The Dynamic Animal Welfare Concept: A Guideline to Assess, Safeguard and Promote Animal Welfare

Abstract Theoretical concepts are needed to guide and provide the basis for the appropriate assessment, protection and promotion of animal welfare. Due to its multifaceted nature, animal welfare can be approached from different perspectives, depending on ethical assumptions, human interests and culture. In the past, concepts of animal welfare have evolved from the Five Freedoms, which focused on the absence of negative conditions, to Quality of Life and the Five Domains, which emphasized the presence of positive conditions. We build on the existing theoretical framework and present here the Dynamic Animal Welfare Concept (DAWCon, Arndt et al.2022). Based on the adaptive capacity of the individual animal, DAWCon recognizes the dynamic nature of animal welfare and the importance of positive emotional states. We propose that an individual animal is likely to be in a positive welfare state when it is mentally and physically capable and has the ability and opportunity to respond appropriately to sporadic or persistent appetitive and adverse internal and external stimuli, events and conditions. Appropriate responses are elements of a normal behavioral repertoire of the animal. They enable the animal to cope with and adapt to the demands of the (Prevailing) environmental circumstances and to reach a state that it perceives as positive (i.e., that evokes positive emotions). In addition to presenting our conceptual approach, we will outline the issues that need to be considered when assessing welfare, emphasizing that welfare needs to be monitored over time. Animal behavior is highlighted as a key indicator and the role of normal and natural behavior is discussed. To ensure its welfare, an animal must respond and adapt appropriately to the net effects of appetitive and adverse factors. Examples of such internal and external factors and their potential to have sporadic and lasting welfare consequences are discussed. Reference: Arndt SS, Goerlich VC and van der Staay FJ (2022) A dynamic concept of animal welfare: The role of appetitive and adverse internal and external factors and the animal’s ability to adapt to them. Front. Anim. Sci. 3:908513. doi: 10.3389/fanim.2022.908513