What is welfare?
The term 'welfare' can mean different things to different people. However, there is one thing most people can agree on:
Welfare is a 'felt' state, a particular condition that someone is in at a specific point in time. It is a subjective experience.
Welfare is not something that can be measured directly; rather, it has to be assessed. It’s a bit like the safety of a building: you can’t put a ruler against it and read off a number, but you can look at the structure, materials, and conditions to work out whether it is safe or not. In the same way, we assess welfare by looking at different signs and circumstances (welfare indicators) that tell us how the animal is experiencing their life-world.
In the context of animals, welfare is a state that is felt and belongs to the animal - welfare refers to how the animal experiences their life-world from their perspective.
Experiences can be perceived as negative, positive (or somewhere in between). In animal welfare science we say experiences are 'valenced' and they affect moods and emotions, and influence the body's function.
When you think about welfare, think about the animal's experiences!
We know that when the conditions the animal is in are giving rise to negative experiences, and the animal cannot avoid or resolve them, they will be in a negative mental state and considered to be in poor (or compromised) welfare.
When the conditions the animal is in allow the animal to avoid or resolve any negative experiences as they arise, and they can engage in positive, rewarding experiences, they will tend to be in a positive mental state, which is considered good (or enhanced) welfare.
It is important to note that when animals cannot resolve negative experiences, these may intensify and become excruciating, debilitating, or chronic, affecting negatively their physical and mental states. When animals are in a negative mental state, they may be unable to engage in and benefit from positive experiences - even if these are available to them.
