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Apr 2026 - special focus: clinical animal behaviour

1. New online course: The Evolution of Clinical Animal Behaviour. Free. 6 hours of CPD. The course provides insights into establishing a career within the field, the benefits of working collaboratively with allied professionals and putting research into practice. Available from 17 April, includes three live sessions. Delivered by leading behaviour practitioners, including Dr Sarah Heath, Dr Loni Loftus and Dr Kevin McPeake. If you are working in a veterinary role, in the clinical animal behaviour profession or are passionate about animal behaviour and thinking of taking this interest further, register now
2. Award: Hannah Crocombe, an undergraduate at the School, was one of two winners of the British Veterinary Behaviour Association (BVBA) Des Thompson Veterinary Studies Award 2026. The award recognises the commitment to the study of animal behaviour by students pursuing a higher education qualification at an RCVS-accredited institution. Hannah’s submission included a statement detailing her interest in animal behaviour and why it is relevant to the veterinary profession.
3. Webinar:In March, Kevin McPeake, Head of Behaviour Clinic and MSc CAB Programme Team delivered a webinar as part for the International Veterinary Students Association (IVSA) 74^th Symposium which was hosted online. The topic was “Behavioural first aid in companion animal practice”, teaching an approach to assess problematic behaviours and help veterinarians prioritise interventions such as ruling out medical problems, providing immediate management advice and considering referral to a behaviourist. There were 100 registered veterinary undergraduate delegates from different corners of the world, and the talk was delivered on behalf of the European Society for Veterinary Clinical Ethology (ESVCE) where Kevin serves as a committee member.
4. Online course – Animal Welfare in the Clinic: 4-week online course. Aimed at vets, vet nurses, animal carers, and owners to ensure that the welfare of the animal is supported at every stage of the clinical visit (from transportation, waiting area, examination, operating room, and recovery)? Videos, checklists, resources and more - helping to make real-world impact in relation to animal behaviour and welfare in the clinic. Join anytime. 12 CPD hours. Week 1 free. Five-star review! Positive feedback received from a veterinary clinic in China “I felt that what we learned from the course was no longer just knowledge — it had quietly become part of our clinic culture”. Find out more and register – visit the course website 

Mar 2026

1. University of Edinburgh MSc Programme: The MSc/PGDip/PGCert in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare is a full-time one year on-campus degree programme, positioned on the Vet School Campus, outside Edinburgh. The programme has a known international reputation and highly respected research and teaching staff. It offers graduates a wide range of career opportunities and advancements in animal behaviour and welfare. Visit the website for further information. Deadline for international applications is July 2026 and for UK applications is Aug 2026 – apply now!
2. Report: The collaboration between Wild Welfare and the Animal Welfare Centre commenced more than five years ago. In 2021, a free-to-use digital education programme, Wild About Welfare was launched, to provide animal care staff with an opportunity to engage with a course (now in five languages) and has been accessed across 70 countries and with 33,000 downloads. Read the report and find out more about the programme.
3. Conferences: Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) has various conferences throughout 2026 (including Bristol, Cambridge and Edinburgh). Visit the website for dates and abstracts/paper deadlines.
4. New publication: Kosin, L., O’Hara, E., Johnston, A.R., Henderson, L.J. & Meddle, S.L. (2026) The effect of light during incubation and dark shelter enrichment on chick growth and behavior. Poultry Sci. 105:106144. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2025.106144  Read the news article
5. New publication: Clutton, R. E. (2026). Pain and Suffering in Farmed Animals: First Steps in Better Understanding and Management. (1st ed.). Springer.
6. New publication: Watson, W., MacKay, J.R.D. and Dwyer, C. (2026) ‘Friends, forage, freedom: A cluster analysis investigating horse management styles and welfare in the UK and Ireland’, Animal Welfare, 35, p. e15. https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2026.10073
7. Book review: Naydani, C.J. (2026) ‘Review of The Omnivore’s Deception: What We Get Wrong About Meat, Animals, and Ourselves - John Sanbonmatsu (2025). Published by NYU Press, 360 pages. ISBN (hardback) 1479825964. Price $30 (hardback).’, Animal Welfare, 35, p. e9. doi:10.1017/awf.2026.10067.

Updates - 2026

Updates - 2025

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