The ARPAS Governing Council has approved a new discipline, “Animal Welfare Science”, to be added to the American College of Animal Sciences (ACAS).

The petition, to establish this discipline was received from a core group of Animal Scientists and ARPAS members who have been at the forefront of research, education, and application of Animal Welfare Science. They were among the authors of the initial Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Teaching and Research starting in the 1980s as well as succeeding editions.

The petitioners stated that “establishment of ARPAS Board Certification in Animal Welfare Science now would be a significant and—in view of current public affairs as well as other organizational planning already afoot—a right and a timely initiative aimed at proactively maintaining animal scientists’ prominence in animal welfare science, rational and therefore fitting as it is”.

The petition to the Governing Council stated that “Animal Welfare Science primarily encompasses germane facets of the multiple disciplines of applied ecology, applied ethology, applied nutritional science, applied physiology, preventive health care, and overall care, husbandry, and management of avian and mammalian animals that are kept to serve a variety of human purposes”.

The approved new discipline was viewed by the Governing Council as being distinctly different from the current discipline of Applied Animal Behavior and an appropriate addition to the current five discipline colleges of ACAS.

An ad hoc committee will be appointed by ACAS President Bill Sanchez and include various current ACAS diplomates to develop the requirements for Board Certification in the discipline of Animal Welfare Science. This committee will also include an ethicist and a veterinarian. It is envisioned that veterinarians with appropriate education, training, and experience might elect to become ARPAS Board Certified in Animal Welfare Science.