Completing an independent research project under the guidance of a mentor has been a fulfilling and exciting experience, and I am so grateful for the connection that I made with my mentor Dr. Ann Etsey.
However, it was also daunting at times due to the overwhelming amount of information and resources to choose from. This work pushed me out of my comfort zone and got me acquainted with putting myself out there and having my ideas challenged. I spent a majority of days reading countless papers and journals, trying to piece together information in a cohesive manner. Receiving feedback on my work was beyond helpful and made me aware of small details and crucial formatting choices that I would not have thought of myself.
Exploring cow emotion deepened my understanding of animal behavior and cognition, which is a topic that has always interested me and will guide me into my journey of veterinary school. Through this process, I learned so much that I never would have made the effort to read about if it weren’t for the capstone project. Creating a scientific review and browsing existing literature provided me with foundational knowledge on the subject, but also brought gaps in knowledge to light.
I found that there are a lack of studies done on animal emotion and that regulating their treatment on farms are scarily absent. I knew that understanding cow emotion is crucial from a scientific perspective, but I realized its importance from an ethical standpoint. This research increased my awareness of animal cognition and made me more conscious of the choices I make when purchasing and consuming meat products. I started off my capstone with the broad subject of animal emotion and ended up in an interconnected web of the emotional lives of cows and their welfare and treatment in the food industry.
Overall, this research project has been an amazing experience and learning opportunity and I hope that my work can help in making a difference towards a better future for animals in agriculture.
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