Dr Sean Wensley wins inaugural award

Dr Sean Wensley, senior vice president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), has won the World Veterinary Association (WVA) Global Animal Welfare Award for Europe, co-founded and supported by Ceva Santé Animale, parent company of Ceva Animal Health. Taking place on 29th August during the 33rd World Veterinary Congress in Incheon, Korea, awards were given to six veterinarians representing each of the six WVA world regions to recognise and reward veterinarians who have provided outstanding and exemplary welfare-related services. Dr Wensley has concentrated much of his professional life on the issue of animal welfare. He worked on various international welfare projects as a young volunteer veterinarian. He is currently senior vice president of the British Veterinary Association and has been active in promoting the organisation’s strategy on animal welfare and developing the five key factors in the UK’s animal welfare regulations. In addition to the BVA, Sean is also senior veterinary surgeon for communication and education at veterinary charity the PDSA. He works with a veterinary team that develops and delivers national advocacy on companion animal health and welfare problems - including the PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) report - as well as practice-based animal welfare initiatives with the charity’s nationwide network of pet hospitals. Other regional award winners were: Dr Joseph Othieno from Kenya Dr Othieno has raised awareness of animal health issues in Kenya and on a wider scale through his journalism. As well as being a respected veterinarian, he regularly writes articles on a series of veterinary issues in the mass media including appearances on television. Dr Marlyn Romero from Colombia Dr Romero was nominated for the Awards following her work in Colombia and Latin America on the research into animal welfare issues particularly in slaughterhouses. She has authored numerous publications on the subject and is leading a research group looking at animal welfare on the theme of ‘One Health’. Dr Daniel Ventura from the Philippines Dr Ventura is cited for his work in promoting animal health in his home country, particularly in the field of veterinary education and spearheading a steering committee that has promoted the adoption of a syllabus entitled ’Advanced Concepts in Animal Welfare’. He has also led a campaign called ‘Better Lives for Dogs’ and recently organised a mass rabies vaccination day for dogs and their owners in Cebu City, Philippines. Professor Johann (Hans) Coetzee from USA Prof Coetzee has been active in the animal welfare area for many years particularly in the area of cattle where he has led research looking at ways of advancing methods to treat livestock better. Key examples of his work include co-founding the biannual International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare. He has also been involved in work looking at the subject of pain management issues in the production of farm animals and has been a regular commentator in the media on these subjects. Dr Shehab Osman from Egypt Dr Osman was nominated for his work as Chairman of the Cairo Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and for promoting a variety of animal welfare issues in his country and on the international scene. He also advises Egyptian government departments and the health authorities on a number of areas including the management of stray dogs which is a huge problem in Egypt. He also acted as Chairman of the Egyptian Federation for Animal Welfare for four years. Presiding over the Awards ceremony were Dr. René Carlson, Immediate past president of WVA and Dr. Marc Prikazsky, chairman and CEO of Ceva. René Carlson, comments: “I am delighted and honoured to present the 2017 WVA Animal Welfare Awards to six remarkable veterinarians from across the world, who are contributing in their daily lives to the protection and welfare of various species of animals. In addition, these individuals provide information to the public about animal welfare best practices.” Marc Prikazsky, adds: “The welfare of animals is a primary concern for many people across the world. As our approach to the wellbeing of animals continues to evolve, so too must education and the role of the veterinary community, to reflect its commitment to animal welfare and to become a true advocate and leader in this field. As a veterinarian, I am very proud that Ceva has been able to support the WVA in establishing these awards and would like to congratulate each of the individual winners on their immense contribution to improving the welfare of animals.”