Free digital education programme launched

The Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education, in collaboration with Wild Welfare have launched a free digital education programme aimed at anyone working with captive wildlife.

The interactive resource addresses knowledge gaps that may result in captive animal suffering and gives animal care staff the tools they need to provide optimal welfare for animals living in captive facilities such as zoos, aquariums and wildlife centres.

 

Each module has a learning document and an interactive quiz, with questions and activities to encourage knowledge retention and inspire learning. The programme is fully accessible from a computer or mobile device.

 

To access the Wild Welfare free digital education resource: https://wildwelfare.org/resources-elearn-programme/

For further information about continuing professional development resources offered by JMICAWE: https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/jeanne-marchig-centre/cpd

https://www.scotsman.com/education/edinburgh-university-and-uk-animal-welfare-charity-collaborate-education-programme-captive-wildlife-keepers-3110093

 

Welcome to Dr Kevin McPeake!

Kevin McPeake has recently joined the University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies as a Lecturer in Clinical Animal Behaviour. Kevin graduated from the University of Glasgow as a veterinary surgeon in 2005, and has worked in a range of first opinion small animal practices across the UK. 

In 2011, Kevin completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling before setting up a behaviour referral clinic in the North East of Scotland until 2014. He then moved to the University of Lincoln to undertake a project researching a novel anti-anxiety medication for dogs and remained there to complete a 5-year post combining a residency in veterinary behavioural medicine and has recently submitted his PhD research on frustration in dogs. 

Five days into his new role with the University of Edinburgh Kevin received the welcome news that he has passed his behavioural medicine board exams and is thus now a Diplomate of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine. Kevin will be setting up an animal behaviour clinic within the Hospital for Small Animals allowing veterinarians to refer canine and feline behaviour cases for assessment and treatment.

"I am delighted to be starting my new role at the University of Edinburgh. Joining a team of leading experts in animal behaviour and welfare as well as the multi-disciplinary specialists within the Hospital for Small Animals is an exciting prospect and I look forward to working together with colleagues to advance the field of veterinary behavioural medicine. I am keen to share my knowledge through teaching on the MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour as well as integrate behavioural medicine as a core subject in the undergraduate curriculum.”

New Year Honours for Dr Heather Bacon

We would like to wish all our friends, colleagues and supporters a very Happy New Year and every best wish for 2021.  For all of us 2020 has been a very difficult and trying year, so we are delighted to be able to kick 2021 off with some fantastic news: Heather Bacon, who has been with JMICAWE from the very beginning in 2011, has been given an OBE (Officer of the order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s New Year Honours list, in recognition of her work in veterinary education, animal welfare and charity work in the UK and abroad. 

This is one of the highest honours that can be bestowed on a UK citizen, and is a wonderful and very well deserved recognition of the enormous amount of work that Heather has done, and continues to do, in the service of animal welfare. There is not space here enough to do justice to everything that Heather has achieved, but this includes her work for the vet school in organising and delivering teaching to undergraduate veterinary students and postgraduate Masters
students in animal welfare in veterinary contexts, dog and cat behaviour and welfare, veterinary ethics and captive wild animal welfare. She has organised and delivered workshops and training in animal welfare, veterinary practice and ethics across Asia, including in China, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and elsewhere, and plays a pivotal role in the development of online training materials for veterinary education in animal welfare and dog population management. 

Heather contributes to the work of the British Veterinary Association, Federation of Vets of Europe, and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, including leading conference sessions and contributing to animal welfare publications.  She also works with many charities in the UK and overseas, including Animals Asia, Wild Welfare, DogStar, Fostering Compassion, the Bear Care Group, Dog’s Trust, and The Winton Foundation for the Welfare of Bears, often giving her specialist veterinary expertise in bear and zoo animal medicine and welfare for free. 

If this was not enough Heather is also a Defra-certified zoo animal welfare inspector, and has worked closely with the charity Animals Asia for many years both as their previous veterinary director, and more recently to deliver collaborative veterinary and zoo animal welfare education in Asia.

We feel very honoured to have Heather as part of the JMICAWE team. She has already received many other awards and recognition from the veterinary community for her work in animal welfare and we are delighted with this recognition of her achievements from her Majesty.