Subject: Emotion

Using deep learning models to decode emotional states in horses

Phelipon, R., Lansade, L. & Razzaq, M.

Published in 2025

Scientific article describing the development of two machine learning models for predicting  emotional states in ridden horses based on head and body images.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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A functional framework for a comprehensive study of welfare in fishes

Alvarado Maria Victoria, Cerdá-Reverter Jose Miguel, Espigares Felipe

Published in 2025

Study proposing an integrative framework to assess fish welfare, combining physiological, behavioral and affective measurements that allow users to go beyond traditional approaches that focus  on biological disorders.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

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Research and innovation perspectives: poultry welfare in 2050

Shawna L. Weimer, Elena Myhre, Anne-Marie Neeteson-van Nieuwenhoven, Rodolfo Arreaga, Kate Barger, Ruth C. Newberry, Katy J. Tarrant, Gregory S. Fraley

Published in 2025

Open letter, published in Poultry Science, presenting the key findings of global discussions led by the International Poultry Welfare Alliance (IPWA) on the future state of poultry welfare to 2050. Involving more than 200 participants, these discussions included housing and management, positive welfare measures, nutrition, artificial intelligence and the sustainability of production systems.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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Souffrance à Vendre - Shrimp welfare in European supermarkets

ICAW (International Council for Animal Welfare)

Published in 2025

Report on the growing awareness of the need to protect shrimp welfare  in Europe, responding to both ethical questions and growing consumer demand, and supported by the scientific recognition of this crustacean's sentience. Progress is being made, with several distributors abandoning the use of eyestalk ablation and adopting electric stunning before slaughter.

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories:Crustaceans

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Grief-like distress responses in horses after the death of a conspecific

Claire Ricci-Bonot, Emily Wilson, Stefania Uccheddu, Daniel Simon Mills

Published in 2025

Study showing that the loss of the companionship of another equid frequently leads to behavioral changes in horses (excitement, alertness, vocalizations, interactions) lasting up to 6 months, especially when there has been a strong emotional bond. The authors suggest that these behavioral changes could be grief-related. 

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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Just like humans, many animals get more aggressive in the heat

Katarina Zimmer

Published in 2025

Article showing that high temperatures influence aggressive behavior in many species. From salamanders to fish and mammals, aggression increases when temperatures rise, as heat stimulates the metabolism and intensifies competition for resources.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: All animals

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An analysis of behavioral characteristics and enrollment year variability in 47,444 dogs entering the Dog Aging Project from 2020 to 2023

Li Y, Sexton CL, DAP Consortium, Fitzpatrick A, Ruple A

Published in 2025

Study from the Dog Aging Project establishing baseline behavioral measures for over 47,000 dogs in order to use changes in behavior as health and welfare indicators. It shows that the year of registration (especially after Covid), as well as factors such as breed, age and sex, significantly influence scores for the four composite behavior domains, Fear, Attention/Exitability, Aggression and Trainability.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

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Structuring and enriching the rearing environment in conventional broiler chicken production: effects on behavioral indicators, emotional states, and cecal microbiota composition

M. Guinebretière, M. Guyard-Nicodème, F. Mocz, L. Calandreau, A. Scheubel, J.P. Moysan, M. Chemaly, A. Keita, L. Warin

Published in 2025

Study showing that complex, enriched farming environments promote natural behaviors, curiosity and cognition in broilers, while reducing their emotional reactivity. These environments also improve the diversity of intestinal microbiota, confirming their potential to improve the on-farm welfare of chickens.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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Assessing the Welfare of Spiny Lobsters and True Lobsters in Aquaria: Biology-Informed Best-Practice Guidelines for Captive Conditions

Fruscella L., Elwood R.W., Passantino A.

Published in 2025

Study assessing the welfare of spiny lobster and true lobster in captivity, highlighting the gaps between their biological and behavioral needs and current commercial practices. It recommends appropriate housing conditions (separation and appropriate stocking density, provision of shelter, claws should not be tied, no direct light, monitoring for water quality) to improve their health and welfare..

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Crustaceans

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Efficacy of pain management for cattle castration: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Emeline Nogues, Jane Stojkov, Biljana Jonoska Stojkova, Marina A.G. von Keyserlingk, Daniel M. Weary

Published in 2025

Systematic review and meta-analysis showing that multimodal analgesia temporarily reduces pain from bovine castration, notably via a reduction in blood cortisol levels. However, lack of data, the varied nature of the studies and the risk of methodological biais make it impossiible to establish clear science-based recommendations for good practice.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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