Annex A: Descriptions and examples of grades on the severity scale for the

five domains of potential welfare compromise

Domain 1: Thirst/Hunger/Malnutrition

Grade O
- Water/fluid and food available in quantities which satisfies thirst,
hunger and nutritional requirements.
- Food in sufficient quantity and of suitable quality for body maintenance plus
any additional demands imposed by factors such as pregnancy, lactation,
growth, exercise, thermal challenge, recuperation, etc.
- Water/fluid in sufficient quantities and of suitable quality (free from pathogens
and hazardous contaminants) for physiological requirements (note additional
demands as above).

Grade A
- Water/fluid or food restrictions or excesses which cause minor, readily
reversible effects on physiological state, body condition or
performance.
- Short-term overall food intake restriction or excess that are within the usual
tolerance levels for the species. Short-term changes in dietary composition
which cause no clinical symptoms of deficiency or toxicity but which would
cause such symptoms if continued.
- E.g. Short-term lack of access to food or water during working in equines, long
enough to lead to hunger and thirst but are readily reversed when offered food
and water at regular rest times.

Grade B
- Water/fluid or food restriction or excesses which cause serious short-
term or moderate long-term effects on physiological state, body
condition or performance. Such effects remain within the capacity of
the body to respond to nutritional variations and allow recovery after
the restoration of a good quality diet of sufficient quantity.
- E.g. Mild laminitis in horses due to excess of high carbohydrate foods.
- E.g. Several dogs in a shelter showing signs of diarrhoea due to inappropriate
diet (i.e. not due to pathogens). Signs of anaemia in stray dogs due to no access
to regular protein in food.
Grade C
- Water/fluid or food restrictions or excesses which lead to levels of
debility where euthanasia would be used to avoid an inevitable further
decline because therapy would either be ineffective or too protracted.
- E.g. laminitis leading to exposure of pedal bone through hoof.
- E.g. drinking water contaminated with cleaning products (quaternary
ammonium products and phenols) leading to severe toxicity
- E.g. cats fed vegetarian diet (taurine deficiency) long-term leading to long-
term/permanent negative consequences (progressive retinal degeneration).

Grade X
- Water/fluid or food restrictions or excesses where the predicted end
point is death.
- Dehydration or starvation, nutrient excess or deficiency, or poisoning by
toxins in the diet.
- E.g. animals transported for long periods without water or food so that
individuals are found to have died of dehydration or starvation on arrival.

Domain 2: Environmental Challenge

Grade O
- Environmental conditions which cause the animal to alter its behaviour
but does not require a physiological change.
- Ambient conditions which are within the thermoneutral range for the species.

Grade A
- Environmental conditions which require the animal to use
physiological responses to retain homeostasis (a state of balance).
- Exposure to levels of cold or heat which are outside the thermoneutral range,
but which remain within the capacity of the animals to adapt and do not lead
to debility in the long term.
- E.g. Panting, shivering or piloerection (hair standing upright to trap a layer of
warm air) in dogs and cats.
- E.g. Sweating, shivering and piloerection in equines.

Grade B
 - Environmental conditions that exceed the animal’s capacity to adapt
either markedly in the short-term or moderately in the long-term. But
where the negative effects are readily reversed by restoration of benign
conditions with or without additional therapeutic intervention.
- Short-term exposure to severe cold or heat which would lead to collapse if
prolonged, but either the environment improves or human intervention
facilitates the animal to adapt successfully.
- E.g. Heat stress in working equines that are given the opportunity to recover
during rest periods in the shade.
- E.g. Dogs in a shelter with insufficient heating for cold winter nights.

Grade C
- Extreme environmental challenges that lead to serious physiological
compromise, where euthanasia would be used to prevent an inevitable
further decline or because therapeutic procedures would be ineffective
or too protracted.
- Prolonged exposure to severe cold or heat which would lead to failure of
thermoregulation and collapse, but the exposure is terminated, just before
those outcomes.
- E.g. frost bite in sled dogs
- E.g. exposure to direct, solar radiation, when dogs are tethered without access
to a kennel in an animal shelter. The tether prevents them from seeking shade
or access to water, dogs suffer from heat stroke, if discovered, treatment would
be unsuccessful.

Grade X
- Extreme environmental challenges that cause protracted extreme
physiological compromise or where the end point is death.
- Exposure to lethal extremes of cold or heat, resulting in severe hypothermia or
heat stroke.
- E.g. large number of animals transported for long periods without water in hot
temperatures with little or no ventilation, so that individuals are found to have
died of dehydration and heat exhaustion on arrival.

Domain3: Disease/Injury/Functional Impairment

Grade O
- Conditions with healthy animals which do not cause or involve disease,
injury or functional impairment.
 - Animals kept in physical conditions which do not lead to injury, good animal
husbandry and management prevents and controls disease.

Grade A
- Environmental conditions which cause body responses that remain
within the homeostatic capacity if the animals to react with no or only
minor debility or incapacity.
- Animals kept in physical conditions which cause:
- Minor and transient, compression scores or abrasions.
- Minor, superficial incisions, cuts or wounds.
- Animals infected with minor diseases which do not induce debilitating effects.
- Sub-clinical parasitism.
- Mild skin infections e.g. fungal skin infections; ringworm in cats, dogs and
horses.

Grade B
- Environmental conditions which cause marked short-term or moderate
long-term functional changes associated with moderate debility or
incapacity, but from which complete recovery occurs spontaneously or
can be readily achieved therapeutically.
- Animals kept in physical conditions which cause:
- Mild reversible infectious diarrhoea, spread between animals through poor
animal management and husbandry mild parvovirus infection, campylobacter
infection, giardia infections in kennelled dogs.
- Surgical procedures, with poor aseptic techniques leading to post-operative
infections/complications that will respond to a short course of antibiotics
provided during aftercare.
- Physical conditions which cause minor chronic lameness or other injuries in
working equines; poor hoof care, or poorly fitting harnesses.
- Clinical parasitism.

Grade C
- Environmental conditions which cause marked debility or incapacity
and serious physiological compromise, where euthanasia would be used
to prevent an inevitable further decline because therapeutic procedures
would be ineffective or too protracted. Rapid deterioration in their
state can occur with little or no warning.
- Physical conditions which lead to chronic lameness or other injuries.
 - Severe infectious diarrhoea, e.g. parvovirus infection in young puppies.
- Significant surgical procedures, without appropriate anaesthesia, analgesia and
poor aseptic technique and with no post-operative monitoring, e.g. leading to
systemic infection that does not receive anti-biotic treatment.
- E.g. severe skin conditions that would require repeated treatment to cure.
- E.g. severe lameness in working equines with multiple potential causes and
therefore protracted treatment to cure.
- E.g. TVTs in a population of dogs where repeated treatment with vincristine
sulphate until tumour as regressed is not possible.

Grade X
- Environmental conditions which cause extreme debility or incapacity
where the predicted (or deliberate) end point is an unpleasant death.
- Fatal diseases, infectious disease or toxic agents.
- Serious traumatic injuries or burns
- E.g. deliberate inhumane killing of strays dogs or cats by authorities or
members of the public.
- E.g. deliberate inhumane killing as a form of slaughter, such as methods used
to kill dogs in dog meat trade.

Domain 4: Behavioural/Interactive Restriction

Grade O
- Conditions which do not interfere with behavioural needs of
individuals or groups (an animals behavioural needs being those
activities which if they were prevented from performing would result
physiological or psychological distress).
- Domestic animals being maintained in good physical conditions, with
sufficient space, and access to suitable social interactions, all resources are
provided in sufficient quality and quantity such that competition does not
occur between members of a social group.

Grade A
- Conditions which cause minor interference with the behavioural needs
of individuals or groups of animals.
- Mild and short-term physical restraint of domestic animals that are used to
being handled e.g. routine vaccinations, blood sampling, and shoeing horses.
- Keeping free-range domestic animals confined for short periods.
- Placing an animal in a new environment for a short period of time.
 - Short term placement in barren environments; e.g. a stray dog being held in
kennel for a short period of time whilst awaiting its owner to collect it.

Grade B
- Conditions which cause marked short-term or moderate long-term
interference with the behavioural needs of individuals or groups of
animals resulting in negative physiological or psychological effects
which are readily reversed by the restoration of benign conditions with
or without additional therapeutic intervention.
- Medium-term restrictions of instinctive behaviour e.g. tethering dogs for short
periods of time in animal shelter; working equines for several hours at a time
without opportunity for rest and interaction with other equines; being
transported for several hours either singly or in groups.
- Medium-term holding of animals in a veterinary clinic for treatment.
- Long-term restraint leading to the development of reversible stereotypies e.g.
kennelling dogs in a large pen, with visual contact with other dogs such that
dogs engage in continued “fence running” because of thwarted social
interaction.
- Changing social group composition e.g. well socialised, shelter dogs housed in
small groups, where new dogs may be added or removed from the group
periodically.

Grade C
- Conditions which markedly interfere with the behavioural needs of
individuals or groups of animals leading to severe physiological or
psychological compromise requiring restoration of benign conditions,
with or without additional therapeutic intervention, or the use of
euthanasia to limit the magnitude or duration or both of the imposed
compromise.
- Prolonged periods of close physical restraint or social isolation. E.g. keeping a
social animal, such as a horse, isolated from conspecifics in a single stable;
keeping dogs tethered permanently in a shelter.
- Induction of aggressive behaviour because of inappropriate grouping of
animals or because resources are too few for the number of animals in the
group. E.g. as seen in overcrowded shelters with limited resources where
fighting between animals is frequent; as seen in cat shelters where cats are
forced to live in large social groups beyond their capacity to cope as a semi-
social animal (aggressive behaviour may not be overt, may manifest through
staring, avoidance/hiding and frequent urine spraying in both sexes).
 - Fearfully aggressive behaviour displayed by animals that are poorly socialised
to humans that require close physical restraint by humans. E.g. dogs sold as
pets from puppy farms where interaction with humans has been infrequent;
hence they are poorly prepared for life as a pet and display fearful behaviour
during ‘normal’ owner-pet interactions and fearfully aggressive behaviour
when confronted by people.

Grade X
- Conditions which cause animals severe distress such that the
behavioural needs of individuals or groups of animals are interfered
with to such a degree that results in injurious behaviour or psychotic-
like behaviour.
- Severe injurious aggressive behaviour resulting from over crowding in animal
shelters. E.g. dead animals are regularly found in group pens or kennels after
being killed in fights.
- Permanent physical and social confinement in barren conditions. E.g. long-
term stabling of horses individually, with no light or visual contact with other
horses that result in the horse becoming withdrawn; single, barren dog
housing, that results in withdrawal, self mutilation (over grooming to the
point of ulceration of the skin), and non reversible stereotypic behaviour e.g.
spinning, whirling, circling.
- Excessive, unpredictable, inescapable, punishment and or physical abuse that
restricts the animal from showing normal behaviours.

Domain 5: Anxiety/Fear/Pain/Distress

Grade O
- Conditions which do not cause anxiety, fear, pain or distress as any
minor challenges presented to the animals are well within their
capacity to cope.
- Benign handling of tamed and trained animals which are familiar with carers
(handlers) and the procedures and with the place where the procedures are
conducted.
- E.g. routine health checks in shelter animals and horses being conducted by a
sympathetic person they are familiar with.

Grade A
 - Conditions which cause minor discomfort or low-level anxiety or
apprehension for short periods.
- Standard methods of euthanasia that rapidly induce unconsciousness in
animals.
- Simple venepuncture and vaccination.
- Injection of non-toxic substances e.g. antibiotics, analgesics.
- Low level skin irritation without ulceration.
- Movement of domesticated animals that are used to human contact to
unfamiliar housing, but they are moved in their established social group.

Grade B
- Conditions which cause moderate anxiety, fear, pain or distress for
short periods or minor discomfort or distress for long periods.
- Recovery from major surgeries e.g. ovarohysterectomy with effective use of
analgesics.
- Minor surgical procedures on conscious animals but with the use of local
anaesthetic and systemic analgesia.
- Movement of excitable domesticated animals to unfamiliar housing.
- E.g. equines used for work that requires significant physical exertion for most
of the working time, such as carrying heavy loads or pulling carts with badly
designed harness that cause discomfort.

Grade C
- Conditions which cause marked anxiety, fear, pain or distress where
any suffering caused is ended by euthanasia/death or by therapeutic or
other interventions before it becomes excessive or where the suffering
is short-lived and complete recovery can occur. Situations which cause
moderate anxiety, fear, pain or distress for long periods.
- Recovery from major surgery without the use of analgesics.
- Marked social or environmental deprivation, capture, handling, restraint or
housing for animals that are used to being free-roaming and have had little or
no prior contact with humans. E.g. capture and impounding of stray dogs and
cats that have never been confined before
- Harsh training methods or treatment by people. E.g. beating of working
equines to maintain work level.
- Inhumane, poorly attempted methods of killing (relatively short-lived). E.g.
inter-cardiac of magnesium sulphate, use of CO gas from exhaust pipe or
electrocution.
Grade X
- Conditions which cause severe inescapable or unrelieved anxiety, fear,
pain or distress where the intensity or duration or both of the induced
suffering are at or beyond the limits of reasonable endurance.
- Conducting major surgery without the use of anaesthesia (e.g. where the
animal is immobilised physically or with muscle relaxants)
- Any conditions that induce severe pain for more than a few minutes. E.g.
poisoning of stray animals that may require an hour or more to die.
- Deliberate torture and abuse. E.g. methods used to induce fear in dogs before
slaughter for meat trade.

Annex B: Examples of severity grading for the five domains of potential

welfare compromise (given by Mellor and Reid 1994 in the field of laboratory
animal research).

1. Operant conditioning with positive reinforcement using animals accustomed

to the experimental environment and apparatus.
Domain
1. Fluid / food intake unaffected Grade O
2. Thermo-neutral environment Grade O
3. Healthy, uninjured animals Grade O
4. Minor behavioural restriction Grade A
5. No suffering Grade O
Overall grade:A

2. Studies of limited gut removal and its consequences.

Domain
1. Fluid / food intake affected slightly Grade A
2. Thermo-neutral environment Grade O
3. Anaesthesia plus surgery with effective analgesia Grade B
4. Minor behavioural restriction (individual pen) Grade A
5. Moderate pain and distress (mainly with surgery) Grade B
Overall grade: B

3. Blood sampling of recently confined and untamed free-range domesticated

animals with strong flight responses.
Domain
 1. Fluid / food intake affected slightly (reduced for
first 28 hours) Grade A
2. Thermo-neutral environment Grade O
3. Simple venipuncture of healthy uninjured animalsGrade B
4. Mild behavioural restriction (handling and large
indoor pen) Grade A
5. Marked fear / distress (mainly from handling and
restraint) Grade C
Overall grade: C

4. Studies of usually fatal viral diarrhoea in hand reared newborn animals.

Domain
1. Fluid / food intake moderately affected Grade B
2. Thermo-neutral environment Grade O
3. Extreme debility or functional compromise Grade X
4. Minor behavioural restriction Grade A
5. Severe pain / distress (mainly from gut effects) Grade X
Overall grade: X

5. Studies of underfed animals exposed to severe cold for a short period (24
hours).
Domain
1. Fluid / food intake restricted to cause 20% weight
loss Grade B
2. Cold challenge at the limit of animals adaptive
response Grade B
3. Mild functional impairment Grade A
4. Mild behavioural restriction (individual pen) Grade A
5. Marked overall distress (from underfeeding and
cold) Grade C
Overall grade: C