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The Five Freedoms

The welfare of an animal includes its physical and mental state and good animal welfare implies both fitness and a sense of well-being. Any animal kept by man, must at least, be protected from unnecessary suffering. An animal's welfare, whether on farm, at a zoo, in domestic homes, on working animal estates or in research labs should be considered in terms of 'five freedoms'.

​These freedoms define ideal states rather than standards for acceptable welfare. They form a logical and comprehensive framework for analysis of welfare within any system together with the steps and compromises necessary to safeguard and improve welfare within the proper constraints of an effective livestock industry.

One

Freedom from hunger or thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.

If you provide an animal with food but it is not the correct food to provide for the animal’s needs you are failing to meet this freedom. You may also be failing to meet this freedom if you provide food which makes an animal obese as you are failing to provide a diet which maintains full health and vigour.

Three

Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment​.

It is important to realise that is not against welfare standards for a person to be responsible for an animal which is in pain or ill. If you are responsible for an animal, however, and it is in pain (or injured or suffering from a disease) and you choose to ignore it and fail to seek treatment then you are neglecting the welfare of this animal (and therefore breaking the law).

Two

Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.

It is more concerned with provision of appropriate accommodation than with discomfort caused by disease or injury (which is covered by a different freedom).  If an animal does not have secure shelter from rain, wind or bad weather or has no bedding (or the wrong kind of bedding or substrate), the person responsible for this animal is failing to comply with this freedom.

Four

Freedom to express (most) normal behaviour by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind.

These areas are concerned with allowing an animal to exhibit behaviours which are as close as possible to those it would exhibit in the wild.

Five

Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

It could cover, for example, issues such as keeping prey animals in full view of predator species, subjecting an animal to an unreasonable workload or treating an animal cruelly that it became fearful.