Merseyside vet becomes Junior Vice President of the British Veterinary Association
25 September 2014
BVA Junior Vice President - Mr Sean Wensley
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.