** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CATTLE WELL-BEING IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF DAIRY AND BEEF PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. PROVIDING DAIRY CATTLE WITH A GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE IS A RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ENTIRE SUPPLY CHAIN AND THIS INCLUDES ENSURING TIMELY END-OF-LIFE DECISIONS THAT REDUCE SUFFERING; DEPENDING ON THE CONDITION OF THE ANIMAL, THIS COULD BE EUTHANASIA, OR IT COULD BE SHIPMENT TO A PROCESSING FACILITY TO ENTER THE BEEF SUPPLY. MAKING THESE DECISIONS CAN BE CHALLENGING FOR CARETAKERS ALONG THE DAIRY SUPPLY CHAIN AS THERE ARE MANY, OFTEN COMPETING, SOCIAL ECOLOGICAL FACTORS (I.E., HUMAN-ANIMAL BONDS, REGULATIONS, ECONOMIC INCENTIVES) THAT CAN IMPACT OUTCOMES. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO PROVIDE TOOLS TO STAKEHOLDERS ALONG THE SUPPLY CHAIN TO IMPROVE WELFARE OUTCOMES FOR DAIRY CATTLE AT THE END OF THEIR LIVES (I.E., TIMELY EUTHANASIA OR SHIPMENT TO A PROCESSING FACILITY). THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS RESEARCH ARE TO: IDENTIFY FACTORS THAT IMPACT END-OF-LIFE DECISION-MAKING THROUGHOUT THE DAIRY SUPPLY CHAIN BY LISTENING TO THOSE INVOLVED, CO-CREATE INTERVENTIONS WITH DAIRY INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS THAT COULD IMPROVE THE SUCCESS OF THESE DECISIONS (I.E., IMPROVE CATTLE WELFARE, EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION, ECONOMIC OUTCOMES), AND TEST THE INTERVENTIONS WITHIN EACH SUPPLY CHAIN SECTOR. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THESE RESEARCH AND INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS WILL CREATE A FOUNDATION OF KNOWLEDGE TO HELP BETTER UNDERSTAND THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES EACH INDUSTRY SECTOR FACES AS DAIRY COWS AND CALVES TRAVEL THROUGH THE SUPPLY CHAIN. THROUGHOUT ALL STAGES OF THIS RESEARCH, INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS (E.G., PRODUCERS, PROCESSORS, SALE BARN OPERATORS) WILL BE ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS AND IN DOING SO, IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE LEVEL OF ADOPTION OF DISCOVERED BEST PRACTICES WILL BE SIGNIFICANT. THE MAGNITUDE OF THE IMPACT THIS WORK HAS ON DAIRY CATTLE WELFARE IS SUBSTANTIAL; A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF DAIRY COWS IN MILKING HERDS ENTER THE BEEF SUPPLY CHAIN EACH YEAR AND THUS THE OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT WILL IMPACT THE WELFARE OF MILLIONS OF ANIMALS ANNUALLY.