APHA and Pirbright Institute collaborate to improve animal care
The Pirbright Institute and APHA hope to continue sharing ideas and exchanging findings.
Animal technicians from The Pirbright Institute and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have been sharing expertise to improve the practice of large animal care.
The teams visited each other’s sites to discuss their experiences with tackling issues such as the housing and enrichment of large animals, as well as the culture of large animal care and health.
Their collaboration began with The Pirbright Institute’s large animal team visiting APHA’s site in Weybridge in May. This was followed by the APHA team visiting The Pirbright Institute in September.
During initial meetings, the teams focused conversation on the care and health of large animals. However, this soon saw them planning similar discussions between poultry teams, as well as organising the visit to The Pirbright Institute.
At The Pirbright Institute, APHA were given a virtual tour of the large animal facilities, including the Biggs facility.
Animal technicians from The Pirbright Institute then shared presentations about the current refinement projects within their Animal Services team. This included leg banding and enrichment, as well as an overview of their husbandry practices and building functions.
The teams believe that their visits have contributed to closer working and an effective information exchange, as well as giving their animal technicians the opportunity to connect with peers outside of their usual workplace.
Both The Pirbright Institute and APHA hope to continue sharing ideas and exchanging findings as they seek to improve their shared learning.
Jess Drage, an APHA animal technician, said: "APHA's visit to Pirbright was very insightful. It was great to discuss and share ideas that will no doubt help enhance the work we do at both establishments.
“We look forward to continuing our work and exchanges with colleagues at Pirbright to deliver great scientific services and enhance animal welfare whilst doing so!"
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Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.
