Discipline: Sociology

Animal welfare organisations that rehome dogs from southern and eastern Europe to Germany: A homepage content analysis

Graf J., Kuhne F.

Published in 2025

Scientific article analyzing the homepages of German animal welfare organizations involved in the adoption of abandoned dogs from southern and eastern European countries. He concludes that the lack of health information and behavioral descriptions can hinder adoption and increase the number of returns. Failure to comply with legislation can jeopardize animal welfare and increase the risk of illegal trade in dogs.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

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Human-animal relations in regenerative ranching: implications for animal welfare

Matías Hargreaves-Méndez, Ethan Gordon, Hannah Gosnell, Maria José Hötzel

Published in 2025

A study of regenerative farming in the northwestern United States, highlighting tensions between the relational values expressed by ranchers and certain culturally-rooted practices. It highlights the potential of this model to improve human-animal relationships, provided that animal welfare is explicitly integrated into agricultural decision-making and policies.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Aligning agricultural policy: discrepancies between public and farmer priorities

Nadja El Benni, Robert Finger, Jeanine Ammann, Judith Irek, Antonia Kaiser, Christian Ritzel, Yanbing Wang, Gabriele Mack

Published in 2025

Study comparing the preferences and levels of consensus of non-farmers and farmers on a set of agricultural policy objectives using surveys conducted in Switzerland. Farmers and non-farmers agree on the importance of food production and farm incomes, but non-farmers place more importance on low food prices and agri-environmental objectives than farmers.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Willingness to pay for animal welfare across labels, products, consumers, and time

Malte Oehlmann, Irina Dolgopolova, Christina M. Neubig, Jutta Roosen

Published in 2025

Survey of 6,000 German consumers showing that multi-level animal welfare labels allow better product differentiation and greater willingness to pay. The latter varied according to meat type, income and gender, being notably higher for beef and chicken, as well as among women and affluent households.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Abandoned animals and those who take them in - First study on abandonment and adoption 2025 (Based on 2024 data)

SPA and Affinity Foundation

Published in 2025

Nation-wide study in France by the SPA and the Affinity Foundation on the abandonment and adoption of cats and dogs in 2024.

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

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Small mammal owners' experiences of housing challenges and animal welfare: A COM-B and word frequency analysis

Carroll G, Taylor K, Stallard C, Wills A.

Published in 2025

Survey of British small mammal owners showing that the main obstacle to pet welfare is the lack of opportunity to provide  suitable housing, while owners generally show themselves both capable of and motivated in caring for their pets.  Changes in feeding behavior emerged as the most commonly-used practical indicator of health and welfare problems. Improved access to suitable housing and use of these indicators could open up avenues for improvement of welfare.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Mammals

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Cross-cultural variation in understanding of animal welfare principles and animal management practices among veterinary and animal welfare professionals in the UK and Japan

Yuki Otani, Mariko Kanamori, Hiromi Kato, Cathy M. Dwyer

Published in 2025

Survey comparing the attitudes of veterinarians and animal welfare specialists in the UK and Japan through the lens of the five freedoms. It highlights cultural differences, particularly in terms of the importance attached to the expression of natural behaviors and the management of pets.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: All animals

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Balancing culinary excellence with ethical responsibility: A scientific perspective on animal welfare in gastronomy

Anastasio Argüello, Marta González-Cabrera, Antonio Morales-de la Nuez, Lorenzo E. Hernández-Castellano, Manuel Betancor-Sánchez, Noemí Castro

Published in 2025

Study analyzing animal welfare issues along the full length of the food chain, from breeding and rearing to culinary preparation. It highlights ethical tensions, innovations (lab-grown meat, plant-based alternatives, insects) and regulatory gaps. It proposes a roadmap to integrate animal welfare science into culinary training and promote the sustainable and responsible enjoyment of food.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, Crustaceans, Sheep, Fish, Pigs, Poultry

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Exploring human-animal interactions beyond academic research: A rapid review of grey literature

Siyu Ru, Daniel Villarreal Hernandez, Szymon Parzniewski, Haorui Wu

Published in 2025

Scientific overview showing that human-animal interactions are beneficial to the welfare of both humans and animals, in various contexts and for vulnerable populations.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Canine, Equine, Feline, Birds (excluding poultry)

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Change the world farm by farm: The moral care of audit and the paradox of animal welfare inspection in Europe

Mc Loughlin

Published in 2025

Scientific article noting that European veterinary inspectors face a moral dilemma between official standards and the industrial reality of animal welfare during their inspections. Their power is limited, and they have to arbitrate between compliance, benevolence and systemic constraints.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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