Improving the Lives of Farm Animals, Step by Step
There are many different opinions on what the term “animal welfare” means. We and the Global Animal Partnership believe that farm animal welfare isn’t just about minimizing stress, suffering, and coping in an environment or being kept well-fed and watered. We believe farm animal welfare refers to the animal’s quality of life. Animals have the ability to experience boredom, frustration, stress and pain. When deprived of their basic need to be social and express natural behaviors in a natural habitat, they suffer.
Look for this certification on your current pet food! We take the steps to ensure that we don’t just say we use environmentally friendly humanely raised chicken & turkey, we get the certification! We are committed to sustainable farming practices and only using poultry that was raised in enriched environment with access to food, water and outdoor environments. Because it’s the right thing to do!
The 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Program promotes and facilitates continuous improvement in animal agriculture, encourages animal welfare friendly farming practices, and better informs consumers about the animal farming systems they choose to support.
Step 1 – No cages, no crates, no crowding
Step 2 – Enriched environment
Step 3 – Enhanced outdoor access
Step 4 – Pasture-centered
Step 5 – Animal-centered, physical alterations prohibited
Step 5+ – Animals live entire life on integrated farm
The 5-Step® Animal Welfare Rating Program is built around enhancing the quality of an animal’s life – minimizing the negative and promoting positive. So, what does this mean? What constitutes a good quality of life for animals? We think there are three main elements that make up good animal welfare – i) encouraging good health; ii) providing the animal with the ability to behave in natural ways; and iii) promoting positive experiences and emotions such as inquisitiveness, happiness and playfulness, as well as minimizing negative feelings like pain, hunger, and frustration. Our 5-Step® Program sets species-specific farm animal welfare standards for all three of these areas – which makes a huge difference in the lives of farm animals. Our main focus is an animal-centered approach – looking at and making management decisions around what the animals are showing us through their physical condition and their behavior.
The 5-Step® Animal Welfare Rating Program:
• Provides transparency for consumers on animal production systems
• Encourages and supports farmers and ranchers to move up the animal welfare ladder
• Recognizes producers for their commitment to animal welfare practices
• Offers a wider variety of products to consumers and retailers
Global Animal Partnership recognizes farmers that raise their animals to these standards. By choosing to support farmers and ranchers who are committed to higher farm animal welfare standards, we can collectively make a significant difference in the lives of billions of animals. Each one of us has the power to impact animals’ lives on a daily basis simply by choosing to support farmers and ranchers who have committed to providing higher welfare to their animals.
In 2014, Tender & True pioneered the first and only certified humanely raised pet food meeting USDA standards to be truly organic from farm to bowl. They set out to make Tender & True better from the beginning, with no compromises and with the certifications to prove it. A furry friend (or two) is one of the greatest joys in life, and we all want to be confident in giving them the absolute best life possible. For more information, visit their website at TenderandTruePet.com.






