What is the evidence for the effectiveness of husbandry and management interventions for the conservation and welfare of captive animals? A systematic map protocol
Biodiversity is being lost at an alarming rate, much greater than natural background extinction. This crisis has highlighted the potential role of zoos, aquariums, and other captive facilities to mitigate the loss of biodiversity, although their ability to do so is sometimes questioned. Amongst other factors, zoos and aquariums have experienced challenges in sustaining viable […]
Using Farm Animal Welfare Protocols as a Base to Assess the Welfare of Wild Animals in Captivity-Case Study: Dorcas Gazelles (Gazella dorcas)
There is a lack of protocols specifically developed for the assessment of welfare of wild animals in captivity, even when it is known that providing good standards of welfare is important. The aim of this study was the development and the application of a protocol for the assessment of welfare in captive dorcas gazelles. The […]
Development and Implementation of Baseline Welfare Assessment Protocol for Captive Breeding of Wild Ungulate-Punjab Urial (Ovis vignei punjabiensis, Lydekker 1913)
To ensure that captive breeding and other associated programs are more robust and sustainable, it is of utmost importance to ensure optimum welfare. Although it is well known that standard welfare is crucial for successful captive breeding, there is still a lack of welfare assessment protocols for wild species. The current study aimed to develop […]
Interobserver agreement and sensitivity to climatic conditions in sheltered dogs’ welfare evaluation performed with welfare assessment protocol (Shelter Quality protocol)
The Shelter Quality protocol (SQP) is a concise and easily implemented tool for assessing dog welfare and to identify critical aspects of the shelter environment. A first version of the protocol has been modified to improve its performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the measures included in the second […]
Application of a welfare assessment tool (Shelter Quality Protocol) in 64 Italian long-term dogs’ shelters: welfare hazard analysis
The confined environment of the dog shelter, particularly over extensive time-periods can impact severely on welfare. Surveillance and assessment are therefore essential components of the welfare protocol. The aim of this study was to generate a descriptive analysis of a sample of Italian long-term shelters and identify potential hazards regarding the welfare of shelter dogs. […]
Assessment time of the Welfare Quality protocol for dairy cattle
The Welfare Quality® (WQ) protocols are increasingly used for assessing welfare of farm animals. These protocols are time consuming (about one day per farm) and, therefore, costly. Our aim was to assess the scope for reduction of on-farm assessment time of the WQ protocol for dairy cattle. Seven trained observers quantified animal-based indicators of the […]
The Contribution of Broiler Chicken Welfare Certification at Farm Level to Enhancing Overall Animal Welfare: The Case of Brazil
The intensification of farm animal welfare debate has led to an increasing number of certification schemes covering this issue; however, there are concerns about the contribution of these schemes in improving welfare. The aims of this study were to identify certification schemes for broiler chicken welfare at farm level in Brazil, to investigate the extent […]
Developing a horse welfare assessment protocol
This paper describes the development and pilot-testing of a horse welfare assessment protocol (HWAP). The HWAP consists of the collective measurement of numerous factors considered likely to affect a horse’s welfare and is thereby designed to provide a holistic score of its welfare status and to identify potential risk factors. The draft protocol contains 47 […]