This is a really tricky one I agree that starting off with is a contentious issue is certainly not the best strongest way to start an article but as soon as we make a definitive statement that non human animals in general feel pain we are sure to get people challenging this take a look at the very recent edits on Pain in fish Pain in crustaceans and Pain in invertebrates What about borrowing the lead sentence from Pain and then adding the concern after e g Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli the experience of Pain in animals is a contentious debated subject DrChrissy