Animal category: All animals

Rethinking Animal Welfare in a Globalised World: Cultural Perspectives, Challenges, and Future Directions

Oxley Heaney, S.; Szydlowski, M.; Hill, K.; Hooper, J.

Published in 2025

Sociological review considering the challenges to the welfare of humans and non-human animals that arise from cultural, political and social boundaries. A trans-species approach is key to understanding and managing these complex relationships in the Anthropocene era.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

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Translating Ethical Principles into Law, Regulations and Workable Animal Welfare Practices

David J. Mellor, Mette Uldahl

Published in 2025

Philosophical commentary on changes in animal welfare laws. These reflect the shift in ethical approaches from the prevention of abuse to a duty of care towards animals. A four-level legal framework and a four-step assessment process make it possible to integrate explicit ethical principles into animal welfare management.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: All animals

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The fragmented landscape of animal welfare legislation in the European Union

Eurogroup for Animals

Published in 2025

Study of the extent to which animal welfare is taken into account in legislation in the 27 EU Member States. Many controversial practices persist in certain countries, such as cage farming, force-feeding and the absence of protection for certain species. EU-wide harmonization of legislation is essential to guarantee uniform high standards.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: All animals

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Recent Developments in EU Animal Law and Policy - 2019-2024 in Review

Animal Law Europe

Published in 2025

Summary of advances in EU animal law, with an initial review covering 2019-2024.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: All animals

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Evaluating animal consciousness: An emerging field shows how animal feelings can be studied scientifically

Kristin Andrews, Jonathan Birch, Jeff Sebo

Published in 2025

Article summarizing recent scientific findings on animal consciousness. Although studies on bees, cuttlefish and fish point to signs of consciousness, the latter's acceptance as evidence would have major implications for neuroscience and animal welfare. Meanwhile, the lack of a unified theory or precise definition of animal consciousness complicates its  assessment.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Key words:Awareness, Pain, Cognitive processes

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Looking back, looking forward: changes in the scope of the subject 'animal welfare' within the World Organisation for Animal Health

L. J. Keeling

Published in 2025

Article looking at how WHOA's approach to animal welfare has changed, grouping the changes into three areas: acceptance of animal welfare as a topic in its own right, linked to but distinct from animal health; the broadening of its scope to cover all categories of domestic and wild animals; and the increased contextualization of animal welfare to reflect the specific attitudes and needs of different regions of the globe.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Societal issues

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Smart farming and Artificial Intelligence (AI): How can we ensure that animal welfare is a priority?

Marian Stamp Dawkins

Published in 2025

Summary exploring the potential benefits and risks of using livestock technology to improve animal welfare. Its success will depends on public and industry confidence, scientific proof of its effectiveness, and on demonstrable economic and environmental benefits.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Animal-based measurement, precision farmingIdentification, Welfare indicators

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A consensus on the definition of positive animal welfare

Rault Jean-Loup, Bateson Melissa, Boissy Alain, Forkman Björn, Grinde Bjørn, Gygax Lorenz, Harfeld Jes Lynning, Hintze Sara, Keeling Linda J., Kostal Lubor, Lawrence Alistair B., Mendl Michael T., Miele Mara, Newberry Ruth C., Sandøe Peter, Špinka Marek, Taylor Alex H., Webb Laura E., Whalin Laura and Jensen Margit Bak

Published in 2025

Consensus sur la définition du bien-être animal positif

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Consciousness, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Memory, Prenatal, Cognitive processes, Evolutionary processes

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Neutralisation techniques used by defendants charged with animal welfare offences in Finland

Valtonen E, Hänninen L, Valros A, Koskela T.

Published in 2024

Study showing that defendants accused of criminal behavior against animals often invoke personal or financial difficulties to justify theire acts, while breeders frequently question standards and authorities when accused of offences against their animals. These differences underline the need to adapt strategies for monitoring, support and prevention to suit each type of crime.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: All animals

Key words:Abuse

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Animal affect, welfare and the Bayesian brain

Lecorps B, Weary D.

Published in 2024

Synthesis exploring the Bayesian hypothesis that the brain is a predictive machine that interprets sensory data through expectations based on past experiences that influence affective responses. Applied to animals, this theory could improve our understanding of their affective states and reveal the impact of deficits in an animal's predictive processing on its welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Cognitive processes,  welfare indicators,Learning

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