Animal category: All animals

Scientific review of the relationship between hemispheric lateralization and behavior in animals. Experiments have shown an association between right-limb preference and positive cognitive bias, and left-limb preference and negative cognitive bias. Animals with weak lateralization tend to be more stressed, fearful and aggressive than those with strong lateralization.

Synthesis of the outputs of a working group of the French Academy of Agriculture. It underlines that Western societies are seeking a balance between animal welfare and the economic uses of animals. Various legal scenarios have been explored, three of which appear compatible with livestock farming needs while recognizing animal sentience. It stresses the importance of raising public awareness of the implications of these legal developments and emphasizes the duties of human beings towards animals.

Scientific review setting out the history of the scientific study of animal welfare, and proposing that scientists in this field should specify the definition of animal welfare on which they base their work, the level at which their  assessment is carried out, the assumptions they rely on to measure welfare, and the period on which they focus, in order to enable comparison between studies.

Scientific review of animal psychology, including the importance of giving animals choice and control over their environment to improve their welfare.

Article defining animal personality, reviewing scientific knowledge on the subject, and setting out the pros and cons  of taking personality into account in livestock farming, for both farmers and animals.

Book offering a comprehensive review of animal welfare and the law. It explores the biological basis for the consideration of animals within a moral framework and traces changes in how we conceptualize animal welfare. It takes a detailed look at the welfare issues associated with many different uses of animals. It includes recent issues such as climate change, pandemics and antimicrobial resistance.

Publication announcement and description of Animal Liberation Now, Peter Singer's revised and expanded version of his seminal book Animal Liberation.

Opinion piece arguing that politicians fail to take animal welfare into account in their decision making, despite the ethical and societal importance of animal welfare. It proposes methods to improve policy analysis tools and take better account of animal welfare in public decision-making.

Scientific review showing that research on the subject has so far focused more on the benefits of human-animal interactions for the health and welfare of humans than for animals.

Answer to a question on whether the French government intends to follow up on the SPA's proposal to create an animal rights advocate who would act as an independent authority that could be tasked with centralizing, monitoring and increasing actions to guarantee respect for animal welfare.