Supporting animal wellbeing with animal welfare

The definition of animal welfare is viewed in many different ways, in both the United Kingdom and on an International level. The British Veterinary Association states that ‘ Animal welfare relates to both the physical health and mental wellbeing of the animal.’ However, The Brooke suggests that welfare is how the dogs ‘ physical and emotional state is impacted by the environment, in which the animal lives and works.’ Suggesting that external stimulus has a strong impact on the animals wellbeing. Broom, furthers this by saying that the ‘ Welfare of an individual is its state as regards to its attempt to cope with its environment.’

These sources suggest that the degree of welfare is all about the environment that the dog lives in. Although, countries such as Italy have less welfare legislation for dogs. As they recognize animal sentience, this means that animals can feel and perceive things. Therefore, they believe that dogs should be able to roam freely, but they are removing the use of dogs from traditional festivals. China has said that they will ‘ accelerate’ the introduction of their first welfare legislation surrounding dogs. (

There are multiple variations on housing for dogs, however, there are certain recommended requirements that should be met. Pens should be spacious, and large enough to house social groups of dogs, to meet pack requirements, allowing them to display natural behaviors. Pens should have separate areas for sleeping, physical activity, and isolation. This type of pen housing allows for a great deal of human intervention, it can be argued that this can increase the animals welfare. As we can familiarize ourselves with the pecking order, and use positive reinforcement, and separate them if there are issues that arise, potentially affecting the welfare of the dogs. However, this also removes the natural development of the pack. Furthermore, it is also suggested that pens should have solid, non-slip, flat flooring, in order to prevent injury.

Although, it has been said that arthritis in dogs can be as a result of slippery flooring, when wet. Animal Awareness recommends carpet, as it prevents the dog from slipping. Alternatively, creates are often used to house dogs for short periods of time. They are safe, and can keep dogs out of harm. Additionally, they are secure and have a lot of ventilation. A dog crate can help. They also allow easy human control. Creates do not give a great deal of space, resulting in minimal activity. Therefore, it is imperative that the dog is only in there for a small amount of time.