The field of animal care and welfare concentrates on ensuring the physical, mental and behavioral health of animals. It is applied to various human-animal relationships, such as those used as livestock, companions or service animals.

The PhD is a doctoral degree, specifically called a "doctor of philosophy" degree. This is misleading because PhD holders are not necessarily philosophers (unless they earned their degree in philosophy!). That said, PhD recipients are able to engage in thought experiments, reason about problems, and solve problems in sophisticated ways.