Visiting Scholar to JMICAWE research into Cat and Dog Welfare

Mark Farnworth recently joined us for a nine week sabbatical from Unitec Institute of Technology in New Zealand to work with the centre in exploring sterilisation of free-roaming dogs in developing nations, a project funded by the UK DogsTrust. Despite originally working with pigs at SRUC his move to New Zealand resulted in a particular interest around the local cat population. So much so he has recently completed his PhD looking at how and when cats are sterilised in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. In addition he took the first steps to establishing a thermal carbon dioxide laser as a non-invasive method for assessing pain in cats with a view to applying his findings to cats which have undergone sterilisation.

Cats are particularly interesting in New Zealand as is the case for other countries where mammalian predators are either scarce or wholly absent. Cats represent an introduced species with a marked effect on native wildlife meaning many see them as a pest, however, simultaneously they are the most populous (and likely most loved) of New Zealand's companion animals. This has resulted in cats being treated with ambivalence both socially and legislatively. How the cat population is or should be managed to improve both the cats' welfare and reduce their negative impacts is not an easy one to answer. However a suite of studies in New Zealand and Australia hope to provide some of the answers.

Outside his work with cats Mark is particularly interested in how animal welfare is integrated into people's everyday lives and the decisions they make. He has explored topics as diverse as public perception of the welfare of fish during angling to the management of free-roaming dogs in the Pacific Islands.

For more information about Mark and his research you can always visit https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Farnworth or http://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=TZlDQp8AAAAJ&hl=en

MOOC LIVE TODAY!

Today is the launch day of our MOOC and we are all very excited here at R(D)SVS.

It’s not too late to join us either. Our 5 week course already has over 25,000 people signed up from over 150 different countries, so you will be part of a wide and exciting learning community lead by our expert Animal Welfare team here at the University of Edinburgh and SRUC.  

Sign up at: https://www.coursera.org/course/animal

Please Tweet us:  @JMICAWE   #EdAniWelf

 

Animal welfare is often an emotive subject provoking heated debates and sometimes radical action. However it is also a challenging science based subject that involves consideration of animal emotions and how we can best understand the world from the perspective of a different species.

Through a free online course, animal behaviour and welfare experts from the Jeanne Marchig International Animal Welfare Centre at the University of Edinburgh, will provide knowledge and understanding about the application of animal behaviour and the science of animal welfare. This will ensure that viewers are better equipped to argue for or against a specific issue relating to animal care, management or use, using a rigorous, evidence based approach.

 

Academic recognised for outstanding contributions to animal welfare science

An academic from the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences is one of the 2014 winners of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Animal Welfare Science.

Read more about it on this link:

http://bristol.ac.uk/news/2014/july/ufaw-medals.html

Meet the MOOC team! Not long to go before the start of our free online Animal Welfare Course

We very much look forward to welcoming you to the course. See the video below to meet our dedicated team in sunny Edinburgh:

You can sign up here: https://www.coursera.org/course/animal

The course begins on the 14th July 2014 and will run three times between now and winter 2015

Twitter at: @JMICAWE   #EdAniWelf

JMICAWE welcomes visiting academic from New Zealand

We are delighted to welcome Dr Mark Farnworth as a visiting academic to our Animal Welfare Centre this summer.  Mark is a Senior Lecturer at UNITEC Institute of Technology in Auckland and recently completed his PhD in Veterinary Science at Massey University, New Zealand.

Not a stranger to the area, Mark studied his first degree and Masters at Edinburgh University, and is enjoying meeting up and collaborating with old friends and colleagues during his stay.

He will be working alongside our team on various projects and publications including analysing data gathered from Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programmes for dog population management, which will be used by a variety of TNR projects run through NGOs overseas.  He will also be involved with planning the CPD Edinburgh based course for our IFAW colleagues, and discussion boards for the Animal Welfare MOOC (due to start on the 14th July – see #EdAniWelf).

Mark brings with him a particular expertise in the social perception and integration of animal welfare, recognising that social constructs act as both a barrier and a catalyst for welfare improvements. He is particularly interested in the domestic cat as a model of social ambivalence and effective and humane cat/dog population management.

“It is exciting to be able to get involved with the work of the JMICAWE and to experience the environment and atmosphere here at the new facilities of the Royal (Dick) Vet” - Mark Farnworth

 

 

Further details about Mark’s research can be found on:

http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Farnworth

 

Animal Welfare MOOC 12 days to go!

Tweet at:

#EdAniWelf

Sign up at:

ttps://www.coursera.org/course/animal

About the Course

Animals occupy a huge part of the planet and our lives, and although we rely on them for all aspects of our own wellbeing - food, draught power, medical advances, clothing, sport as well as pleasure, protection and comfort - often their quality of life is questionable. Appreciating how animal's experience the world they live in and the different behavioural needs of the various species we interact with, enables us to gain a better understanding of their welfare requirements, so that long term improvements to animal lives can be made.  
There are now more than 60 billion land animals raised for meat each year around the world, and with increasing human populations and a rise in meat consumption in many parts of the world, these figures are set to double by 2050. Added to this is a huge and growing world population of dogs and cats, many of whom are strays with associated health and welfare issues.  International concern for animal welfare continues to grow with rising demand for measures to protect animals and improve their care and wellbeing. The link between animal welfare and human wellbeing is clear, and yet we still have a long way to go if we are to address welfare needs globally. Finding ways to achieve higher standards of animal welfare, is therefore a key priority for any developed and developing nation. Due to gaining in importance internationally, there is increasing recognition of the need for animal welfare issues to be addressed objectively in a scientifically credible manner.
In this animal behaviour and welfare course, you will learn about animal welfare and why it matters, develop an understanding of some of the main welfare issues animals have to cope with as well as gaining an insight into the behavioural needs and the emotions of dogs, cats, farmed animals and captive wildlife.

This course is delivered collaboratively by academics from the University of Edinburgh and Scotland's Rural College (SRUC).

 

Promoting the Welfare of working equids

Promoting the Welfare of working equids and their importance to the livelihoods of people in developing countries.

Working equids have been described as the 'invisible helpers' in poor communities, often overlooked by policy makers and undervalued by many. However research undertaken by international equine welfare charities has shown that these animals are valuable members if the household and in some parts of the world are responsible for up to 80% of the family income.

 

This week JMICAWE director, Prof Nat Waran is attending the 7th International Colloquium on working equids as a guest of The Brooke, where presentations will be made by people working in communities where horses, donkeys and mules are so essential and discussions are taking place about how we can raise the awareness of the link between improving equine welfare and human well being. 

See 

Tweet #workingequines

and

http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/colloquium2014

TNR Gathering Data going well in Botswana

Earlier this  week the animal welfare team's Heather Bacon and Hayley Walters left for Botswana where they are gathering preliminary data as part of the Dogs Trust funded project to develop robust and practical animal welfare indicators for use in Trap, Neuter and Release projects run by the many animal welfare NGOs worldwide.

Heather and Hayley have already been in touch with us  and we are delighted to report that this essential research is going very well.

 

 

 Keep watching this space for a full report upon their return!

Mission rabies - Powering On!

Powering on!

 

Over 8,000 dogs sterilised and vaccinated in just 11 weeks!

 

With the continued guidance and support from the Goan Government and the incredible local NGO's, the amazing MR teams have neutered and vaccinated over 4254 females. If 70% of those dogs would have had just one litter of 6 puppies in the forthcoming year, we have prevented 17,867 puppies on the streets of Goa in just three months of work.

By the end of September, the teams will have sterilised over 20,000 dogs. An incredible achievement, only possible because of the fantastic Goan community of animal lovers and the vision of the local Government in endorsing and supporting the project. As a united team, by vaccinating 70% of the dogs in Goa every year, for the next three years, we can rid the state of this fatal and incurable disease.

 

Read more about it here:

campaign-archive1.com

 

Read more about Mission Rabies here:

 

http://www.missionrabies.com/

 

 

 

 

WORLD MEAT CONGRESS: Animal Welfare to be New Moral Trade Barrier

An interesting article to look at

Animal welfare issues could become a new trade barrier following a landmark ruling by the World Trade Organisation, writes Chris Harris from the World Meat Congress in Beijing.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/32474/world-meat-congress-animal-welfare-to-be-new-moral-trade-barrier

MOOC Behind the Scenes Video Diary Part Three

Join us for the third part of our exclusive behind the scenes look at the making of our Massive Open Online Course in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, hosted on coursera.

Sign up now to take part!
https://www.coursera.org/course/animal

Guests from India visit Vet School before attending the Edinburgh-India Inaugural Conference

Last month the JMICAWE team and colleagues from the Vet School, Roslin Institute and SRUC were delighted to welcome visitors from India for a tour of the school and facilities.

Our guests included officials and senior staff from the Indian Government and Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU).  Visiting as part of the Edinburgh-India Inaugural Conference organised by the Edinburgh-India Office, it heralded a successful and impressive event and generated many ideas for next steps in capacity building around research skills and education for vets in Kerala and Karnataka. 

‘I was overwhelmed by our Keralan colleagues who proudly presented me with their newly produced Animal Welfare text book. Written mainly by staff who have attended our various workshops, the book covers a wide range of topics and is something they and we should be very pleased with. It's great to see a whole Faculty with the support of their senior management taking ownership of this subject’  (Prof Natalie Waran, Director of JMICAWE)

 

 

Guests enjoying a tour of the school and facilities with  R(D)SVS staff, Prof Nat Waran (second from right) and Prof Brendan Corcoran (third from left)

The Edinburgh-India Inaugural conference that took place on the 15^th and 16^th May provided a forum for interdisciplinary opportunities and helped to establish new partnerships to celebrate the University’s longstanding engagement with India.   Edinburgh academics and their Indian collaborators in humanities and social sciences, medicine and veterinary medicine, and science and engineering were  invited to take part in the conference, entitled ‘Innovative Engagement for Sustainable Development:  The Edinburgh-India Story’.

Further details about the event can be found here:

http://www.ed.ac.uk/about/edinburgh-global/india-institute/events/inaugural-conference

Animal Welfare Team in Botswana for essential TNR Research

 

Next month will see Heather Bacon (Welfare Education and Outreach Manager) and Hayley Walters (Welfare and Anaesthesia Veterinary Nurse) head out to Botswana to carry out important research into TNR (Trap-Neutor-Release) Programmes.   Working with Dogs Trust, they are developing a framework for assessing individual dog welfare in a standard TNR programme and will be visiting some existing programmes in order to assess whether the framework is useful and practical.

 

Their visit will primarily involve visiting and recording aspects of dog catching, surgery and release using portable video cameras, which can then be reviewed at a later date.  It will also help establish partnerships and links with existing welfare organisation operating in Botswana.

 

 

 We’ll be reporting in full upon their return, so watch this space!

 

 

 

JMICAWE Team Member Hayley Walters wins RCVS Golden Jubilee Award

Veterinary Nurse Hayley Walters has won the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Golden Jubilee Award, in honour of her exceptional contribution to her profession.

The Dick Vet and JMICAWE is delighted that Veterinary Nurse Hayley Walters has won the RCVS Golden Jubilee Award, in honour of her exceptional contribution to her profession.

Hayley works at the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education (JMICAWE) and the Hospital for Small Animals and was nominated for her contribution to animal welfare through her teaching, clinical and international outreach work.

As well as Hayley's clinical work she has responsibilities for training veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse students in all aspects of animal welfare, handling and pain management. She has also worked all over the world to share her veterinary nursing and animal welfare education skills as part of her work with JMICAWE.

We had six high-calibre and impressive nominations for the Golden Jubilee Award this year and Hayley was chosen because of her extensive work above and beyond her normal role as a registered veterinary nurse [RVN] with regard to animal welfare in the UK and internationally. She clearly demonstrates a gold standard ambassadorial role for the RVN.  Kathy Kissick, Chair of Veterinary Nursing Council

The VN Golden Jubilee Award will be given to Hayley at RCVS Day - the College’s Annual General Meeting and Awards Day - on July 11.



I am incredibly thrilled to be receiving this award and would like to thank my colleagues who nominated me. It comes at such a lovely time, too, as this year I have been in veterinary nursing for half my life as I started when I was 18 and have turned 36. If I was given the choice to go back and choose all over again I would still choose veterinary nursing in a heartbeat. Veterinary nurses are very well placed to improve not only patient experience when they are being treated but also, after the patients leave, through the education of animal owners. We must never stop caring, never stop learning and never stop trying to make a difference for every animal that comes into our lives. I am very grateful for this honour and would like to thank the RCVS for awarding it to me. Hayley Walters

Hayley with her rescue dog Stewart

 

 

 

The Golden Jubilee Award

The Golden Jubilee Award was launched in 2011 to mark the 50th anniversary of the first RCVS veterinary nursing training scheme and to recognise outstanding service to the profession. Hayley joins previous winners from 2011, Jean Turner and 2012 Sue Badger as the third winner.

The Golden Jubilee in 2011 celebrated the 50th anniversary of the RCVS-approved Animal Nursing Auxiliary (ANA) training scheme.