Bringing Joy and Agency to Animal Care

This Hot Topics in Primate Welfare brings together the science of learning with the art of compassionate care. Autumn Sorrells, MS, CMAR, explores how laboratory animal training can transcend compliance to foster both joy and agency for animals in human care. This feature draws on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to highlight how choice-driven environments and animal led training plans can reduce stress, thereby improving welfare as well as research outcomes.

With extensive experience in ABA, animal behavior, and laboratory animal science, including leadership roles in autism support and biomedical research, Ms. Sorrells brings a practical, welfare-centered perspective to modern training approaches. These strategies emphasize how stronger human-animal relationships paired with thoughtful curriculum can create collaborative solutions that improve experiences and data. Take a look at her video presentation titled “Bringing Joy and Agency to Animal Care: Laboratory Animal Training, Applied Behavioral Analysis Techniques.”