Defining animal welfare — does consistency matter?

Abstract

Animal welfare has many varied understandings reflecting social concerns for, and the scientific assessments of, the way animals are treated. They range from the absence of suffering, to where the animal is in a state of complete mental and physical health and in harmony with its environment, to an economic or socio-political understanding reflecting human preferences. Animal welfare thus has both empirical (scientific) and moral components. It is suggested that the term should be considered as a judgement to be undertaken by combining varied understandings. Furthermore, it may be more important to acknowledge underlying values and assumptions, both moral and scientific, than to risk excluding valid viewpoints through pursuing a prescriptive definition.