ABSTRACT
Scientific research can contribute to discussions of animal welfare by producing scientific evidence on animals' relationships with their environments. Gaps in knowledge lie largely in the areas of perception and stress, and these are where many investigations are being focused. Perception is the immediate discriminatory response of an animal to energy-activating sense organs. The concept of alliesthesia holds that central perception of stress intensity depends on the context within which it occurs. Environmental stress generally alters animal performance and also elicits physiological and behavioral responses. Animal-welfare laws and regulations already have been established as part of public policy in several European nations. Through government-appointed committees or commissions, views of animal welfarists, scientists, and producers have been brought together. This is the first phase of bringing the public's awareness of the animal-welfare issue to the point that they can participate intelligently in the policymaking process.
