Animal health is a pre-condition for animal welfare. The animal health industry provides a broad variety of medicines and vaccines that support animal welfare. Additionally, our industry strives to research and develop innovative products that will ensure healthy, well-nourished, animals living free of pain, suffering, or distress.
Working with a wide range of stakeholders including veterinarians and farmers, we promote high quality controls for animal welfare through responsible and proper use of animal health products.
Animals are sensitive beings capable of feeling pain, stress, discomfort and hunger and people care about how farm animals as well as pets are treated. Animal health is a pre-condition for animal welfare and the animal health industry provides a broad variety of medicines and vaccines to support animal welfare.
See our FACT SHEET on SUSTAINING ANIMAL WELFARE for more information on the role of the veterinary medicines sector.
EU law on animal welfare states that one aspect of welfare is 'freedom from pain, injury and disease'. Through disease reduction, decreased suffering and enhanced productivity the animal health industry contributes to enhanced animal welfare.
Animal welfare is an important aspect of EU policy. Key EU legal instruments referring to animal welfare include: