Subject: Pain

Consensus Report from the Havemeyer Working Group Meetings on Equine Pain Assessment

Hopster, K., Spadavecchia, C., Lindegaard, C., Dalla Costa, E., de Grauw, J., Gudden, D., Andersen, P.H., McDonnell, S., van Dierendonck, M., and van Loon, T.

Published in 2026

Report highlighting the complexity of pain assessment for horses and the lack of a single suitable tool. The authors recommend that use of the Equine Pain Scale should be standardized and that training and clinical integration should be carried out to improve welfare.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Equines

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The use of Diathermic Syncope® for stunning cattle – EFSA Opinion

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW), Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Julio Alvarez, Anette Boklund, Sabine Dippel, Fernanda Dorea, Jordi Figuerola, Mette S. Herskin, Miguel Angel Miranda Chueca, Eleonora Nannoni, Romolo Nonno, Anja B. Riber, Karl Stahl, Jan Arend Stegeman, Hans-Hermann Thulke, Frank Tuyttens, Virginie Michel, Christoph Winckler, Mohan Raj, Antonio Velarde, Alexei Vyssotski, Yves Van der Stede, Aikaterini Manakidou

Published in 2026

New EFSA opinion concluding that the Diathermic Syncope® (DTS) method for stunning cattle does not guarantee a level of welfare equivalent to that of methods that are currently permitted.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Bovines

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Chiens de race : l’esthétique peut-elle justifier la souffrance ?

Valérie Chansigaud

Published in 2026

Article recounting the history of the selection by breeders of animals with extreme body types and describing the health and welfare issues that result from this.

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

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The Influence of Environmental Conditions and Husbandry Practices on Goat Welfare

Pilarczyk R., Bąkowska M., Tomza-Marciniak A., Udała J., Seremak B., Kwita E., Sablik P., Pilarczyk B.

Published in 2026

Study showing that goat welfare depends strongly on the environment, diet, and social interactions. Appropriate farming practices (stress management, enrichment, and supervised pain management) and regular assessments significantly improve their welfare, but further research is needed.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Caprines

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Riding with care: A review of factors that influence the welfare of the ridden horse and a case for the application of the precautionary principle in equestrian pursuits

Caleigh Copelin, Katrina Merkies

Published in 2026

Review showing that the welfare of ridden horses is dependent on many factors relating to the equipment used, the rider, and a horse's health, and that respect for these factors is essential in maintaining the social acceptability that allows equestrian sports to continue. 

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Equines

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Do Insects Feel Pain? How Insect Nervous Systems Reveal Hidden Suffering

Renz Soliman

Published in 2026

Summary of recent research showing that some insects have neural mechanisms that enable them to experience pain, including chronic pain. These findings call into question their treatment in research, farming and wider pest control.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Invertebrates

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Ensuring ethical beef production: A comprehensive risk assessment of animal welfare during transportation and slaughter processes

Piotr Janiszewski, Marco Misuraca, Egidia Costanzi, Beniamino Cenci Goga

Published in 2025

EFSA project seeking to produce an updated cattle handling pathway during transport and slaughter that would reduce stress, reliance on coercive devices and the risk of injury due to trama or falls. The project demonstrates how compliance with animal welfare standards can be harmonized with operational efficiency, safety, and product quality.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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Bien-être animal : avancées scientifiques et innovations pour des systèmes d’élevage durables

research group

Published in 2026

Special issue of INRAE Productions Animales featuring ten articles on scientific advances and technological innovations to develop sustainable livestock farming systems that incorporate animal welfare

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

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Foie gras – A delicacy at the cost of suffering

Sophie Hild and Nikita Bachelard (2nd edition) based on J.-C. Nouët and T. Auffret Van Der Kemp (1st edition, 2006)

Published in 2019

Report condemning the production of foie gras based on force-feeding. Despite its commercial success and cultural roots in France, this practice is scientifically recognized as a source of illness and significant suffering, has no natural biological grounds, and is banned in several countries.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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Review of the evidence of sentience in cephalopod mollusks and decapod crustaceans

Jonathan Birch, Heather Browning, Charlotte Burn, Alexandra K. Schnell, Andrew Crump

Published in 2021

Scientific report describing the cognitive and emotional abilities of invertebrates (insects, cephalopod molluscs, decapod crustaceans, etc.)

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Invertebrates

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