Animal welfare describes the state of animals where animals are provided with adequate health conditions for living in a good environment. The environment has to be clean enough and provide typical or natural conditions in which they used to live or can easily adapt to and feel joyful there. Their welfare can be explained from both the physical and mental points of view in animals. If an animal lives in conditions that do not suit that animal, it can hurt itself, might lose the urge to reproduce, or might eventually starve to death. Ensuring animal welfare makes living, surviving, and coexisting with us on this planet a more pleasant experience.

When it comes to situations in which there is a clear lack of consideration of animal welfare, what comes to my mind immediately are slaughterhouses, which, in my opinion, shouldn’t even exist. They are a cruel place in which no one would want to end up to feed somebody’s greedy stomach. These animals have little to no free space for moving or sleeping, they lack proper food and water source and get hurt by either their own kind or people working with them.

 Additionally, another one is circuses which represent a place that isn’t suited for animals and should be banned. They are not here for our pleasure and fun, especially when it includes cruel training for entertainment.

There might be many solutions to problems concerning animal welfare, however, I am not sure whether they are applicable in such a cruel world that we live in. I would definitely prohibit the usage of animals in circuses, tourist attractions that are harmful to them, and cosmetics testing all around the world. Furthermore, creating more campaigns and materials for the purpose of spreading knowledge and awareness about animal welfare, in order for it all to get to as many people as possible. There should be more rules and regulations around animal cruelty as well. However, for these solutions to be successful we, as a society, have to unite and fight for them together.

Katarina Košútová