owned both cats and dogs, 652 (28%) were cat-only owners, 609 (26%) were dog-only owners, and 212 (9%) did not currently own a cat or dog. The cost of veterinary care was identified as a key concern, with 1,924 out of 2,296 (83.9%) respondents agreeing that the expense affects the level of healthcare their pets receive. Only one-third of respondents (825/2,296) considered pet insurance essential due to high costs and exclusions. The study also revealed disparities for rural and low-income households. The financial well-being of pet guardians presents a complex challenge, affecting both the well-being of the pet and its owner. This research highlights the need for comprehensive strategies to promote sustainable and equitable pet guardianship, including improving access to affordable veterinary care, enhancing financial literacy among pet owners, and providing support systems for those facing economic hardship.

The majority of dogs in US animal shelters are of mixed breed. Many animal shelters still use visual identification to assign breed labels, despite research indicating it to be largely inaccurate. Some shelters now include personality descriptions in conjunction with, or instead of, breed labels. However, little is known about the interaction between these factors. Thus, the aim of this study was to experimentally evaluate the impact of breed labels and descriptions on the perceived adoptability of dogs. Participants, recruited both in-person at a shelter and online, were shown ten dog photos, and indicated how likely they were to adopt the dog. The photos were randomly presented under four conditions: (1) photo only; (2) photo with breed label; (3) photo with description; and (4) photo with both a breed label and description. Overall, descriptions significantly increased perceived adoptability, while breed labels decreased it. Certain breed labels, such as ‘Chihuahua mix’, ‘Chow mix’, ‘Jack Russell Terrier mix’, ‘Miniature Pinscher mix’, and ‘Terrier mix’, negatively impacted adoption ratings, while ‘Lab mix’ had a positive effect. Descriptions like affectionate, calm, eager to make you proud, easy-going, friendly, lively, non-dominant, and sociable improved perceived adoptability, whereas energetic reduced adoptability. There were no significant interactions between breed labels and descriptions. Additionally, there was substantial individual participant variability in adoption interest across photos. These findings suggest animal shelters might increase adoption interest in dogs by removing breed labels and including positive descriptions in dog adoption profiles. Such changes may contribute to improved animal welfare by reducing shelter length of stay.

Catch-neuter-vaccinate-release (CNVR) programmes for free-roaming dogs (FRD) are humane and effective in controlling dog populations in developing countries. However, each component, from capture to release, can impact an individual animal’s welfare. This study aimed to develop a standardised welfare assessment scoring system for evaluating the welfare of dogs undergoing routine CNVR procedures at a veterinary training facility in Goa, India and to assess the impact of a targeted staff training intervention by comparing welfare assessment scores before and after its implementation. A score-based protocol was designed, incorporating 22 animal-, resource-, and management-based parameters covering six key steps of the CNVR procedure: catching/transport; cage/holding area; pre-operative period; surgery; post-operative period; and release. Eighty-two dogs were assessed initially. Areas for improvement were identified and informed the design of a targeted staff training intervention involving theory-based lectures and interactive sessions. Knowledge was assessed before and after receiving the intervention, with total scores on the assessment improving. The welfare assessment was repeated on another 81 dogs. Total welfare scores for individual dogs improved significantly after the staff intervention compared with before. This study demonstrates that a welfare assessment tool can be used to assess the welfare of individual dogs in a busy CNVR programme; furthermore, it can inform the compilation and delivery of a targeted staff training intervention and demonstrate improvements in dog welfare after such an intervention.

Almost a decade has passed since a DEFRA consultation concluded that existing legislation governing the UK puppy trade was “outdated, inflexible, incompatible with current welfare legislation and cumbersome for both enforcers and businesses”. The rapid outgrowth of the trade’s governing legislature, fuelled by contemporary consumer culture and the high degree of trader anonymity provided by the internet, has enabled a high-volume, untraceable and profit-driven market to evolve. Increased demand for puppies, exacerbated by social media trends and the COVID-19 pandemic, is sustained by an online medium that both encourages and capitalises upon modern-day ‘click-and-collect’ purchase behaviour. Moreover, the internet has only intensified the demand for pedigree and designer crossbreeds, many of which are shown to suffer lifelong physiological disorders caused by the positive phenotyping selection necessary to achieve breed standards. These factors have made puppies an attractively lucrative, low-risk commodity. Evidence of multi-level fraud and organised crime involvement has been revealed along the supply chain, resulting in systemic canine health and welfare issues. Whilst large-scale breeding operations reportedly smuggle unvaccinated puppies onto the British market from endemic (rabies, Leishmania) countries, high densities of pet dogs in urban areas is reportedly leaving high faecal-saturation levels, spreading anthelmic- and antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Meanwhile, unsafe concentrations of ectoparasiticides are detected in rivers and lakes. This review collates evidence from available sources that illustrate the current nature and impact of inadequate regulation in the UK puppy trade, aiming to support stakeholders in their efforts for essential and comprehensive regulatory reform.

Technological enrichment, such as motion sensors, touchscreens, and response-independent feeders, offer innovative ways to enhance animal welfare in captivity by promoting species-appropriate behaviours and cognitive stimulation. A scoping review of 22 publications comprising 25 studies identified various technologies, with computers being the most common, and sensory enrichment the most frequent type implemented. Positive or neutral welfare outcomes were common, though some negative effects were also reported. Primates and carnivores were the most frequently studied groups. Despite increasing research since 2012, gaps remain, including limited peer-reviewed studies and a need for standardised methodologies to better evaluate the impact of technological enrichment.