AWES holds their 4th Annual Veterinary Welfare and Ethics Conference

The Animal Welfare and Ethics Society (AWES), a student-led society part of the R(D)SVS, have just held their 4th annual conference virtually this year. The topics spanned from ethical dilemmas of treating British Wildlife, pain management in small animal practice, to the role of vets in forensics. 

Below is a reflection by the conference organiser Yuko Okumura: 

The conference started in 2017 with Morgan Brown, a fourth year student, who wanted to provide a platform for active discussion and dialogue around veterinary ethical dilemmas. Her main goal was to better equip students once they were practicing vets and prepare them for the potential challenging welfare issues they would face.  Morgan wanted the conference to be accessible, and from the start, had aimed to keep the conference affordable.  

Whilst the virtual world certainly has its challenges, it also offered AWES an opportunity this year to welcome international speakers for the first time. We were able to reach delegates like never before - from both UK and international vet students, staff, and animal care professionals. Some such speakers were an animal welfare lecturer from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, a dog groomer, and a vet from Australia, to name a few. 

As with our previous conferences, we aimed to cover various species groups (farm, equine, small animals, exotics) and were able to welcome experts of each field. These experts ranged from but were not limited to: the technical director of the Humane Slaughter Association, a board member of the Michigan Horse Welfare Coalition, and the co-director of Human Behaviour Change for Animals. The conference also tried to take on a holistic approach to discuss how society and human attitudes continually shape animal welfare, the importance of the welfare of the vet, and an evaluation on the Scientific Procedures Act from a legislative perspective.  

One of the talks that resonated with me personally was the discussion on farm animal welfare by Dr. Matt Dobbs from the Animal Welfare Foundation. Matt spoke with passion about how as young vets, awareness alone was not enough; that we would have to feel empowered enough to be active drivers of change.

He emphasised our duty to call out and question long-held beliefs within this industry, to constantly challenge our own understanding and knowledge about animal welfare and ethics and doing so through evidence-based research. These sentiments most certainly resonate with the aims and objectives JMICAWE strives to do on a daily basis.

If you would like to watch the recordings from the conference- register here: 

https://forms.gle/NP6r5Eb9cSesnim98

More information about the conference and the AWES society can be found on our website: 

https://www.animalwelfareandethicssociety.com/2021-virtual-conference

A Day with Dr Temple Grandin

On 16^th May, members of the University of Edinburgh Animal Welfare and Ethics Society (AWES) and the Dick Vet Behaviour Society (DVBS) welcomed Professor Temple Grandin of Colorado State University to R(D)SVS. Professor Grandin participated in informal discussions with students, and gave a seminar to the staff and students of the R(D)SVS, SRUC and Roslin Institute on animal welfare, behaviour, links with the autistic brain, and the impact of genetics and breeding.

‘We learned that animals, much like people with autism, think in pictures. A horse previously abused by a man in a black cowboy hat will show signs of fear for this specific image. A man in a white cowboy hat or a man with a black cowboy hat in his hand will not trigger a fear response. Important topics concerning genetic responsibility were also raised. If you select excessively for a behaviour or physical trait you will be inadvertently selecting for other, less desirable traits. Dr Grandin gave a wonderful example of how a bull, bred for docility would let her scratch its back but when asked to go in to the crush it violently kicked both back legs’ said Ela Russell, 4^th Year BVM&S and AWES President.

After the talk Prof Grandin answered audience questions and had lunch with AWES, DVBS and PhD students from JMICAWE and SRUC. PhD students took the opportunity to discuss their research with Prof Grandin on a range of topics from the effects of tickling rats to attitudes towards horse welfare in the traveller/gypsy community. In the afternoon Ela interviewed Prof Grandin using questions submitted by R(D)SVS students and covering topics such as current welfare issues, the squeeze machine and the impact of technology on animal welfare.

‘It was particularly interesting talking about the potential benefits of technology, for example, robotic milking systems can improve welfare. Dr Grandin mentioned about how if you calculate how much milk the dam is producing, take away how much the calf needs and only allow the robot to take that much milk there is huge potential to keep calves at foot’, said Ela.

To close the day R(D)SVS students and clinicians accompanied Prof Grandin to Langhill Dairy Farm to discuss the practical application of the behavioural and welfare principles discussed earlier in the day. Prof Grandin strongly highlighted the importance of our (stockworkers, vets and farmers) interactions with livestock, and emphasised how each interaction has the potential to develop negative or undesirable behaviours. Another area of particular interest was the discussion on separation distress. A student asked why when the teaching cows are put in the crush they sometimes vocalise, and not in response to physical stimuli. Temple Grandin explained how it could be because the restrained cow cannot see her herd. The vocalisation could be her communicating with the other cows or an expression of her experiencing separation distress.

This event was the first major event AWES has organised and run, and was a great learning opportunity for the students. The trip was made possible by support from Medica CPD and JMICAWE in bringing Temple to Edinburgh.

Blog post by Ela Russell