Designing Multispecies Communities with Animal Welfare Scientist Lauri Torgerson‑White
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
My conversation with Lauri Torgerson‑White focused on something that often gets lost when we talk about captivity: the fact that most of the environments animals live in are designed by us, whether intentionally or by default. Lauri’s work sits right at that intersection of welfare science and everyday practice, and she has a knack for pointing out the assumptions we rarely question.
shifting from “care for” to “care with”
One of the themes that came up early was the idea that good welfare isn’t just about meeting basic needs. It’s about recognising that animals have preferences, histories, and ways of navigating the world that don’t always line up with our plans. Lauri talks about agency in a very down‑to‑earth way: who chooses where to be, who initiates interaction, who opts out. These aren’t dramatic moments, but they tell you a lot about whether an environment is working for the individuals living in it.
design choices that matter
We also spent time on the design side of things — not in the architectural sense, but in the practical, everyday decisions that shape an animal’s life. Routines, enclosure layouts, social groupings, access points, even the timing of care tasks all influence how much control an animal has. Lauri’s point wasn’t that everything needs to be reinvented, but that we should be willing to adjust when the animals show us something isn’t working.
sanctuaries as evolving communities
Another part of our discussion centred on sanctuaries as multispecies communities. Not as an abstract concept, but as a reminder that these places change as the individuals change. Animals arrive with different backgrounds and expectations, and the humans have to adapt. It’s ongoing work, and it doesn’t always fit neatly into policy documents or care manuals.
what we take forward
What I appreciated most about this conversation is that Lauri brings both scientific grounding and a very practical sensibility. She’s not interested in idealised versions of sanctuary life; she’s interested in what actually helps animals live with more choice and less pressure. It’s a useful reminder that captivity isn’t a fixed condition — it’s something we shape, intentionally or not, every day.
Show Notes:
Episode 3 of Series 16: The Captivity Conversation - Transcript
Guest Bios: Lauri Torgerson‑White is an agency‑focused animal welfare scientist working with New York University’s All Animals Initiative and serving as Director of Sanctuary Animal Well‑Being at Operation Angels. Her career spans the Detroit Zoo’s Center for Zoo Animal Welfare, Mercy For Animals, and Farm Sanctuary,
where she helped establish sanctuary‑based research programs. Her scholarship explores animal cognition, behaviour, welfare, and ethical research design across farmed
and zoological settings. Guided by data and driven by compassion, Lauri’s work asks how humans can re‑enter multispecies communities with humility, curiosity, and a commitment to shared flourishing.
Book Recommendations: The Arrogant Ape: And A New Way To See Humanity
by Christine Webb and Birds as Individuals by Len Howard
Related Links: