Animal Welfare & Behavior Club
A pro-agriculture student organization at Texas A&M University
What is animal welfare?
When you hear the term “animal welfare,” what comes to mind?
Most individuals tend to think of animal rights groups like PETA. However, contrary to popular belief, animal rights and animal welfare differ greatly! With animal rights, the belief is that animals should be treated with the same rights as humans. This includes preventing their use in research, food, and even as pets.
Animal welfare, on the other hand, refers to “how an animal is coping with its conditions in which it lives,” according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Though animal welfare does not completely eradicate the use of animals, the goal of animal welfare is to minimize any unnecessary stress and harm by providing adequate means of living.
Every person's perception of animal welfare is different, and there is no right or wrong answer. This is why we, as a pro-agriculture student organization, strive to clear any misconceptions revolving around animal welfare. We hope to expose individuals to what animal welfare truly means and how it applies in various careers.
About us
Founded in 2018 by a group of students passionate about the welfare of animals, our club strives to promote animal welfare awareness in the Texas A&M University and Bryan-College Station community. Dr. Courtney Daigle, an associate professor, and researcher in animal welfare and behavior at Texas A&M serves as our faculty advisor.
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Each semester, we connect students with industry professionals in order to provide them with a full understanding of how different careers can be impacted by animal welfare. We also participate in various off-campus events designed to expose our members to the role animals can play in different fields. Past trips have included tours of 44 farms, the St. Francis Wolf Sanctuary, and Charles River Laboratories.
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For students who would like to learn more about the Animal Welfare and Behavior Club, meetings are held in KLCT 117 at 6:30 pm on the first Tuesday of each month. Please visit our calendar for upcoming meeting dates. All majors are welcome!