Key words: Fear

EFSA Opinion - Welfare of horses during killing for purposes other than slaughter

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare

Published in 2025

New EFSA Opinion on the welfare of horses during killing for purposes other than human consumption, whether indivudally or on a large scale. The Opinion details three phases: pre-stunning, stunning and bleeding. It identifies potential hazards and describes stunning and killing methods (captive bolt, firearm, lethal injection). Potential risks, preventive measures and animal welfare measurement criteria are described, along with practices deemed unacceptable on welfare.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurement, Anxiety, Consciousness, Pain, Brain integration, Fear, Stress

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EFSA Opinion - Welfare of horses at slaughter

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare

Published in 2025

New EFSA opinion on the welfare of horses at slaughter for human consumption. The opinion details three phases: pre-stunning, stunning and bleeding. It identifies potential hazards and describes stunning and killing methods (captive bolt, firearm, lethal injection), and proposes measures to assess animal welfare consequences. Practices deemed unacceptable on welfare grounds are also listed.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurement, Anxiety, Consciousness, Pain, Brain integration, Fear, Stress

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Animaux d’élevage : prendre en compte leurs ressentis

Rachel Degrande, Juliette Cognié, Véronique Deiss, Angélique Favreau-Peigné, Valérie Fillon, Plotine Jardat, Christine Leterrier, Frédéric Lévy, Odile Petit, Freddie-Jeanne Richard

Published in 2024

Article exploring the evolution of the concept of animal welfare and the scientific basis for consideration of animals' cognitive and emotional capacities.

Document types: Technical Paper

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

Key words:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurement, Anxiety, Learning, Consciousness, Welfare iindicators, Memory, Metacognition, Fear, Cognitive processes, Stress, Behavioral disorders

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Assemblée nationale : réponse écrite à la question n°788 : Interpellation sur les soirées illégales de l’Aquarium de Paris

Question: Mrs Danielle Simonnet Paris (15th district) - Écologiste et Social. Answer: Ministry of Ecological Transition, Energy, Climate and Risk Prevention

Published in 2024

Answer to a question from a French Deputy on  illegal party nights at the Paris Aquarium, contrary to the 2021 law banning the presentation of animals in nightclubs. The Ministry's reply states that the Paris Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations is investigating the case to ensure that legal requirements are met. 

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Fish

Key words:Abuse, Fear, Stress

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Effects of changing veterinary handling techniques on canine behaviour and physiology Part 2: Behavioural measurements

Squair C, Proudfoot K, Montelpare W, Doucette T, Overall KL

Published in 2024

Study comparing application of a stress-reducing protocol during veterinary visits with standard care for dogs. Dogs cared for under the protocol had lower clinical stress scores, particularly during weighing and physical examinations. These results highlight the value of simple interventions to improve animal welfare in veterinary contexts.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Animal-based measurement, Anxiety, Fear, Human-animal relationship, Stress, Behavioral disorders

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On your terms or mine: pigs' response to imposed gentle tactile contact vs. free form interaction with a familiar human

Truong, S., Schmitt, O. & Rault, JL.

Published in 2024

Scientific article showing that there are differences in positive interactions between humans and animals, depending on whether they are free or imposed by the humans.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal-based measurement, Fear, Human-animal relationship, Vocalisation

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Animal welfare during transport, evolution, and perspectives of European Union Legislation and Policy

Massimo Giangaspero and Pasquale Turno

Published in 2024

Article retailing the history of the transport of live animals in the EU and setting out current issues surrounding it. Despite gradual improvements, recent opinions issued by EFSA and a report by the European Court of Auditors highlight the need to revise the legislation to resolve continued problems.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords:Animal trade, Fear, Stress, Transport

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Anatomical and functional basis of facial expressions and their relationship with emotions in horses

Barbara Zimmermann, Alejandra Nelly Cristina Castro, Pamela Anahí Lendez, Mariano Carrica Illia, María Paula Carrica Illia, Alfredo Raúl Teyseyre, Juan Manuel Toloza, Marcelo Daniel Ghezzi, Daniel Mota-Rojas

Published in 2024

Scientific review exploring the influence of environmental stimuli on measurable behaviors in horses, focusing on facial expressions as indicators of emotion. It highlights the importance of understanding these expressions when assessing emotional states and welfare in horses, drawing on studies conducted in other mammals.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurement, Brain integration, Fear, Human-animal relationship

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The effect of duration of ownership and time spent together during the day on cat owners' level of understanding of cats' body language

Abdurrahman Köseman, Ibrahim Şeker, Abdulsamed Erez, Şenol Koşan

Published in 2024

Study revealing that cat owners do understand some of their cats' body postures, but with limited accuracy. Female graduates, aged 21 to 40, who spent 1 to 5 hours a day with their cats, were best able to understand the latters' body language. However,the study showed that having owned their cats for a long time and spent long periods of time together were not enough to ensure that owners correctly understood their cats' body language.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Felines

Keywords:Animal-based measurement, Anxiety, Education, Living environment, Personality, Fear, Human-animal relationship, Socialization, Stress, Behavioral disorders

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A five-domains assessment of sow welfare in a novel free farrowing system

Kate Plush, David Lines, Lauren Staveley, Darryl D'Souza, Robert van Barneveld

Published in 2024

Study showing that sows housed in a maternity ring (MR) have better welfare than those in farrowing crates, with fewer frustration-related behaviors and injuries and less medication required for piglets. Assessment using the five-domain framework reveals a more positive emotional state for sows housed in MR.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Key words:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Livestock buildings, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Housing, Restraint equipment, Maternal, Fear, Behavioral disorders

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