Meet AWP collaborator Dr. Katia Atoji Henrique – National horse day
In honour of National Horse Day on December 13th, we would like to introduce you to an Animal Welfare Program (AWP) collaborator, Dr. Katia Atoji Henrique, whose research includes the health and welfare of our equine companions. Katia is a professor in the Animal Science Program at the Federal University of Technology in Prana, Brazil […]
New AWP research on public feedback for animal research protocols
A publication by Michael Brunt and Dan Weary, titled Public Consultation in the Evaluation of Animal Research Protocols, was recently published in PLoS ONE. The aim of this study was to assess the potential for public feedback on animal research protocols, and to develop an understanding of the types of animal research the public are accepting of. […]
New AWP research investigating stress in shelter cats
Entering an animal shelter can be stressful for cats, as cats are highly sensitive to environmental change. Stress experienced in the shelter can impact cat health and behaviour, and stress mitigation is critical to shelter cat welfare. Cats also have very sensitive hearing and possess one of the broadest known hearing ranges among all mammals, […]
Congratulations to all of our November graduates
Elizabeth Russell Congratulations to Elizabeth Russell on graduating with her Masters degree in Applied Animal Biology! Her research focused on investigating the perspectives of dairy producers regarding calf rearing. She plans on returning to the Animal Welfare Program as a PhD student in the new year. Erin A. Ryan Congratulations to Erin A. Ryan for […]
Meet PhD candidate Michael Brunt
Michael Brunt is a PhD Candidate with the Animal Welfare Program whose research addresses perceptions of transparency and how these influence the societal acceptance of animals used for research. Before coming to the AWP at UBC, Michael worked as a research animal professional for 18 years, frequently encountering questions from friends and family about how […]
Meet visiting international student Zimbabwe Osorio Santos
Over the years, the UBC Animal Welfare Program has hosted many visiting international students. This collaboration with researchers and students from across the globe fosters an environment of knowledge sharing which further promotes the wellbeing of animals across the world. We would like to introduce you to one of our current visiting students, Zimbabwe! My […]
Congratulations to our graduating students
The Animal Welfare Program is excited to celebrate the graduation of several students! Maria Chen with her MSc and Katelyn Mills, Ben Lecorps and Thomas Ede with their PhD! In addition to these graduate students, several undergraduate students have actively been working with the program this year through undergraduate theses or directed studies. Congratulations! Alex […]
Using Realistic Evaluation to understand how interventions work on dairy farms
A new study by AWP researchers used Realistic Evaluation to understand how an intervention to help farmers modify and use standard operating procedures (SOP) for colostrum management worked in different contexts. Farmer reasoning about the purpose and utility of the SOP, plus how they used SOP resources, impacted intervention success. To facilitate change, interventions should […]
Dr. von Keyserlingk to discuss animal care practices in the upcoming Hoard’s Dairyman webinar
Hoard’s Dairyman‘s next monthly webinar will be Monday, June 14 at noon (Central time). Nina von Keyserlingk from the University of British Columbia will present “Reimagining the future of dairy – Maintaining our social license by improving animal welfare.” Many common practices on dairy farms are subject to criticism by consumers and other stakeholders. During […]
Public attitudes toward dairy farm practices and technology related to milk production
One modern approach to addressing animal welfare-related challenges in agricultural systems is through technological solutions (e.g. genetic modification, plant-based milk). New research by AWP researchers, published today in PLoS ONE (https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250850), evaluated public attitudes toward current approaches and technological alternatives to common welfare issues on dairy farms. While previous studies assess attitudes toward individual issues, […]