Rodents remain the predominant mammalian species used for biomedical research and must be humanely killed upon completion of the scientific work. Across the UK, cervical dislocation is reported as the most common method for humanely killing laboratory rodents. Cervical dislocation involves the separation of the vertebrae at the top of the spine and can be achieved manually or mechanically (e.g. using a tool). There is no standardised method for achieving consistent cervical dislocation in the desired location, and no dedicated tool specifically designed, validated and commercially available to achieve accurate and effective dislocation. Previous work has highlighted inaccuracy in method application and, as such, has the potential to risk animal welfare at killing. The aim of this work was to identify the techniques used by personnel across UK institutions for performing cervical dislocation using an online questionnaire. We found marked inconsistencies in technique and the use of tools to aid the application. Mice are predominantly killed via manual operation (i.e. without the aid of a tool), while rats are more often killed using mechanical aids. A wide range of improvised tools (i.e. not designed for killing) were reported, including pens, scissors, and cage scrapers. Further, there was little or no consensus regarding which physical actions are essential for a successful dislocation (i.e. a stretch and/or a twist), and a lack of reported institutional standard operating procedures. Further work is needed to establish validated methods and clear standards to ensure this common method is applied humanely and consistently.

Domestic cats (Felis catus) are favoured companion animals, but also highly effective predators that have caused substantial declines and extinctions of native fauna in many places where they have been introduced. In Australia, free-roaming pet cats kill hundreds of millions of native animals annually, contributing to one of the world’s most severe modern extinction crises. In response, policy, advocacy and public messaging has increasingly promoted responsible pet cat management, including containment, on the multiple grounds of biodiversity protection, public amenity, disease spread reduction, and benefits to cat health and welfare. A recent article by Glanville C, Hampton JO, and Sandøe P 2025 Calling a trade-off a trade-off in arguments for cat confinement. Animal Welfare 34: e65. https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2025.10041. challenges this messaging, arguing that claiming welfare benefits from cat containment is wilfully or negligently misleading. Here, we respond to four central arguments advanced by Glanville et al. We argue that separating physical health from welfare is conceptually flawed; that containment, like free-roaming, involves welfare pros and cons to cats (and their prey) that must all be evaluated concurrently; that privileging a cat’s freedom to roam ignores the welfare and rights of the animals harmed by roaming cats; and that allegations of “bad faith” or deceptive messaging by containment advocates are unfounded and unhelpful. While acknowledging that containment requires enriched care from cat owners, any uncertainty regarding relative welfare outcomes of containment versus free-roaming for cats does not justify ignoring the clear and severe welfare and conservation harms imposed on other animals by free-roaming cats. In Australia, pet cat containment remains a pragmatic pathway that aligns conservation objectives with overall animal welfare.

Orangutans are the largest arboreal mammals and the only great apes that spend most of their lives in the treetops. To navigate this environment, they use a wide range of locomotion behaviours. In zoos, however, orangutans often show increased terrestriality and rely on locomotion behaviours that are rarely seen in the wild, such as quadrupedal locomotion. These differences raise welfare concerns, as they may impair the development of their musculoskeletal system and reduce energy expenditure, thereby increasing obesity risk. Enclosure design may mitigate these effects by encouraging more species-typical locomotion. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate differences in locomotion behaviour of orangutans across two enclosure types, one with more flexible structures and one with more rigid structures. We performed focal observations of seven Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) in Apenheul Primate Park (Apeldoorn, The Netherlands), recording their time budgets, types of locomotion and the structures used for locomotion. While overall time budgets, including time spent moving, did not differ meaningfully between enclosures, orangutans showed increased rates of species-typical locomotion behaviours, such as suspensory locomotion, in the enclosures with more flexible structures. Moreover, orangutans specifically used the flexible structures in their enclosure to perform these behaviours. Our findings highlight the importance of enclosure design, with flexible structures stimulating more species-typical locomotion in orangutans. However, rates of species-typical locomotion remained below those observed in the wild, indicating that further efforts are needed to stimulate zoo-housed orangutans toward natural locomotion patterns. Future research should explore additional strategies to promote arboreal and species-typical movement patterns in zoo-housed apes.

External injuries and morphological deformities may serve as useful indicators when assessing the welfare of wild animals, as they can be easily observed, be scored in a non-disruptive manner, and likely correlate with reductions in welfare in many contexts. However, the welfare effects of injuries and deformities have so far been mostly examined for animals in captivity. In contrast, the many fish living in the wild have received considerably less attention, especially in relation to naturally occurring causes, such as parasitism, predation attempts, and intra-specific conflict. Here, I attempt to quantify the prevalence of injuries and deformities in wild fish by conducting a targeted review of six relevant journals, and suggest areas where future research would be particularly useful. The results indicate that both anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic factors can cause injuries and deformities in wild fish, and that many of the focal species (i.e. the species studied in the reviewed papers) are closely related. The average prevalence of injuries and/or deformities was 15% across studies. Despite the existence of potential confounding factors (e.g. a selection bias in terms of focal populations and species), these results highlight the potential importance of injuries and deformities as determinants and indicators of fish welfare in the wild.

Understanding chicken cognition is essential for improving welfare in production systems, as it reveals how animals perceive and respond to their environment. Barren housing can compromise welfare, including negative affective states and cognitive deficits, but previous research mostly focused on effects of barren environments on young animals. Here, we investigated whether hens moved to battery cages once adults show lower cognitive performance than those kept cage-free. Because stable inter-individual differences (personality traits) can modulate how animals respond to environmental changes, we also explored whether personality modulates this effect. Sixty hens were reared in enriched aviary pens; at 18 weeks, half were transferred to battery cages (456 cm² per hen) and the rest remained cage-free (5,333 cm² per hen) for 64 days before testing. Personality was assessed through four standardised tests, and spatial memory was evaluated with a modified hole-board task. Working memory (WM), general working memory (GWM), and reference memory (RM) were calculated from visit ratios. Behaviours after birds consumed all baited rewards were recorded to assess responses to reward omission (e.g. extinction learning). Battery hens outperformed cage-free hens in all memory metrics and were more active during the post-reward period, showing more empty-cup visits. While the enhanced memory performance of battery hens is likely driven by increased reward motivation and greater engagement with the task, our results also suggest these birds showed a deficit in extinction learning. Personality also influenced performance: more fearful hens had lower WM and GWM and were slower to find baited cups. Housing and personality jointly shaped cognition in laying hens, highlighting that enhanced performance under poor conditions may not indicate better welfare, but rather a shift in motivation for food rewards.

Translocations are a conservation method used to establish or supplement self-sustaining populations. However, research regarding the welfare implications of this strategy is limited, particularly in recipient wild populations. Introductions of captive-born individuals are commonly used to supplement populations of endangered white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes), the UK’s only native crayfish species. To determine effects of translocation, both introduced and wild crayfish were marked and PIT-tagged, then monitored through behavioural observations and body condition scoring. We undertook analysis on welfare indicators, comparing resident and captive crayfish, as well as resident crayfish pre- and post-introduction. Our results provide some evidence that translocation events alter behaviour of resident crayfish. We also found some evidence that wild and captive-born crayfish differ in behaviour, with potentially negative welfare implications. By contrast, body condition analysis showed no variation pre- and post-introduction, suggesting that captive-born crayfish can effectively adapt to natural environments. Some behavioural differences were also better explained by other predictors rather than origin of animal. Multiple influences on the behaviour of crayfish were identified, including sex and weather conditions. Moreover, we identified factors which could enhance the welfare of this species in captivity and increase translocation efficacy, such as replicating features of natural environments in hatcheries. We also establish a basis for future research which could enhance conservation and understanding of the species.

Hot-iron disbudding is a very common, painful procedure performed in dairy farms. One of the gold standard practices recommends combining the use of a local anaesthetic (e.g. procaine) and analgesic (e.g. meloxicam) to control pain. However, it is unknown if calves still experience pain during and after the procedure when using multi-modal pain relief. Here, we explored the affective consequence of disbudding using a conditioned place aversion paradigm where inferences are based on learnt aversion to places associated with negative experiences. We conducted two experiments: (1) calves were disbudded in their home-pen and then conditioned immediately afterwards for 6 h so that conditioning involved post-operative pain only; and (2) calves were disbudded in the conditioning compartment and remained there for the following 6 h so that conditioning included the potential pain and fear from the procedure and any post-operative pain. All calves were conditioned in the other (control) conditioning compartment either 2 days before or after disbudding. In both experiments, calves who were disbudded on the second conditioning (control conditioning happening 2 days before the procedure) showed no aversion to the compartment associated with disbudding, suggesting that pain was minimal in the 6 h post-disbudding. However, in Experiment 2, calves displayed a preference for the disbudding compartment when disbudding occurred first (control conditioning happened 2 days later) suggesting they were in more pain on day 2 than in the hours following the procedure. These results show that calves may experience pain for days after hot-iron disbudding, calling for more work on long-lasting pain following disbudding.

Giving animals the opportunity to exercise agency can improve their welfare, but horse owners and researchers may not be aware of the growing body of agency research in other animals, and studies on agency and choice in horses are scattered across disciplines and not connected to each other or to broader theory. This paper summarises research findings on management of domestic horses through the lens of animal agency and explores the potential applications of research on choice, control, and challenge in animals to improve the welfare of horses.

Tail biting in pigs is a serious problem both from an animal welfare and an economic perspective. Once the behaviour starts, it is important to identify it and intervene immediately to restrict the spread and risk of secondary problems, such as infections. In this study, we tested whether thermal camera imaging could be used as an aid for early detection of tail biting. We also assessed links between skin temperature, tail health and saliva biomarkers for stress and inflammation. Bitten tails were slightly warmer based on thermal imaging than non-lesioned tails. However, the difference was not sufficiently large or specific to enable its use as a practical tool in the early detection of tail lesions. The methodology, however, warrants further investigation. Shortened, but healed tails had a lower skin temperature than tails of other health categories. In combination with a lower saliva cortisol level in pigs with shortened tails, potentially indicative of chronic stress, this supports previous studies indicating chronic pain in shortened pig tails, and/or chronic stress as a result of being a victim of tail biting. These findings provide a further insight into the link between stress, infections and tail biting, while also illustrating potential for skin temperature changes to be used as an early indicator of health and welfare challenges in pigs.

Interaction with humans in early life is known to influence animal behaviour, stress responses, and welfare, but whether animals perceive gentle handling as emotionally positive remains unclear. Here, we used a conditioned place preference paradigm widely used in affective neuroscience but rarely implemented in poultry, to assess whether chicks experience positive emotions when gently handled. Twenty Hy-Line W-80 chicks were tested in a two-chamber apparatus distinguished by colour cues. Following baseline preference assessment, chicks were exposed to conditioning sessions in which chambers were paired with either gentle handling treatment (soft stroking and calm talking) or a neutral human presence (static and silent). Chicks received six 5-min sessions of each treatment across 12 days, on alternating days (one session per day), and colour-treatment pairings were counterbalanced across individuals. Post-conditioning preference was assessed over three consecutive days. Chicks consistently spent more time in the chamber previously associated with gentle handling across test days. Importantly, chicks did not show an aversion to the neutral chamber. These results indicate that gentle human contact acquired positive associative value rather than merely reducing aversion. These findings provide experimental evidence that human-animal interactions can function as rewarding stimuli in poultry, which has implications for husbandry practices and welfare assessment frameworks.

Tail biting in growing pigs is both a sign and cause of impaired welfare. On one-day visits to ten Finnish farms, we assessed weaned pigs between approximately 4 to 10 weeks of age. On each farm, tail health was assessed at the pen level in 2–15 rooms (n = 81) selected randomly within age strata (n = 3), and on individual level in one high-prevalence pen per age category (n = 37 pens). Risk factors for tail biting were assessed in 2–3 age-representative rooms per farm according to 57 resource- and animal-based questions on environment, hygiene, health, feeding and enrichment. Tail health data were reduced into three pen- and three individual-level principal components. Component scores were used as outcome variables when establishing effects of risk factors on tail health using regression tree analysis and mixed modelling. Tail health deteriorated over the weaner period, especially from the first to the second third. Besides age, risk factors for impaired tail health consisted predominantly of shortcomings related to basic needs, such as adequate resting areas and enrichment. In the individual-level data, different risk factors could be associated with different types of tail lesions in problem pens, suggesting distinct aetiologies. In conclusion, improvements to the early environment in the farms studied here may have a significant positive impact on the well-being of pigs, not only post-weaning, but potentially permanently if experiencing less tail biting in early life leads to prevention later.

Efforts to include animal perspectives in decision-making are gaining attention, yet how to meaningfully represent these perspectives remains underexplored. This study investigated how university students engaged in taking the perspective of dairy cows and calves when introduced to the practice of cow-calf separation — either through a verbal description or a visually immersive video capturing the animals’ point of view. Focus groups were conducted to examine the range and depth of participants’ responses, and transcripts were thematically analysed. Results revealed that participants across both treatments acknowledged the animals’ experiences, particularly the emotional significance of the maternal bond. However, those exposed to the video condition engaged in more emotionally detailed and complex discussions, often referencing specific animal behaviours and vocalisations. The video appeared to enhance perspective-taking by increasing contextual richness, encouraging participants to interpret the animals’ experiences more vividly. While many participants expressed empathy or sympathy, others reported distress or hesitancy, citing challenges, such as anthropomorphism or uncertainty about accurately accessing animal perspectives. These findings underscore the potential for visual interventions to deepen understanding of non-human perspectives, while also highlighting psychological and cultural barriers to animal-inclusive decision-making. Our results suggest that perspective-taking can be a valuable tool in promoting ethical engagement with animal welfare. However, further research is needed to explore how such engagement influences actual decision-making, and how to balance emotional connection with critical reflection.

During commercial harvesting (shooting) of kangaroos, pouch young of shot females must be euthanased to prevent suffering. The current euthanasia method, manually applied concussive (or blunt force) trauma to the head, can be effective but is not always applied consistently and is often perceived by observers to be inhumane. The captive-bolt device (CBD), which fires a steel bolt that either penetrates or impacts the skull, could provide a more suitable alternative. We reviewed a range of potentially suitable CBDs and assessed the effectiveness of four types on live animals. Effectiveness of CBDs was determined by assessing behaviour, electroencephalogram (EEG) and evaluating brain and skull trauma post mortem. Pouch young were also euthanased using manual blunt force trauma for comparison. Shooting with a penetrating CBD produced brain activity that was inconsistent with consciousness in 100% (n = 20) of animals. Behavioural indicators of consciousness and normal-like EEG were not detected after shooting with the CBD and damage to the brain was extensive. Seven out of 29 (24%) joeys shot with a non-penetrating CBD were either still breathing (n = 1) or recovered breathing (n = 6) after shooting. All seven animals had no or only mild damage to the medulla. We conclude that a cartridge-powered, penetrating CBD and manual blunt force trauma can both achieve immediate unconsciousness in pouch young, but a second step to exsanguinate the animal must still be performed. Penetrating CBDs are preferred to manual blunt force trauma since they are more repeatable, less reliant upon operator skill and confidence and more likely to reduce animal (and observer) distress.

Despite common assertions that puppies acquired from low-welfare sources (e.g. ‘puppy farms’) and/or sold illegally (e.g. without buyers seeing their puppies’ mother pre-purchase) have poorer future health and welfare, remarkably little evidence supports this. We investigated the impact of puppy early-life risk factors, including owner acquisition behaviours, upon adult dog health outcomes. An online longitudinal survey followed a cohort of n = 985 ‘Pandemic Puppies’ purchased in the UK during 2020 aged < 16 weeks of age as they reached 21 months of age. Owners reported their dogs’ diagnosed health disorders and their expectations vs realities of veterinary costs since a ‘puppyhood’ questionnaire (while ≤ 7 months of age) in 2020. Multivariable modelling investigated risk factors for these outcomes, including early-life health, behaviour, and acquisition-related variables. Most owners (n = 931/985; 94.5%) reported ≥ one health problem in their dog since the 2020 questionnaire. Puppies sold < 6 weeks of age, without their owner having seen the puppy’s mother prior to purchase, or acquired by first-time owners were more likely to have a higher number of health disorders at 21 months old. One-quarter (n = 220/936; 23.5%) of owners had spent more than they expected on veterinary costs since acquiring their puppy, with owners of puppies sold without a microchip more likely to report this. Results suggest that longer-term health outcomes are linked to how and where a puppy is acquired. As many risk factors identified here are already illegal in England, Wales and Scotland, greater enforcement and awareness of this legislation is urgently needed to protect canine welfare.

There are several examples of best animal husbandry practices that are not adopted, leading to animal welfare compromises. Bridging this gap between advice and human behaviour is crucial in helping drive improvements in animal welfare. Inappropriate feeding of pregnant cows is common and associated with compromised health and welfare. Obesity and leanness can cause calving difficulty and reduce the vigour of newborn calves. One way to offset the problems associated with body condition extremes is to adopt body condition scoring (BCS) by hand. Knowing each animal’s condition helps the farmer identify ‘at risk’ cows leading to better feeding decisions and improved health and welfare. Despite the significant benefits of BCS, very few farmers routinely adopt this practice, relying more upon a visual assessment of condition. Some farmers also report that they do not BCS by hand, or by eye. The current study identified the key barriers and drivers of BCS by hand to develop an evidence-based intervention designed to encourage more adoption. We propose that human behaviour change frameworks, such as the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW), present the opportunity to address other animal welfare issues where best management practices are rarely adopted. We also recommend that an interdisciplinary team of animal welfare and social scientists are best positioned to develop human behaviour change interventions that will more likely lead to tangible, persistent and positive change.

Lameness remains an ongoing challenge to the health and welfare of UK sheep flocks. Whilst effective recommended practice exists in the UK in the form of the five-point plan (5PP), it is not always used or used effectively, particularly in relation to culling. A more in-depth understanding of farmer lameness management behaviours and decision-making is crucial for driving positive change. Behaviour change frameworks offer useful tools to do this, specifically the Behaviour Change Wheel and its central tenets of capability, opportunity and motivation (COM-B). This research sought to explore on-farm management practices surrounding lameness, particularly focused on the 5PP and culling in relation to COM-B. Findings are drawn from five online focus groups with UK farmers (n = 19) and one with veterinarians (n = 4). Thematic analysis led to the identification of themes in relation to the role of capability, opportunity and motivation to enact the steps of the 5PP, particularly culling. Culling, alongside prompt treatment, were the only tools used by all participants. Yet, culling practices did not always follow recommended advice. Factors that influenced behaviours included those self-controlled by farmers, e.g. records kept; outside of their control, e.g. space available, and those controlled by other actors, such as market prices. Considerations of the individual farm and the wider UK sheep sector context were important. Findings suggest a need for interventions aimed at encouraging good record-keeping, collective industry action against lameness and opportunities for vet-farmer interactions. These should be pursued together to achieve the goal of reducing lameness and subsequently improving sheep welfare.

This study aims to improve the welfare and management of recreational horses by identifying how different management styles affect horse health and behaviour. We examined the management styles of recreational horse owners in the UK and Ireland, focusing on social interaction (friends), access to suitable forage (forage), and unrestricted movement (freedom). We collected 1,501 survey responses, distributed via social media, and summarised the characteristics and management choices of the respondents. Using the Divisive ANAlysis cluster package in R, three distinct management styles were identified. The largest differences between clusters were in turn-out, individual stabling, and access to forage. The Horse Centred Management Cluster (HCMC) (n = 956) were more likely to provide their horses with 24-h turn-out and access to a forage source, and interaction with two or more horses. The Combined Management Cluster (CMC) (n = 434) showed a combination of management decisions that differed from the HCMC, including horses being kept in an individual stable for longer periods and being provided with shorter turn-out periods (nine or more hours). The Owner Centred Management Cluster (OCMC) (n = 111) provided a more restrictive management style with a much reduced turn-out time (typically 0–6 h), often with no contact with other horses, and less access to a forage source (0–10 h). We explored associations between management factors (friends, forage, and freedom) and horse welfare-related outputs via owner responses to health and behaviour questions, where behaviour was considered to reflect mental state. The HCMC horses were significantly less likely to exhibit gastrointestinal issues, lameness issues, handling problems, or antisocial behaviours compared to both other groups. This study highlights how management impacts the health and behaviour of recreational horses and can contribute to the development of guidance on improved management and welfare for recreational horses.

Free community pet clinics (FCPCs) are instrumental in providing healthcare services for pets in resource-constrained communities. These programmes are typically single-day and coupled with limited opportunity for post-operative follow-up, the likelihood of compromise on the welfare of the sterilised pets becomes apparent. The objective of this study was to identify welfare and ethical challenges associated with dog sterilisation clinics conducted in Kampala Metropolitan Area, Uganda, from May to October 2023. We evaluated the welfare of 46 dogs sterilised at the FCPCs. We collected data using a questionnaire combined with observations and checklists at all stages, including arrival, pre-surgical evaluation, post-surgical recovery, and follow-ups at 7 and 30 days post-surgery. Dogs transported to the clinics by motorcycle moved the longest distance (9.5 km; range: 7.2–11 km), followed by those brought by car (3.8 km; range 3.8–4 km) and lastly by walking (2.0 km; 1–3 km). During the pre-surgical waiting period and post-surgical recovery, 91.3 and 63.0% of dogs, respectively, did not receive any provisions. The Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG) tool evaluated the impact of physical, psychological, and procedural factors on dog welfare and revealed that procedural events had the most negative impact. In the follow-up, one week post-surgery, a significant percentage of dogs were healing normally (73.7%) while infection at the surgical site was reported in 15.4%. Assessing the behavioural change of dogs by 30 days post-operatively, 46.4% reportedly had increased aggression levels. These findings highlight crucial welfare and stress control points for dogs sterilised at free community clinics, which may influence the outcome of the surgery and later interactions with healthcare professionals.

Training for knowledge and attitude change can be a key component of improving animal care and welfare. Much of the available research is focused upon the livestock industry but can be applied to other animal industries. In the research and teaching industry (RTI), training is an important legal, regulatory, professional, and ethical responsibility as well as a forming part of the social licence for industry. A comparative study was developed to explore the impact of training targeting attitudes and knowledge on participants’ use of grimace scales (GS) in the Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) RTI. Participants were recruited into training sessions that excluded (control) or included (enhanced) training targeting attitudes. Prior to any training, cohorts received a mixed-methods, quantitative-qualitative questionnaire to determine baseline knowledge and attitudes towards GS, animal welfare, and pain management. Post-training, participants completed questionnaires to investigate changes in their knowledge or attitudes. Training (control and enhanced) resulted in up to eight times more positive attitudes and knowledge towards the GS and pain management. Only enhanced training for attitudes offered additional key benefits with participants being up to three times more confident in GS and more likely to offer pain relief. The results from this study demonstrate the ability for GS training to improve human-animal interactions with potential improvements in pain management, animal welfare, the 3Rs, and research. These outcomes support the greater body of literature and best practice recommendations for RTIs to require and implement training programmes that incorporate attitudinal training in animal care and use programmes.