Jean-Loup Rault Jean-Loup Rault Melissa Bateson Melissa Bateson Alain Boissy Alain Boissy Björn Forkman Björn Forkman Bjørn Grinde Bjørn Grinde Lorenz Gygax Lorenz Gygax Jes Lynning Jes Lynning Jes Lynning Jes Lynning Sara Hintze Sara Hintze Linda J. Keeling Linda J. Keeling Lubor Kostal Lubor Kostal Alistair B. Lawrence Alistair B. Lawrence Michael T. Mendl Michael T. Mendl Mara Miele Mara Miele Ruth C. Newberry Ruth C. Newberry Peter Sandøe Peter Sandøe Marek Špinka Marek Špinka Alex H. Taylor Alex H. Taylor Laura E. Webb Laura E. Webb Laura Whalin Laura Whalin Margit Bak Jensen Margit Bak Jensen Royal Society of London 2025 The concept of animal welfare is evolving due to progress in our scientific understanding of animal biology and changing societal expectations. Animal welfare science has been primarily concerned with minimizing suffering, but there is growing interest in also promoting positive experiences, grouped under the term positive animal welfare (PAW). However, there are discrepancies in the use of the term PAW. An interdisciplinary group arrived at a consensus that 'PAW can be defined as the animal flourishing through the experience of predominantly positive mental states and the development of competence and resilience. PAW goes beyond ensuring good physical health and the prevention and alleviation of suffering. It encompasses animals experiencing positive mental states resulting from rewarding experiences, including having choices and opportunities to actively pursue goals and achieve desired outcomes'. The definition also considers individual and species-specific differences. It provides a framework for researchers to investigate PAW and thereby generate innovative, informative and reproducible science. Studies of PAW can contribute to a richer picture of an animal's life and may elucidate the biological foundations of happiness. The definition creates opportunities to inspire scientific progress in animal biology and to align animal care practices, legislation and markets with societal expectations. PDFDocument eng 2025-02-27T10:31:44.319320Z 2025 Animal Welfare Animals Consensus Animal Husbandry Methods 550500 b application/pdf http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/