Version 1.0
AWDPS
Animal Welfare Data Protection Standard
AWDPS defines a set of principles and requirements for the secure handling, privacy, integrity, and portability of animal-related data.
View the StandardScope
- Protection of animal identity and health records
- Privacy and access control for sensitive data
- Integrity guarantees for medical and legal records
- Portability between platforms and jurisdictions
- Responsible disclosure and incident response
Core Principles
The standard is organized around seven foundational principles.
Data Subject Model
Animals are recognized as data subjects with distinct records that require authorized management, independent of any single human account.
Authorized Access
Access to animal records is governed by explicit roles and relationships. Systems must enforce granular permissions based on context.
Record Integrity
Medical, genetic, and historical records must be immutable once finalized. Corrections follow a documented amendment process.
Data Portability
Animal data must be exportable in standardized formats, enabling transfer between systems without loss of fidelity.
Consent and Transparency
Data collection and sharing practices must be disclosed. Owners and authorized parties control what is shared and with whom.
System Separation
Sensitive data domains — medical, identity, financial, behavioral — must be logically or physically separated to limit breach impact.
Incident Response
Systems must define procedures for data breach notification, recovery, and post-incident review involving animal records.
About This Standard
Human medical data is governed by established frameworks such as HIPAA. No comparable standard exists for animal-related records.
AWDPS defines baseline expectations for the protection, access, and integrity of animal data across systems and organizations, including the use of strong encryption and data security controls consistent with those expected in regulated environments.
These principles are intended to support the secure handling of data for animals, their owners, and the organizations and public agencies responsible for their care, oversight, and regulation.