Abstract

There are sound reasons for the recent interest in animal welfare education. Research illustrates the potential importance of animals in many people’s lives, and there is a need to inform animal owners and carers about their legal and social responsibilities to animals and to exploit the potential reciprocal benefits that could emerge from improving human-animal interactions. Using our own work on young people as a framework, we also illustrate the importance of addressing aspects of human psychology and educational research when designing animal welfare educational interventions. Our review of interventions and materials being used by stakeholders in animal welfare education indicates the importance of establishing a cycle of redevelopment of interventions based on evaluation and integrating this activity across Europe. Lastly the paucity of studies in a number of areas points to the urgent need for research (e.g. to provide evidence on potential benefits of educational interventions in young people).