PhD Studentship Developing a Welfare Assessment Protocol for Kennelled Dogs

This is a PhD studentship for the development of a welfare assessment protocol for kennelled dogs. Welfare assessment of kennelled dogs has been the subject of considerable scientific scrutiny, however research to date has focussed separately on dogs housed in kennels for different purposes. The approach has varied across different populations of dogs and the validation of welfare indicators is limited. A practical standardised scientifically-informed Welfare Assessment Protocol is required. The aim of this research is to develop bespoke validated Welfare Assessment Protocols for the purposes of both regular routine audits as well as less frequent, comprehensive audits of kennel facilities. The project will use an experimental approach to identify behavioural and physiological welfare indicators associated with different kennel environments, which can be used to assess the welfare of kennelled dogs. The protocols will be validated across a range of different establishments where dogs are housed in kennels.