PERSPECTIVE Biosemiotics https://doi.org/10.1007/s12304-025-09601-5 Abstract This article is a response to G.M. Burghardt (Biosemiotics, 17(2):387–406, 2024): ‘Jakob von Uexküll, Heterophenomenology, and Behavior Systems i: Core Ethol- ogy and Merleau-Ponty’. I discuss (with an example taken from the equine welfare literature) why Burghardt’s concept of ‘heterophenomenology’ is an important one for animal welfare science, as well as having a broader relevance to the field of ethology. I also suggest paradigms by which heterophenomenology could be in- corporated into applied animal welfare studies, promoting an interdisciplinary ap- proach to both animal welfare research, and the practical implementation of welfare management strategies derived from applied welfare science. Key Words Animal Welfare · Animal personality · Equine Welfare · Ethology · Statistical analyses in biology · Heterophenomenology Introduction In response to the article published in Biosemiotics, ‘Jakob von Uexküll, Hetero- phenomenology, and Behavior Systems i: Core Ethology and Merleau-Ponty’ by G.M Burghardt’ (Burghardt, 2024), I would like to highlight why this research, and Burghardt’s proposed model for studying animal behaviour, is of significant impor- tance to applied animal behaviour and welfare science. The article sets out a clear and well-argued stance that a phenomenological approach to studying animal behaviour is necessary, and that we need to steer away from current ethological approaches which remain rooted in behaviourism. The author identifies that phenomenology, as a philosophical stance from which to understand the world around us, is grounded in the uniquely human experience. Received: 3 December 2024 / Accepted: 12 March 2025 © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2025 A Response to Burghardt (2024): Why Heterophenomenology Could Improve Animal Welfare Amelia Lewis 1  Amelia Lewis Alewis08@qub.ac.uk 1 Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK 1 3