Talk: "The role of technicians in qualitative assessment of animal welfare and the subjective experience" at FELASA conference in Athens

At the session titled “A Win-Win Situation for Research Quality and Work Satisfaction: More Involvement of Animal Care Staff” (organised by Fernando Gonzales Uarquin and Paulin Jirkof) Augusto Vitale presented a paper called “The role of technicians in qualitative assessment of animal welfare and the subjective experience”.

In this paper he addressed the role of technicians in the qualitative assessment of animal welfare, particularly in the context of non-human primate research. The presentation underscored that while objective welfare indicators are important, technicians—through their daily interactions and familiarity with individual animals—can provide valuable insights into psychological wellbeing and individual differences. Empathy and mutual trust between staff and animals were highlighted as important factors in welfare assessment. Empathy was also identified as a common and necessary requisite to carry out daily maintenance of animal colonies.