Our mission is to use veterinary knowledge to improve the welfare of animals through science, education and debate
AWF was founded in 1983 to improve the welfare of animals. We fund research, support veterinary education, provide pet care advice and encourage debate on animal welfare issues.
Last month we held our first ever hybrid Discussion Forum, exploring a plethora of animal welfare issues including ‘extreme breeds’, pest control, gene editing and ‘overtreatment’ in the equine world. In this piece, AWF Chair Julian Kupfer reflects back on the day, the themes that came out of it, and why a platform like the […]
Thinking of applying for an AWF student research grant? Find out what it’s like to undertake a student research project and get advice from previous researchers in our mini Q&A series. Research topic: Characterising the abandonment and relinquishment of exotic pets in Ireland Name, degree, university Matt Goins, MVB (5th year), University College Dublin Research […]
Thinking of applying for an AWF student research grant? Find out what it’s like to undertake a student research project and get advice from previous researchers in our mini Q&A series. Research topic: Investigating the usage of enrichment feeding for pet dogs and the associated perceived benefits and challenges Name, degree, university Madeline Heys, […]
Description Thinking of applying for an AWF student research grant? Find out what it’s like to undertake a student research project and get advice from previous researchers in our mini Q&A series. Research topic: A novel intervention for cat hoarding: 3 year follow up Name, degree, university Katherine Duffy, BVM BVS, University of Nottingham Research […]
We’ve been speaking to Eddie Clutton, who is speaking in our Innovation and Overtreatment session at this year’s Discussion Forum. Eddie Clutton is an expert in the field of veterinary anaesthesia and will be debating the motion “Uncontrolled treatment innovations are detrimental to welfare” with Karen Humm. Eddie sees overtreatment as a huge problem, which […]
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives in many ways, both personally and professionally. Normal routines had to be adapted, and pre-pandemic plans changed. For our 2020 student grant recipients, this was especially true. In this blog, Kerry Long talks us through her experience of carrying out her project ‘Identifying maternal and post-natal effects on […]
As the drive for cheap, efficient and environment-sparing livestock agriculture continues to grow, can intensive farming ever be good for both welfare and sustainability? That is just one of the questions we will be asking ourselves at this year’s Discussion Forum. Recently we spoke to Professor Jimmy Turnbull, vet, aquaculture specialist and Discussion Forum speaker, […]
Calling vet nurses! We are thrilled to announce that AWF will be hosting a debate as part of BVNA’s ‘This is Us 2020’, a two-day online event dedicated to celebrating veterinary nursing. AWF has previously held animal welfare debates at BVNA Fringe and we welcome the opportunity to continue having these important discussions, but with […]
Funding student research is an important part of what we do, giving students an insight into the world of research and the opportunity to make a practical difference to animal welfare. In 2019 we granted funding to Sheryl Bradley, an MSc student of International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law at the University of Edinburgh, for […]
