From the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) and the British Veterinary Association (BVA)
Quality of Life: the heart of the matter
22 May 2006
UFAW and the BVA Ethics Committee announce international animal welfare symposium for September 2006
The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW), in conjunction with the British Veterinary Association (BVA) Ethics Committee, has announced a major international animal welfare symposium to be held at the Royal Society, London on the 13th and 14th of September 2006.
Quality of Life: the heart of the matter will feature an international line-up of speakers and will bring together leading scientists, veterinarians, ethicists and others interested in the field to discuss issues and approaches in assessing and promoting the quality of animals’ lives, a concern at the centre of care for companion animals. Areas to be addressed include: advances in the science underpinning our understanding of animals’ feelings; advances in methods for assessment of quality of life in man and other animals; species variation in factors affecting quality of life; and ethical and practical implications for veterinarians and others of advances in understanding in this field.
Lord Soulsby, Chair of the BVA Ethics Committee, and Dr James Kirkwood, UFAW Chief Executive comment that, “One of the greatest challenges for veterinary surgeons and others involved with the management or keeping of animals is assessment of the quality of an animal’s life – its welfare,” and “the fundamental difficulty is that whilst we cannot measure how other animals feel we cannot avoid having to make judgements based on inferences or assumptions about this”. The Symposium will be looking at how far veterinary research and animal welfare science have helped in developing approaches and methods of meeting this difficulty and at associated ethical dilemmas.”
The international line-up of speakers and poster presentations will be addressing many aspects of the subject (details are available at the UFAW website: www.ufaw.org.uk). A reception for all Symposium delegates is planned for the evening of 13th September on the Terrace at the House of Commons, overlooking the Thames.
Early registration is at the reduced cost of £235 per person until 1st June. Telephone 01582 831818 or email ufaw@ufaw.org.uk to request a registration form.
ENDS
Media contacts:
Dr James Kirkwood, Chief Executive and Scientific Director, UFAW. Tel: 01582-831818, email kirkwood@ufaw.org.uk
Dr Stephen Wickens, Development Officer, UFAW. Tel: 01582-831818, email wickens@ufaw.org.uk
Chrissie Nicholls, Head of Media, BVA Tel: 020 7636 6541, email chrissien@bva.co.uk
Note to Editors:
1. You can view the Symposium programme here and further details, including poster presentations, are available on the UFAW website www.ufaw.org.uk
2. The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is the national representative body for the veterinary profession. Although membership is voluntary it has over 10,000 members as well as 51 specialist and territorial divisions that represent the whole spectrum of species and interests within veterinary science and its own charity, the BVA Animal Welfare Foundation. The BVA has evolved, over 118 years, into the PR House for the UK profession at home and overseas and as the voice of the veterinary profession aims to promote the interests of its members and the animals under their care. The BVA is concerned about the ethical issues relating to society's use of animals and under the chairmanship of Professor Lord Soulsby, its Ethics Committee takes the lead in bringing relevant matters to the profession's attention and in raising the debate. In addition to the quality of animals' life, matters considered by the Committee in recent years have included organ transplantation, surgical interventions and genetic engineering. On an international scale the BVA is represented on the Commonwealth Veterinary Association, the Federation of Veterinarians in Europe and the World Veterinary Association and has an active Overseas Group.
3. The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) is an internationally recognised, independent scientific and educational animal welfare charity. It works to improve knowledge and understanding of animals’ needs in order to achieve high standards of welfare for farm, companion, research, captive wild animals and those with which we interact in the wild. UFAW improves animal welfare worldwide through its programme of awards, grants and scholarships; by educational initiatives, especially at university and college level; by providing information in books, videos, reports and in its scientific journal Animal Welfare; by providing expert advice to governments and others, including for legislation and ‘best practice’ guidelines and codes; and by working with animal keepers, scientists, vets, lawyers and all those who care about animals. This work relies on the support of members, subscribers and donors.
4. Members of the Media interested in attending the Symposium or receiving copies of presentations should contact:
Dr James Kirkwood, Chief Executive, UFAW, Tel: 01582 831818, email: kirkwood@ufaw.org.uk
or Chrissie Nicholls, Head of Media, BVA, Tel: 020 7636 6541, email chrissien@bva.co.uk