User's Guide

1. What is good animal welfare?
The concept of animal welfare is concerned with the individual animal, the type of situation the animal is
in, and how the animal experiences its situation. When animals have good welfare, they thrive. Well-
being draws on interactions between health, environment, animal care, and the characteristics of the
animal itself.
An often-used explanation of what good animal welfare is, can be found in the ‘Five Freedoms’ laid out
by the Brambell Committee (1965):
Freedom from Hunger and Thirst: by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and
vigour.
Freedom from Discomfort: by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable
resting area in all situations.
Freedom from Pain, Injury, and Disease: by working towards prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment
of sick animals.
Freedom from Fear and Distress: by ensuring that the animal has conditions and treatment that avoid
mental suffering.
Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour: by providing sufficient space, proper facilities, and company of
the animal’s own kind.
So on one hand, we must make ethical assessments, while on the other, we must use facts from
research.
The subject of ethics addresses subjective values in relation to animal welfare. We can ask ourselves
‘What would our society consider to be a sufficient quality of life for animals?’ Another question is ‘How
can we understand the concept of “quality of life” for animals specifically?’ How are animals affected by
their surroundings and how do they experience their situation? We often try to describe the condition of
an animal based on its mastery of the environment in which it lives. The level of welfare is described as
the balance between positive and negative experiences. Based on such an understanding, we use the
following definition of animal welfare:
“Animal welfare is the subjective experience of the individual of its psychological and physical condition
Nofence AS User Guide - UK - 2021_en
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