Document type : Scientific review

Animal Welfare during Transport and Slaughter of Cattle: A Systematic Review of Studies in the European Legal Framework

Svea Nicolaisen, Nina Langkabel, Christa Thoene-Reineke, Mechthild Wiegard

Published in 2023

Scientific review of transport and slaughter procedures in Europe since the European regulations on animal transport and welfare came into force in 2009. It identifies the factors affecting animal welfare during these two phases of a farmed animal's life.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Transport

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Zoo Animal Welfare Assessment: Where Do We Stand?

Oriol Tallo-Parra, Marina Salas, Xavier Manteca

Published in 2023

Scientific review providing a critical analysis of the main approaches to zoo animal welfare assessment and describing the most relevant animal-based welfare indicators for zoo animals, with a particular focus on behavioral and physiological indicators.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Wildlife

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Living environment, Stress

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Welfare implications on management strategies for rearing dairy calves: A systematic review. Part 2 - Social management

Patricia Carulla, Arantxa Villagrá, Fernando Estellés, Isabel Blanco-Penedo

Published in 2023

Scientific review of different social management strategies in dairy calf rearing taking account of three animal welfare domains: biological functioning and animal health, affective states or cognitive judgment, and natural way of life. The main problems identified concern social housing with conspecifics, separation from the mother, and human-animal interactions. The authors stress the need to standardize good socialization practices for dairy calves.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Enrichment, Housing, Maternity, Human-animal relationships, Socialization, Stress

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Les animaux, ces inventeurs de génie

Mathilde Tahar

Published in 2023

Article summarizing the scientific evidence to demonstrate the presence of invention and creativity in animals, particularly in play situations. According to the author, play fosters individual adaptability by developing inventive abilities.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Learning, training, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships

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Do Insects Feel Joy and Pain?

Lars Chittka

Published in 2023

Article summarizing the current state of knowledge on cognition, emotions and pain perception in insects, and the ethical consequences of such knowledge for our relationship with insects, particularly in their breeding and use for scientific purposes.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Insects

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Pain, Experimentation, Memory, Human-animal relationships

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Toxicity of House Plants to Pet Animals

Zuzana Siroka

Published in 2023

Scientific review of the most common and popular poisonous houseplants in Europe, how their active substances work, and the clinical signs of poisoning, with photographs and suggested treatments for poisoned pets.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Risk management, Living environment

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Reducing Weaning Stress in Piglets by Pre-Weaning Socialization and Gradual Separation from the Sow: A Review

Céline Van Kerschaver, Diana Turpin, Joris Michiels, John Pluske

Published in 2023

Scientific review of alternative piglet management strategies to reduce weaning stress. These include the pre-weaning grouping of piglets from different litters and intermittent suckling. Their effects on post-weaning pig behavior, performance, mortality, gastrointestinal function and immunocompetence are described.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Aggression, Aggressivity, Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Housing, Weaning, Stress

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The Science and Social Validity of Companion Animal Welfare: Functionally Defined Parameters in a Multidisciplinary Field

Lauren I. Novack , Lauren Schnell-Peskin, Erica Feuerbacher, Eduardo J. Fernandez

Published in 2023

Scientific review on the importance of including ways to measure animal welfare indicators during behavioral interventions for dogs so that the animal's feelings can be better taken into account and to make these interventions more acceptable to animals and owners.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Education, Behavioural disorders, Human-animal relationships, Welfare indicators

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Chapter Three - Can insects feel pain? A review of the neural and behavioural evidence

Matilda Gibbons, Andrew Crump, Meghan Barrett, Sajedeh Sarlak, Jonathan Birch, Lars Chittka

Published in 2023

Systematic literature review using 8 previously validated animal sentience criteria to assess whether 6 insect orders are capable of feeling pain. Adult Diptera and Blattodea meet 6 of the 8 criteria, constituting "strong evidence for pain", while the adults and some juveniles from the other orders tested meet 3-4 criteria, constituting "substantial evidence for pain".

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Insects

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Brain integration, Pain, Welfare indicators, Stress

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Welfare of Decapod Crustaceans with Special Emphasis on Stress Physiology

Sven Wuertz, David Bierbach, Mirko Bögner

Published in 2023

Scientific review of current knowledge on sentience in decapod crustaceans. It presents scientific evidence for nociception and pain perception in these animals, and highlights the lack of markers for chronic stress detection that could be used in the routine work of aquaculture businesses.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Crustaceans

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Brain integration, Pain, Welfare indicators, Stress

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