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Animal behaviour and welfare award for professor
Image: Prof Alistair Lawrence
 
Professor Lawrence made honorary fellow of International Society for Applied Ethology

Professor Alistair Lawrence, chair of animal behaviour and welfare at the University of Edinburgh and Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), has been awarded the title of honorary fellow at the annual congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE) in Denmark.

This title is awarded by the ISAE to eminent personnel working in fields that fall within the aims of the Society. In this respect, the ISAE provides a forum for the discussion of advances in applied animal behaviour science and education, and covers aspects relevant to human-animal interactions, such as farming, wildlife management, the keeping of companion and laboratory animals, and the control of pests.

The Society has an international federal structure as well as regional representatives around the world.

Professor Lawrence gained a PhD on sheep social behaviour, after which he built a research team focusing on the application of animal behaviour to interpret and improve animal welfare in a range of farm species. He is currently working on understanding the wider effects of positive animal psychology on health and welfare, with a focus on play behaviour and environmental enrichment.

Accepting the award, Professor Lawrence said: “It is a very great honour to be given this award. ISAE is the international society that represents the application of animal behaviour science to better understand how to improve how humans interact with animals.

“This award recognises my contribution to applied animal behaviour science and also that of the many colleagues I have worked with at the Easter Bush Campus. Edinburgh is a fantastic place to study animal behaviour and welfare with so much potential to find cross-disciplinary solutions to complex animal welfare issues.”

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.