Animal Welfare Science for Veterinarians Workshop in Philippines

Animal Welfare Science for Veterinarians Workshop in Philippines

Last month, JMICAWE staff Cathy Dwyer, Heather Bacon and Jess Davies led a two-day workshop in Manila, Philippines, on Animal Welfare Science for Veterinarians. The team were hosted by Dr Dan Ventura (Dr Dan), from College of Veterinary Medicine in SouthWestern University and Dr Alvin Alvarez (Dr Awa), from Cavite State University, and the workshop was sponsored by Ceva and Cavite State University.

The event was delivered in collaboration with the Philippines Veterinary Medical Association and preceded the annual meeting of the PVMA, where Heather was also a guest speaker. Thirty-five members of various veterinary schools across the Philippines attended and were an enthusiastic and engaged audience, discussing such topics as new developments in animal welfare science, dog population management, farm animal welfare and the teaching of welfare and clinical skills to veterinary students.

Attendees also got to try out their skills in behavioural observation, assessing the welfare of dogs and pigs, as well as experimenting with the JMICAWE teaching aids.

‘We were delighted by the enthusiasm and interest of the participants, and how much discussion and debate was generated at the workshop. It is great that there is so much interest in animal welfare education for vets in the Philippines’ said Cathy after the meeting.

Following the meeting Jess and Cathy were lucky enough to travel to the beautiful University of the Philippines Los Banos campus with Dr Eduardo Torres, and visited the veterinary hospital there. Plans are underway to hold a similar event next February, at the Los Banos campus.