The Animal Welfare Lab at UW-River Falls

The mission of the Animal Welfare Lab at UW-River Falls:

• To prepare the next generation of animal caretakers and welfare scientists to care for our animal resources in ethical and sustainable ways.
• To conduct applied animal welfare and behavior research that can be translated to use in the field.

Our work spans the entirety of the animal's life, including the end.

Since 2012, the Animal Welfare Lab at UW-River Falls has been our hub for undergraduate research, teaching demonstrations, and animal welfare judging and assessment. The Lab was established by a grant from Oscar Mayer, part of The Kraft Heinz Company. Each year, approximately 6-10 UWRF students are involved in 2-4 applied welfare and/or behavior research projects on a variety of animal species.

Some of our research topics include:

• Pain associated with horn tissue removal in dairy calves
• Captive bolt euthanasia locations for pigs
• Impact of music on the behavior of sheep
• Welfare of culled dairy cows
• And more. Visit Research & Publications for more projects and information.

This website has been constructed to offer freely available resources, current news, and ongoing research regarding the humane handling and slaughter of food animals.

The Animal Welfare Lab at UW-River Falls was established through a generous gift from Oscar Mayer, part of The Kraft Heinz Company.