The concept of animal welfare is evolving due to progress in our scientific understanding of animal biology and changing societal expectations. Animal welfare science has been primarily concerned with minimizing suffering, but there is growing interest in also promoting positive experiences, grouped under the term positive animal welfare (PAW). However, there are discrepancies in the use of the term PAW. An interdisciplinary group arrived at a consensus that 'PAW can be defined as the animal flourishing through the experience of predominantly positive mental states and the development of competence and resilience. PAW goes beyond ensuring good physical health and the prevention and alleviation of suffering. It encompasses animals experiencing positive mental states resulting from rewarding experiences, including having choices and opportunities to actively pursue goals and achieve desired outcomes'. The definition also considers individual and species-specific differences. It provides a framework for researchers to investigate PAW and thereby generate innovative, informative and reproducible science. Studies of PAW can contribute to a richer picture of an animal's life and may elucidate the biological foundations of happiness. The definition creates opportunities to inspire scientific progress in animal biology and to align animal care practices, legislation and markets with societal expectations.

Animal Husbandry and Ethology Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences Faculty of Life Sciences Humboldt Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany

Animal Production Systems group Department of Animal Sciences Wageningen University and Research Wageningen The Netherlands

Animal Welfare and Behaviour Group Bristol Veterinary School University of Bristol Langford UK

Biosciences Institute Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK

Centre of Biosciences Slovak Academy of Sciences Bratislava Slovakia

Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences Faculty of Biosciences Norwegian University of Life Sciences Ås Norway

Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences Aarhus University Tjele Denmark

Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden

Department of Culture and Learning Aalborg University Aalborg Denmark

Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Czechia

Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems BOKU University Vienna Austria

Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences and Department of Food and Resource Economics University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark

Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences University of Copenhagen Frederiksberg Denmark

Herbivores Université Clermont Auvergne INRAE VetAgro Sup Saint Genès Champanelle France

ICREA Barcelona Spain

Institut de Neurociències Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona Spain

Institute of Animal Welfare Science University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Vienna Austria

School of Biological Sciences University of Canterbury Christchurch New Zealand

School of Geography and Planning Cardiff University Cardiff UK

Scotland's Rural College Edinburgh UK

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute Ås Norway

The Roslin Institute Easter Bush Campus Midlothian UK

University of Oslo Oslo Norway

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