Merseyside vet becomes Junior Vice President of the British Veterinary Association

25 September 2014

Charity veterinary surgeon Sean Wensley was today (Thursday) elected Junior Vice President of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) for 2014/2015. The ceremony took place during the Association’s Members’ Day, held at the Midland Hotel in Manchester.

Mr Wensley was  brought up in Formby, Merseyside, and graduated from the University of Liverpool Veterinary School in 2003. He is currently Senior Veterinary Surgeon for Communication and Education at veterinary charity the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) and is based at the PDSA PetAid hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

Sean is an Honorary Lecturer in Animal Welfare at the University of Nottingham as well as a committee member of the Companion Animal Welfare Council (CAWC). 

On his appointment as Junior Vice President of the British Veterinary Association, Sean Wensley said:

“It’s a great honour to be joining the Officer team of the BVA. During my 10 years of involvement with the Association, I have seen at first-hand the huge commitment of its staff and committees. I am looking forward to joining a team that is dedicated to assisting the veterinary profession advocate for the good health and welfare of animals, thereby contributing to solutions to many of the complex global challenges affecting animal and human wellbeing.”

Biography - Sean Wensley 

Sean grew up exploring the sand dunes and pinewoods of the Sefton Coast, where he developed a passion for wildlife and the natural world. During his time as a veterinary student at the University of Liverpool he became increasingly interested in how man relates to the natural environment and other species, including those we elect to keep and use for human benefit. 

He received an undergraduate scholarship from the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) to undertake a research project on the welfare of caged pet birds and this sparked his interest in animal welfare science and led to him studying for a Masters degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare at Edinburgh Veterinary School. 

He went on to work as a companion animal general practitioner, including in a companion animal and exotics veterinary practice, before joining the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) as Senior Veterinary Surgeon for Communication and Education. Sean has maintained a keen professional interest in animal welfare during his career, serving as a trustee of the Animal Welfare Foundation, a member of the BVA Ethics and Welfare Group, and a committee member of the Companion Animal Welfare Council (CAWC) and the Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Veterinary Association (AWSELVA). He is an Honorary Lecturer in Animal Welfare at the University of Nottingham.

Having received a BVA Travel Grant to assist with the Uganda Owl Conservation Project, Sean joined the BVA Overseas Group and served for the following 7 years. His time on the Overseas Group, as well as further trips to assist with animal welfare and conservation projects in China, India, Europe and the Caribbean, revealed many examples of the veterinary profession’s role in One Health. This includes provisioning for animals at times of natural disaster, reducing the incidence of human rabies cases through vaccination and sterilisation of stray dogs, empowering women through developing and supporting sustainable animal agriculture in developing countries, and improving the welfare and productivity of working equids through provision of veterinary healthcare and local training. 

Against a backdrop of climate change, emerging zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, conservation of biodiversity, food security and other global challenges, Sean has a keen interest in ensuring that the achievement of good health and welfare for sentient animals is recognised as an essential goal of sustainable development and that the veterinary profession is recognised as a leading advocate of animal interests.