Animals & Livestock
Candace Croney
Director, Center for Animal Welfare Science, Professor, Animal Behavior and Well-Being
Croney specializes in animal welfare and wellbeing.

What are the effects of rubberized floors on baby elephants held in captivity? What impact do known stressors have on domesticated cats? Should the market or the law drive protections for animals? These are some questions Candace Croney has devoted her career to answering. As director of Purdue’s Center for Animal Welfare Science, Croney oversees interdisciplinary studies aimed at enhancing animal welfare with ethical scientific practices and innovative research design.
Croney’s own research is highly interdisciplinary. Not only does she serve as director for the center, but Croney is a professor in Purdue’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology and has a joint appointment in the Department of Animal Sciences. Croney’s research focuses on public perceptions of animal care, specifically in agricultural landscapes, best practices within veterinary sciences and applied animal behavior studies.
Croney is an authoritative source on a variety of issues pertaining to animal welfare and is frequently featured in the media, offering practical advice on canine and feline care. According to Croney, the best way to study animal welfare is through the application of rigorous scientific principles and by fostering an open and diverse dialogue. Croney’s expertise is often sought by the media, policymakers and other educators, which allows her to inform the public about animal welfare issues.
Ph.D. in applied animal ethology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA
M.A. in applied animal ethology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA
B.A., Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Languages: English
Stories Featuring Candace Croney
The Road from Farm to Table
Purdue Agriculture
The following questions and answers provide background and insight into how COVID-19 is impacting the food supply chain and animal welfare. The information is provided by Jayson Lusk, distinguished professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, and Candace Croney, professor of animal behavior and well-being, and director of the Center for Animal Welfare…
Addressing the emotion of animal welfare
Beef Magazine
Animal activists are successfully influencing the consumer’s view of animal welfare by appealing to the core values people believe in, such as compassion, justice, fairness and freedom. Read More
Amish aim to restore dog breeding rep
Journal & Courier
Purdue University is helping Amish dog breeders improve their practices. Read More