Publications

Effects of changing veterinary handling techniques on canine behaviour and physiology Part 2: Behavioural measurements

Signs of distress in dogs during veterinary visits are often normalised rather than viewed as welfare concerns. Interventions designed to reduce fear during veterinary visits were evaluated to see if they affected dogs' behaviours compared to dogs without interventions. Twenty-eight...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Handling, RestraintAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Squair, C., Proudfoot, K., Montelpare, W. et al. 2024. Effects of changing veterinary handling techniques on canine behaviour and physiology Part 2: Behavioural measurements. Animal Welfare 33, e43.

Tarantula welfare may be improved with greater environmental complexity: A preliminary behavioral study with Brazilian black tarantulas (Grammastola pulchra)

Increased environmental complexity has positive effects on the welfare status of vertebrates living in human care; however, this line of research has received little focus in invertebrates. Here we conducted a preliminary investigation of Brazilian black tarantula (Grammastola pulchra) behavior...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Insect & Spider, Invertebrate

Citation: Stalter, L., Dorleus, T., Milone, N. et al. 2024. Tarantula welfare may be improved with greater environmental complexity: A preliminary behavioral study with Brazilian black tarantulas (Grammastola pulchra). PLOS ONE 19(12), e0314501.

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

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 BehaviorAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Steinerová, K., Krause, A., Parker, S. 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.

Non-invasive sampling methods for genotyping: Improvements towards the 4r principle

In research involving genetically modified mice which is usually to perform genotyping using invasive ear or tail biopsies in 92% of cases, there is a growing shift towards non-invasive sampling techniques such as oral swabs, hair, faeces and tears. Our...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Identification MethodAnimal Type: Mouse, Rabbit, Rodent

Citation: Thasian-Sivarajah, S., Mohr, R., Walter, M. et al. 2024. Non-invasive sampling methods for genotyping: Improvements towards the 4r principle. Animal Technology and Welfare 23(2), 133–136.

On your terms or mine: Pigs’ response to imposed gentle tactile contact vs

Positive human-animal interactions (HAIs) can be intrinsically rewarding and facilitate positive human-animal relationships. However, HAI paradigms vary across studies, and the influence of different interaction paradigms on the animal's response has been overlooked. We compared the behavioural responses of pigs...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Truong, S., Schmitt, O., Rault, J.-L. 2024. On your terms or mine: Pigs' response to imposed gentle tactile contact vs. free form interaction with a familiar human. Scientific Reports 14(1), 25249.

Testing perioperative meloxicam analgesia to enhance welfare while preserving model validity in an inflammation-induced seizure model

Despite the international effort to improve laboratory animal welfare through the 3R principles (Reduce, Refine, Replace), many scientists still fail to implement and report their assessment of pain and well-being, likely due to concerns regarding the potential effects of analgesics...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Analgesia, Disease/Experimental Model, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Weiß, E., Pauletti, A., Egilmez, A. et al. 2024. Testing perioperative meloxicam analgesia to enhance welfare while preserving model validity in an inflammation-induced seizure model. Scientific Reports 14(1), 30563.

Investigating the effect a single dose of cannabidiol has on measures of stress in cats when being transported in a carrier and meeting a novel person in an unfamiliar environment

Domestic cats (Felis Catus) are often exposed to stimuli that have the potential to negatively impact their welfare. These can include situations such as veterinary visits, travel, changes to their home environment, and interactions with unfamiliar people or pets. Cannabidiol...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Weller, J. E., Flint, H. E., Hunt, A. B. G. et al. 2024. Investigating the effect a single dose of cannabidiol has on measures of stress in cats when being transported in a carrier and meeting a novel person in an unfamiliar environment. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 11.

Less activity means improved welfare? How pair housing influences pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) behaviour

The activity level and specific behaviours exhibited by captive animals are crucial indicators of welfare. Stereotypies, or repetitive behaviours that have no apparent function or goal, are performed by animals experiencing poor conditions in their environment and indicate welfare concerns....

Year Published: 2024Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Other Bird

Citation: Wolff, L. M., Stevens, J. R. 2024. Less activity means improved welfare? How pair housing influences pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) behaviour. Animal Welfare 33, e49.

Study of tree shrew biology and models: A booming and prosperous field for biomedical research

The tree shrew ( Tupaia belangeri) has long been proposed as a suitable alternative to non-human primates (NHPs) in biomedical and laboratory research due to its close evolutionary relationship with primates. In recent years, significant advances have facilitated tree shrew...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Tree Shrew

Citation: Yao, Y.-G., Lu, L., Ni, R.-J. et al. 2024. Study of tree shrew biology and models: A booming and prosperous field for biomedical research. Zoological Research 45(4), 877–909.

Familiarity of an environment prevents song suppression in isolated zebra finches

Despite the wide use of zebra finches as an animal model to study vocal learning and production, little is known about impacts on their welfare caused by routine experimental manipulations such as changing their social context. Here we conduct a...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Finch

Citation: Zai, A. T., Rodrigues, D. I., Stepien, A. E. et al. 2025. Familiarity of an environment prevents song suppression in isolated zebra finches. PLOS ONE 20(1), e0307126.