The 5 Freedoms
As a responsible pet owner, you must ensure that your companion animal has a good quality of life





The 5 Freedoms
Pet ownership involves a huge amount of responsibility. As a responsible pet owner, you must ensure that your companion animal has a good quality of life. Many aspects of a high-quality life are described in the Five Freedoms of Good Animal Welfare, a report that is recognized as one of the most important documents for the provision of good welfare. The five freedoms of animal welfare are :
1. Freedom from hunger and thirst (food and water)
Clean water and a well-balanced, nutritious diet are important for all animals. Freedom from hunger and thirst fulfills an animal’s most fundamental requirements, allowing it to maintain a good health and vitality.
2. Freedom from discomfort (shelter)
All animals should live in an appropriate environment. The conditions and surroundings given to an animal contribute to its overall well-being. By providing an animal with shelter and a comfortable resting area, you are ensuring that the animal remains healthy and happy.
3. Freedom from pain, injury and disease (medical care)
To avoid unnecessary suffering, all animals should be entitled to immediate veterinarian attention when sick or injured. Unnecessary pain and injury can be avoided in some cases by visiting a veterinarian on a regular basis.
4. Freedom to express normal behaviour (exercise)
All animals should be allowed to express normal behaviour. A normal behaviour is the way an animal acts in its natural environment. Enough space, proper shelter and housing as well as adequate exercise, an opportunity to play and the company of the animal’s own kind encourages the expression of normal behaviour.
5. Freedom from fear and distress (love and understanding)
All animals deserve to be happy. Ensuring conditions that avoid unnecessary anxiety and stress will help to provide freedom from mental suffering. While favourable physical conditions are essential, appropriate mental conditions are also important to good animal welfare.
Having a pet is a huge responsibility, so to ensure the happiness and well-being of our beloved companion animals, we must provide our pets with the five freedoms at all times.





