1. The Animal Welfare Foundation
  2. Discussion Forum 2022

2022 AWF Discussion Forum – in person and online

Wednesday 11th May 2022, 9.30am – 5.45pm: One Great George Street, London, SW1P 3AA
Reception from 6.30pm: Farmers Club, 3 Whitehall Court, Whitehall, SW1A 2EL

The AWF Discussion Forum is a unique event designed to tackle animal welfare in a way that encourages self-reflection and inspires our delegates to take action and be advocates for change.  Whether you’re with us in person or watching elsewhere, you will have a chance to participate and be part of the conversation on animal welfare.

Book with confidence – AWF’s flexible cancellation policy means you can cancel your in-person ticket or convert it to a virtual ticket up to 10 days before the event.

VIEW PROGRAMME

The 2022 Forum will feature a series of discussions and debates about key cross-species welfare topics:

  • Gene editing – This debate will delve into whether gene editing is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for animal welfare, whilst considering the different aspects such as editing for production, therapeutics and sustainability. 
  • Equine welfare – The speakers will explore numerous facets of equine practice and debate ‘where we draw the line in the sand’.
  • Are some breeds too extreme? – We’ll be asking whether we should be trying to improve welfare for breeds that are already compromised such as broiler chickens and extreme brachycephaly, or whether this perpetuates the problem.
  • Animal welfare: what matters to us and how can we be a force for change? – AWF and BVA will share their approach to creating a strategy for tackling animal welfare. We will discuss what issues to address next and how we can all work together to achieve our aims in improving animal welfare.

MEET THE SPEAKERS

WATCH SPEAKER VIDEOS

Evening reception

The Discussion Forum will be followed by a drinks reception at The Farmers Club in Whitehall, starting at 6.30pm. Tickets cost £25 – space is limited!

Our evening speaker is Sean Wensley (a previous AWF Trustee and past BVA President). Sean will be talking about his new book, Through a Vet’s Eyes.

 

Evening speaker

A unique event dedicated exclusively to animal welfare

led by veterinary and animal welfare professionals, AWF tackles relevant topics, that are important today.

Led by expert speakers

our sessions are presented in a balanced and evidence-based way to stimulate constructive debate.

1 full day of CPD

A chance to learn, challenge and reflect on ideas with other like-minded people who share a passion for animal welfare.

Be the first to hear the results of AWF funded welfare research

and have 1-2-1 conversations with the researchers.

Students can network with experienced vets

and explore the issues that they will come across in their working lives.

In case you miss anything

the sessions will be available to access after the event

Join in

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News

  1. Meet our student researchers – Matt Goins

    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 […]
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  2. Meet our student researchers – Madeline Heys

    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, […]
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  3. Meet our student researchers – Katherine Duffy

    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 […]
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  4. Eddie Clutton on the topic of overtreatment

    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 […]
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  5. Project in a pandemic: what an AWF student grant taught me about research

    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 […]
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  6. Meet the speakers – Q&A with Jimmy Turnbull

    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, […]
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  7. Funding research for better welfare

    AWF funds five new research projects designed to move the dial on key animal welfare issues.
    read more …

  8. BVNA ‘This is Us 2020’

    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 […]
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  9. Completing research in a pandemic – a student’s experience

    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 […]
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  10. Meet the speakers – Q&A with Dan Brockman

    At this year’s Discussion Forum we will be debating whether uncontrolled treatment innovations are detrimental to animal welfare. As the range of treatments available to our pets becomes more extensive year on year and often increasingly invasive, we want to ask, can this ever be justified? One of our speakers is Professor Dan Brockman, Director of […]
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