Publications

The importance of novel and cognitive enrichment for captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and the use of activity budgets and social network analysis to assess welfare (2025)

I introduced foraging enrichment with a cognitive component to a group of six captive adult chimpanzees living at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Dunstable in the United Kingdom. I conducted preliminary behavioural observations for 13 days spread over a four week...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Stitt, A. E. 2025. The importance of novel and cognitive enrichment for captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and the use of activity budgets and social network analysis to assess welfare. Canopy 25(2).

A cross-sectional study to investigate associations between flooring substrates and prevalence of limb and paw abnormalities of dogs housed in commercial breeding facilities (2025)

Understanding the impact of environmental and management factors on the health and behavior of dogs housed in commercial breeding (CB) facilities is critical to their welfare. The specific aims of the study were to assess (a) associations between combinations of...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Stella, J., Gomes, P., Shreyer, T. et al. 2025. A cross-sectional study to investigate associations between flooring substrates and prevalence of limb and paw abnormalities of dogs housed in commercial breeding facilities. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

Exploring the effect of play on heart rate variability as a measure of positive emotional states in pigs (2025)

Play behaviour has been suggested to be inherently rewarding for animals, inducing positive emotional states. The psychophysiological effect of emotions can be assessed through heart rate variability (HRV), serving as a proxy measure of sympathovagal balance. This study investigated how...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Natural Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Steinerová, K., Krause, A., Parker, S. E. et al. 2025. Exploring the effect of play on heart rate variability as a measure of positive emotional states in pigs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

Animal welfare definitions, frameworks, and assessment tools: Advancing the measurement and laying the foundation for improved animal welfare through a three-step approach (2025)

To qualify and quantify animal welfare, novel assessment tools have been and are being developed, while existing assessment tools are being modified so that they can be applied to multiple species living under different housing and management conditions. The results...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Staay, F. J. van der, Goerlich, V. C., Meijboom, F. L. et al. 2025. Animal welfare definitions, frameworks, and assessment tools: Advancing the measurement and laying the foundation for improved animal welfare through a three-step approach. Animal Welfare, 34, e30.

Advances in technical methods and applications of subretinal injections in experimental animals (2025)

The subretinal injection technique is an important intraocular drug delivery modality that allows access to the subretinal space to directly act on target cells or the administration of medications, markedly improving the therapeutic efficacy of ocular diseases. Subretinal injection in...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Song, C., Ji, Y., Wang, Y. et al. 2025. Advances in technical methods and applications of subretinal injections in experimental animals. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

Alleviating isolation stress in chickens: The benefits of home pen playback and mirrors (2025)

This study investigated whether the provision of (1) a mirror or (2) video and sound playback of conspecifics in the home pen (i.e., playback) could alleviate stress in socially isolated adult domestic chickens. Thirty adult chickens participated in the study,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Sirovnik, J. 2025. Alleviating isolation stress in chickens: The benefits of home pen playback and mirrors. PLOS ONE 20(2), e0318126.

Quantifying the welfare impact of air asphyxia in rainbow trout slaughter for policy and practice (2025)

The effective improvement of animal welfare requires quantitative methods to compare diverse impacts across practices and policies on a common, relatable scale. The Welfare Footprint Framework (WFF) fulfills this need by providing a standardized welfare impact measure: cumulative time in...

Year Published: 2025Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Fish, Trout

Citation: Schuck-Paim, C., Alonso, W. J., Pereira, P. A. et al. 2025. Quantifying the welfare impact of air asphyxia in rainbow trout slaughter for policy and practice. Scientific Reports 15(1), 19850.

Evaluation of different intramuscular injectable anesthetic combinations in rabbits: Impact on anesthetic depth, physiological parameters, and EEG recordings (2025)

Rabbits have a high anesthesia-related mortality rate because of their small size, high metabolic rate and challenging airway management. This study aimed to investigate different combinations of intramuscularly administered anesthetics in New Zealand White rabbits, focusing on their effects on...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Anesthesia & Sedation, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Schmid, M.-L., Werner, J., Saller, A. M. et al. 2025. Evaluation of different intramuscular injectable anesthetic combinations in rabbits: Impact on anesthetic depth, physiological parameters, and EEG recordings. PLOS ONE 20(2), e0319106.

Blood sampling in Göttingen minipigs—a case study of two standard methods and clicker training as a restraint-free alternative (2025)

Blood sampling often requires restraint that negatively affects animal welfare. This case study evaluated three methods for jugular vein blood sampling (V-bench, sling, and clicker training) with the overall aim of assessing the negative impact on animal welfare and providing...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Animal Training, Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, RestraintAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Schiøler, K., Jensen, M. L., Sørensen, D. B. 2025. Blood sampling in Göttingen minipigs—a case study of two standard methods and clicker training as a restraint-free alternative. Animals 15(3), 407.

Novel euthanasia technique for zebrafish using electric shock in standard group housing aquaria

Zebrafish are widely used in research, accounting for approximately 50% of all laboratory fish across Europe. Due to their rapid reproduction and aging, effective and practical euthanasia methods are necessary for managing large stocks. This study investigated whether adult zebrafish...

Year Published: 2025Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Saarinen, U., Sundell, E., Sneddon, L. et al. 2025. Novel euthanasia technique for zebrafish using electric shock in standard group housing aquaria. Scientific Reports 15(1), 3011.