The JMICAWE are very excited to be developing a number of outreach projects emphasising the importance of developing sustainable animal welfare education. Image 2023 Various international visits are taking place in 2023, including conferences, workshops, clinical welfare sessions, and research. Dr Rebecca Doyle (Senior Lecturer in Animal Welfare), contributes to the COP session on ‘The intersection of animal welfare, climate change and One Health’, 11 December 2023. Find out more from the website Sept 2022, Vietnam, Nepal and Mali Dr Rebecca Doyle is working with the International Livestock Research Institute, who have been embedding animal welfare into a number of activities for the SAPLING research programme. Recent work includes stakeholder consultation activity on small ruminant welfare in Mali; welfare assessment on smallholder pig farming in Vietnam; and including welfare indivators into some reproductive health work for buffalo in Nepal. ILRI - SAPLING 2022, Ethiopia This project demonstrates the benefits of agroforestry–livestock systems in Ethiopia for animal welfare, livelihoods and the environment. We have project sites in both the highlands and pastroral production systems of Ethiopia, and are collaborating with World Agroforestry, Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Suisse and regional partners. The evidence gathered from the project will be used to scale out these results through a future research project starting in 2022. https://www.ilri.org/research/projects/synergies-animal-welfare-and-agroforestry-benefit-farming-systems-ethiopia https://www.biovision.ch/en/projects/ethiopia/trees-for-animal-welfare/ 2021, Uganda The pig sector in Uganda is among the fastest growing livestock sectors and it is characterized by low productivity due to limited resources and veterinary support. As the welfare status of pigs in the system is unknown, a cross-sectional welfare assessment was carried out in four districts in central Uganda (Masaka, Mukono, Mpigi and Wakiso) to identify issues requiring action. These results will form the basis of future intervention programs and act as a benchmark to improve pig welfare and farmer livelihoods. https://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/114180 https://www.ilri.org/publications/understanding-mortality-and-morbidity-pigs-ugandan-smallholder-production-systems Feb 2020, India JMICAWE Director, Cathy Dwyer, and the coordinator of the MSc programme in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare (University of Edinburgh), Kirstin McIlvaney, ran a three day workshop on animal welfare and behaviour hosted by Dr Abdul Rahman and the Commonwealth Veterinary Association at the Veterinary College in Bangalore (Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Science University). This was part of the work that JMICAWE are doing to capacity-build in Indian vet schools, and to support the new Animal Welfare Research Centre based in the vet school in Bangalore. Read the full article on our blog. October 2019, Malta Vet nurse Hayley Walters was invited by Dogs Trust International to speak at ICAWC (International Companion Animal Welfare Conference) in Malta this October. 229 delegates representing 101 organisations from 39 different countries attended the conference. Read the full article on our blog. June 2019, South Africa Sheep, ostrich, and giraffe in South Africa are just some of the animals encountered when JMICAWE Director, Cathy Dwyer, attended the South African Society for Animal Science 51st Congress in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Cathy was a guest of the animal science department at University of the Free State, and gave a plenary presentation entitled ‘Can animal welfare contribute to improved livestock productivity?’ to an audience of approximately 300 South African researchers, lecturers and students. The overall theme of the congress was ‘Managing the ecological footprint of livestock through efficient production’ and Cathy explained how poor animal welfare can contribute to poor production efficiency through impacts on neonatal mortality, disease and failing to meet animal behavioural needs. Read the full article on our blog. April 2019 - Austin, Texas JMICAWE Director, Cathy Dwyer, has just returned from the annual meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Global Animal Partnership in Austin, Texas. Global Animal Partnership (GAP) is a non-profit organisation that provides an animal welfare certification programme for producers by setting stepped standards for improving animal welfare. At the lowest levels producers must commit to cage and crate free living, with no crowding for their farm animals, rising to animal-centred management at the highest levels. The Scientific Advisory Committee ensures that the standards are based on the best available science of animal welfare. Read the full article on our blog. Feb 2019 - Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam Image JMICAWE's vet, Heather Bacon and vet nurse, Jess Davies visited Save Vietnam’s Wildlife in Cuc Phuong National park Vietnam where they spent 4 days working with the veterinarian Huong and the rest of the ‘Save Vietnam’s Wildlife’ team to exchange knowledge of endangered carnivore veterinary care and management. Heather carried with her a Sonosite Titan ultrasound machine and two probes, courtesy of Ian and Jacky Macqueen, Nic Hayward, and Gavin Mitchell at IMV imaging, and also an intravenous fluid pump and refractometer courtesy of Crown vets, Inverness. This equipment provides essential support in safeguarding the health and welfare of the pangolin – the world’s most trafficked mammal, as well as other critically endangered carnivores such as Owston’s civet, and commoner carnivores including Asian short-clawed otters, binturong and leopard cats. Over the course of the visit Heather and Jess delivered training in anaesthesia, diagnostic imaging and surgical techniques, and in return were keen to learn from the experienced team at SVW about the health and husbandry of captive pangolins and other small carnivores. Featured in the Vet Times (14 March 2019) Dec 2018 - Vet nurses in Kerala JMICAWE's vet nurse Jess Davies travelled with RVN Roxy Woodrow to visit Kerala Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences University and to discuss the 11 month veterinary nursing course. They also met with Smt. Beena Murali who is the deputy mayor for Thrissur district. The promotion of veterinary nursing in India was further boosted by a film crew following the deputy mayor to record a piece for that evening’s news for which Jess and Roxy we interviewed along with a journalist from The Times of India who was to write a piece about the Deputy Mayor's visit. Dec 2018 - First international behavioural husbandry workshop for zookeepers hosted in Agra After successfully completing the small animal training workshop in Goa, JMICAWE’s Heather Bacon travelled to Agra in the North of India to participate in India’s first international behavioural husbandry workshop for zookeepers. Focussed primarily on bear species and co-organised by:- the Bear Care Group, an International charity committed to improving the lives of captive bears; and Wildlife SOS, a Indian NGO responsible for eliminating the dancing bear trade in India and rescuing over 500 bears; the workshop attracted zookeepers, veterinary surgeons and academics working with a range of species from across India. Heather spoke at the workshop on behavioural management, geriatric care and veterinary care of zoo animals, and also ran an interactive session on behaviour and emotion in zoo animals. The workshop ended with a practical enrichment and training day at the WSOS bear rescue facility. Feedback from the workshop was extremely positive, with representatives from the Indian National Zoo Authority expressing an interest in developing a hub of excellence in zoo science and welfare. Nov 2018 - Small animal veterinary training, Goa, India Heather Bacon & Jess Davies are joined in Goa this week by Roxy Woodrow RVN, who previously helped the team out with workshops in Vietnam earlier this year. In Goa, they ran a pilot project at PetZone with AniHeal Veterinary Group, training a group of 30 small animal vets and vet nurses. The two day workshop will equip delegates with the basic skills needed to handle, diagnose and treat dog and cat patients in a clinical setting. It is hoped to roll this pilot project out across India in the future. Oct 2018 - WSAVA animal welfare global guidelines Heather Bacon played a significant role in the development of the guidelines. The guidelines, launched during WSAVA World Congress 2018 in Singapore, aim to bridge differing perceptions of welfare around the world and help veterinary surgeons and nurses tackle the ethical questions and moral issues which impact welfare. April 2018 - Dog welfare assessment app The Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education (JMICAWE) have developed a new dog welfare assessment app for trap-neuter-return programmes. Th app has been developed by EDINA, Heather Bacon and Louise Connelly (JMICAWE). It will launch in April 2018. Further information about the app and dog welfare from JMICAWE The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies news article Vet Record (6 April 2018) Dec 2017 - Human behaviour change for animal welfare - Nepal Heather Bacon travels to Nepal to speak at the Asia for Animals Conference, themed on Human behaviour change for animal welfare. Presenting on the value of academic-NGO relationships in developing strategies to change human behaviour and influence animal welfare, Heather refers to examples from ongoing research and outreach work to illustrate the impact that JMICAWE is having on animal welfare around the world. The conference is the flagship programme of the Asia for Animals Coalition — 16 of the world’s leading animal protection organisations which have a shared focus on improving the welfare of animals in Asia. Speakers and workshops discussed a wide range of topics including veterinary training in China presented by Dr Sun, from the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association, an organisation with whom the JMICAWE have partnered for several years. Conference website Nov 2017 - Dogs Trust - Bosnia RVN Jess Davies was invited by charity Dogs Trust to work with their International Training Program based in the Sarajevo Veterinary Faculty, Bosnia. Jess was paired up with Paul Eynon, a small animal surgeon and lecturer from Glasgow Veterinary School, and as the International Team they were responsible for the training of two Bosnian vets in surgical techniques (Paul) and effective anaesthesia monitoring (Jess) with the focus being on ensuring a high standard of welfare is maintained for the patient from induction all the way through to recovery. JMICAWE’s RVN Hayley Walters originally spent time in Sarajevo with this project three years ago to assess and implement standard operating protocols to ensure a high standard of welfare for each patient is upheld during anaesthesia and recovery which are still being followed today, with great success! 2017 - Improving Veterinary skills, knowledge and attitudes towards dogs in South Asia The role of the veterinary profession is changing rapidly across Asia, and South Asia (as in other parts of the region) has seen a tremendous upsurge in the ownership of pet dogs, alongside an increase in the population of free - roaming dogs. This is a huge challenge for a veterinary population primarily trained in livestock species. Funded by the Dogs Trust, and working in collaboration with Sri Lankan NGO Dog star Foundation, Dr Heather Bacon is leading a project to improve veterinary knowledge and skills about dogs in both Kerala and Sri Lanka. Last November saw the delivery of training in canine medicine, surgery and behaviour to over 80 staff and students at the University of Peradeniya, as well as staff from the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, and to over 30 veterinary staff from the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), and the Kerala Animal Husbandry department. As a result of the meetings, a strategy has been drafted to prioritise the main issues created by dog overpopulation in Kerala, and a children’s educational leaflet has been developed by KVASU for schools in the area, to educate children about what they can do to minimise the risks of dog bite injuries. Dec 2016 - Indian Council for Agricultural Research - Delhi JMICAWE/SRUC’s Cathy Dwyer, Marie Haskell, Fritha Langford and Laura Dixon delivered a workshop on Production Animal Welfare Research at ICAR’s Head Office in New Delhi in December 2016. The workshop covered animal welfare concepts, and behavioural science, as well as practical sessions on the different methods used to evaluate animal behaviour and animal welfare. Sept 2016 - Trevor Blackburn Award 2016 Heather Bacon has been awarded the BVA’s Trevor Blackburn Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to improving animal health and welfare in developing countries through education, charity work and research. The award citation particularly recognised Heather’s work with Animals Asia to rehabilitate victims of the bear bile industry; her role as Veterinary Welfare Education and Outreach Manager here at the University of Edinburgh, in encouraging the use of manikins and models in place of live animals in veterinary teaching; her research and clinical practice to raise animal welfare and veterinary skills standards within the global zoo community; and her work with street dogs involved in Trap-Neuter-Return programmes. The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies press release British Veterinary Association press release May 2012 - Workshop in Thrissur, India JMICAWE’s Professor Nat Waran and Heather Bacon have just returned from India where they facilitated the first of three workshops to be held in India as part of a British Council Internationalising Higher Education, KEP award. The project entitled, ‘Embedding a Problem based learning approach to teaching animal welfare science and ethics in an Indian Veterinary School Curriculum’ was held in collaboration with the KVASU in Thrissur last week. Traditionally veterinary education has tended to be content heavy, relying heavily upon lectures and tutorials, with the students' learning directed by their teachers. The purpose of this first workshop was to demonstrate the way in which a problem based learning approach can be incorporated into the lecturers’ teaching tool kit in relation to the delivery of animal welfare science and ethics. The workshop was attended by 15 veterinary faculty staff members who engaged enthusiastically in various activities designed to illustrate the PBL approach within the veterinary curriculum. The team will deliver the second workshop on farm animal health and welfare, in September. March 2012 - JMICAWE working with the CVMA in China The Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education (JMICAWE) at the University of Edinburgh are delighted to be working with The Health and Welfare Subcommittee of the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). The CVMA will collaborate with the JMICAWE to advance veterinary medical education and animal welfare in mainland China. Together they have agreed to work with The Animals Asia Foundation and The Hong Kong SPCA in organising the 3rd China Veterinary Conference (CVC) Welfare Forum, which will include the 2nd International Symposium on Animal Welfare. The event will be held 28 - 29th October 2012 in Suzhou, China. Speakers will include Professor Waran presenting on the ' Development of animal welfare science in developing countries - one health-one welfare' and also Dr Khongsak Thiangtum from Thailand, on 'the use of alternatives to animals in veterinary medical training'. For further details please contact Heather Bacon. January 2012 - Working the University of Kerala, India Developing and embedding a problem based learning approach within animal husbandry and health courses in the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Kerala, India. November 2011 - The role of the vet in India - conference In collaboration with CABI and with generous funding from Pfizer, the JMICAWE was involved in delivering lectures and workshops in Delhi at the Indian Centre for Agricultural Research. Professor Neil Sargison, leader of the Edinburgh University Indian Veterinary Education Programme along with Professor Natalie Waran and JMICAWE veterinary education outreach manager, Heather Bacon, took part in lively discussions about supporting developments for the future of veterinary education in India and the role of the vet in animal welfare. Document Strengthening the veterinary profession in India to improve food security (560.59 KB / PDF) CABI A not-for-profit international organisation that improves lives by solving problems in agriculture and the environment. CABI website November 2011 - Southwest University Training, Chongqing As part of this collaborative project 236 final year veterinary students attended 3 hours of core lectures on animal welfare science and their responsibilities as veterinary surgeons delivered by Heather Bacon of the University of Edinburgh, plus a 2 hour training workshop on basic clinical skills. Skills training was delivered by veterinarians Heather Bacon of the University of Edinburgh and Monica Bando of the Animals Asia Foundation, assisted by Lisa Yang and Wen Yan of the Animals Asia Foundation. Clinical skills training focused on the importance of clinical competency to improve the experience of the patient and reduce stress in a clinical setting. As all training was delivered using non-animal models, we discussed the importance of reducing, refining and replacing animal use in education where possible, and that as veterinarians, it is important that we take responsibility for animal welfare and for not causing unnecessary suffering in our own training. Document Undergraduate teaching in SouthWest University in October 2011 report (1.39 MB / DOC) October 2011 - Working with Animals Asia in Hong Kong Animals Asia hosted a two-day workshop for animal managers and veterinarians from zoos and safari parks across China to share our animal management and veterinary experience and knowledge to help improve the welfare of captive animals in China. Heather Bacon, was one of the experienced veterinarians providing animal management knowledge. October 2011 - Working with the HK SPCA in educating Asian vets on animal welfare issues Last week saw another leap forward in our relationships with our Asian partners as, in conjunction with the Hong Kong Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and with the support of the University of Hong Kong, the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education co-hosted the 1st Asian Symposium on Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law. With a focus on exchanging ideas and developing collaborative partnerships between animal welfare scientists, lawyers and ethicists from China, Hong Kong and the UK, the symposium was also attended by delegates from as far afield as the Phillippines and Macau. August 2011 - Rabies Education Workshop, Shanghai Partnering with the Animals Asia Foundation, Humane Society International and Alliance for Rabies Control, Heather Bacon of the JMICAWE participated in a 2 day workshop covering the status of rabies in China in both urban and rural communities. Presentations included work from the China CDC on disease detection and control, discussion of vaccine strategies, links to dog meat trade and promotion of responsible pet ownership. June 2011 - Sentience and attitudes to animal welfare and euthanasia Survey in China As part of an ongoing project, Heather Bacon of the JMICAWE, has been surveying the attitudes of Veterinarians and veterinary students in China on issues of animal sentience, welfare and methods of euthanasia. This information will provide us with useful information on the current situation amongst Chinese veterinary professionals and allow us to develop animal welfare education and clinical skills programmes that address the needs of this demographic. June 2011 - Developing veterinary education and government links in India Professor Waran’s recent visit to Delhi and Chennai was extremely worthwhile. Following discussions with the president of the Indian Veterinary Council, the Secretary to the Minister for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (in charge of the funding/strategy for the Animal Welfare Board of India, the Research Animal Regulation and The National Institute for Animal Welfare), the chair of the Animal Welfare Board for India and the Director of NIAW we have agreed to work together to develop and deliver animal welfare education in the form of CPD/Training courses - and to provide support for up-skilling veterinarians in animal welfare science and ethics. This article was published on 2024-09-02
