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What is Animal Welfare?

Animal welfare refers to an animal’s state of physical and psychological well being as measured by these “FIVE FREEDOMS.”

FREEDOM FROM HUNGER AND THIRST: ready access to fresh water and nutrition to maintain health and vigor.
FREEDOM FROM DISCOMFORT: access to comfortable shelter with soft bedding and appropriate temperature, noise level, and access to natural light.
FREEDOM FROM PAIN, INJURY, AND DISEASE: veterinarian supervised disease prevention and rapid diagnosis and treatment of health issues.
FREEDOM TO EXPRESS SPECIES-SPECIFIC BEHAVIORS: sufficient space and proper facilities to allow social interactions, running, jumping, and playing.
FREEDOM FROM FEAR AND DISTRESS: Humane treatment and conditions that prevent mental suffering.

Factory Farming of Animals

Factory farming is a system for raising animals that is designed to produce products such as food, eggs, puppies, kittens, leather, and fur at the lowest possible cost.This sacrifices the FIVE FREEDOMS OF ANIMAL WELFARE by confining large numbers of animals in densely populated environments with little regard for their physical and psychological well-being and without adequate veterinary care. Other names for factory farming are intensive animal farming or industrial livestock production.

I am a veterinarian, author, and animal welfare advocate. My goal in developing Kids United for Animal Welfare is to prompt conversation about this topic. Within this site, you’ll find a bunch of factual information about animals—companion animals and those raised for food. There is no intention to persuade one way or another about animal welfare. You deserve to know the facts so you can make up your own mind.