Position Statement: Sentience
Policy Type: Position Statement
Status: Current
Date Ratified: November 2024
Position Statement
The Sentient Animal Law Foundation (SAL) defines sentience as the ability to feel, perceive, or experience subjectively.
This means animals are not only capable of experiencing negative states such as pain, distress, and suffering but also positive psychological experiences such as comfort, pleasure, or interest. Recognising animals as sentient acknowledges their capacity for both negative and positive states, laying the foundation for a duty of care that supports their well-being.
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Background
​Accurately understanding the meaning of sentience is fundamental to accurately understanding the inseparable nature of the human-animal-environmental relationship—and why the standards we apply to animals affect not just their lives but also our well-being and our shared environment.
The definition of sentience is simple and doesn’t require unnecessary complexity or misrepresentation. Sentience simply means that, like you and me, animals are capable of feeling and experiencing.
The next question—"What do they feel and experience?"—also has a simple answer: broadly, again like you and me, animals feel pain—and pleasure.
Recognising the inseparable connection between animals, people, and our environment leads to the obvious conclusion that the standards we set, which shape the quality of life we provide for animals, shape not only the animals’ lives but also the lives of you and me, our families, our communities, and the well-being of our shared environment.
The definition is simple, but it’s critically important. It’s pivotal to our future. That’s why the Foundation’s position on sentience underpins everything we do.
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Many countries and treaties 'recognise' sentience. However, most policies and law fall short of clearly and unequivocally defining sentience. The consequence is that people's duty of care remains unchanged and implemented practices are lawful provided that they meet the baseline minimum standards of anti-cruelty law.
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"Sentience means an animal is able to subjectively feel and experience
negative and positive states"
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SAL’s mission is to evolve animal welfare policy, law and implemented practice by explicitly defining sentience in reference to animals' negative and positive states. This definition not only reflects modern scientific understanding but also meets public expectations for ethical and compassionate treatment of animals. It also answers the critical question of 'how' to put work of what should be done into practice.
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Strategic Alignment
SAL’s position is consistent with its vision of creating a world where positive animal welfare is the norm and with its mission to achieve systemic legal change.
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Recognising AND DEFINING animal 'sentience' moves us to a world where we refrain from cruelty and promote kindness. Because of the inseparable human-animal relationship, that moves animals and people to a place where we live a life enjoyed —not just endured.
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We encourage you to adopt and advocate for the same position statement, turning the words of governments, NGOs, and industries ‘recognising’ animal sentience into actions that put positive animal welfare into laws, policies and practices that give a life enjoyed, not just endured.
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