Barcelona, 7 May 2018 During the 34th World Veterinary Congress held in Barcelona, Spain, WVA took the opportunity to underline its commitment to promoting ever better global standards of animal welfare in the latest edition of its increasingly recognized Animal Welfare Awards. 

As the protection and welfare of animals becomes more and more a central societal issue, the WVA recognized and rewarded 5 veterinary champions working in different veterinary areas from horses and donkey’s in Senegal, cats in China to sheep in Brazil.

Each of them has typified how the role of veterinarians is critical to protect and improve the welfare of all animals. The 2 winners from Canada and Sweden equally exemplified the important societal role that veterinarians have in researching, advocating and educating politicians, public health authorities, media and the general public in implementing the highest animal welfare standards.

The WVA and Ceva are delighted to announce the winners of the 2018 WVA Animal Welfare Awards:

> Prof. Adroaldo José ZANELLA, DVM, BRAZIL
Professor of Animal Welfare. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo

Dr. Zanella coordinates the Centre for Comparative Studies in Health, Sustainability and Welfare, CECSBE, at the University of São Paulo. His team carries out research work on the impact of pre-natal and neonatal environment on welfare outcomes in different species. Their main goal is to develop protocols to improve resilience of the offspring.

Adroaldo is advisor to the veterinary student’s animal welfare group, GEBEA. In addition to his research work the CECSBE currently has two major welfare projects. One centered around implementing a welfare assessment protocol to improve the health and productivity of sheep and the other is developing strategies to mitigate accidents involving stray donkeys and improve their welfare in the Northeast of Brazil.

Award video Brazil click here

> Alice CROOK, BSc, DVM, CANADA
Coordinator, Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre, Adjunct Professor, Department of Health, Management, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island

Since 1994, Dr. Crook has worked to develop and establish the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre (SJDAWC) at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada. This internationally recognized Centre promotes animal welfare through research, service, and education. This includes supporting research an service projects to benefit animals, as well as multiple initiatives to promote and teach about animal welfare.

Dr. Crook has regularly contributed valuable animal welfare information for veterinarians, students, government, media and the general public and particularly enjoys teaching veterinary students and promoting the ways they can be leaders in animal welfare no matter what field of veterinary medicine they enter.

Alice’s particular areas of interest are animal abuse and effective veterinary response, pain management, welfare-friendly veterinary practice (large and small animal), feral cat welfare, and enactment of effective animal welfare legislation (nationally and provincially). For many years, she has been a valuable member of, and contributor to, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) Animal Welfare Committee.

Award video Canada click here

> Zhijuan YIN, DVM, CHINA
Veterinarian, Nanning Arong pet hospital, Guangxi province, China

Dr. Yin has her own veterinary clinic where since 2008, she highlights the importance of animal welfare during day to day clinical operations. Additionally, she uses her skills and knowledge to provide care and low cost TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) services for local animal protection groups. As a result, her impact on improving animal welfare standards is enormous.

Since 2010, Dr. Yin has worked with a charity, ACTAsia who runs a “Train the Trainer” veterinary program in China, in cooperation with Vets for Compassion (Australia). The project aims to improve veterinary skills at the same time as instilling a deep understanding of animal welfare.

Dr. Yin recently took the lead in organizing training in a remote area of China called Qinghai.
Award video China click here

> Prof. Charlotte (Lotta) BERG, DVM, SWEDEN
Prof. Animal Environment and Health, European Veterinary Specialist Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law

Professor Berg works at the Department of Animal Environment and Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden. She holds a Diplomate certificate from the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioral Medicine and has been a member of the Animal Health and Animal Welfare (AHAW) panel at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, participating in numerous European projects. Charlotte’s main research and work areas are housing, management, biosecurity and the welfare of farm animals, with special emphasis on the welfare during slaughter. She carries out research on animal welfare legislation and standards control, and is interested in the interface between wildlife and farmed animals, including welfare and zoonotic diseases (One Health).
Award video Sweden click here

> Mactar SECK MSc, DVM, SENEGAL
Programme Director, Brooke, West Africa

Dr. Seck has been a member of the Senegalese Council of Veterinary Surgeons since 1992.

Mactar leads a team that trains veterinarians in Senegal and Burkina Faso to improve their knowledge and skills in equine medicine. He also trains farriers and helps them redesign tools to ensure that the physical integrity of working equine animal is not hampered.
Award video Senegal click here

At the international level, Mactar currently leads the International Coalition for Working Equids (ICWE), which bring together Brooke, SPANA, World Horse Welfare and the Donkey Sanctuary) whose major objective is to help OIE implement their global standards for working equids in developing countries.

The WVA and Ceva Santé Animale will launch soon the 3rd WVA AW Awards 2019 that will be presented during the 2019 WVAC in Costa Rica.