CANZ CONFERENCE 2024 SPEAKERS

Dr Orla Doherty is veterinarian with postgraduate qualifications who specialises in companion animal behaviour and welfare. As founder of the Animal Behaviour Clinic based in Ireland, she uses her considerable experience for treating animal behaviour problems, as well as working with animal guardians to improve their understanding of animal behaviour and problematic behaviours. She is regularly invited to lecture at Universities and professional veterinary groups around the world.

Her plenary talk ‘Pets in a changing world – Past, Present and Future’ will explore ‘the changing expectations of pet owners and wider society around companion animals, what that means for those animals, and how we might best ensure that in this rapidly changing world, the animals under our care are given the best opportunity possible to live a Good Life.'

Professor Madeleine Campbell is a European and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law. She was the first veterinary surgeon to be awarded a Wellcome Trust postdoctoral fellowship in bioethics, and in 2021 was appointed a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in recognition of her contributions to the field of veterinary ethics. As Professor of Veterinary Ethics at Nottingham University’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, her activities have included Chairing the British Veterinary Association’s Ethics and Welfare Advisory Panel, sitting on Ethics Review Boards for organisations including the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the Zoological Society of London, and advising organisations such as the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, the British Equestrian Federation, the British Horseracing Authority and the Federation Equestre International on veterinary ethics and animal welfare. She is widely published and is a frequently invited speaker at international and national conferences.

We are looking forward to hearing Madeleine talk about the fate of greyhounds after retirement from racing, and the results of her recent study regarding factors influencing successful homing. During what is described as a canine ‘(re)homing crisis’ due to knock-on impacts of the Covid 19 pandemic combined with a ‘cost-of-living’ crisis, there is a need to address any barriers that may reduce the chance of a dog (greyhound or other breeds) finding a new home. Madeleine will consider the factors that may negatively impact an individual greyhound’s chance of being offered a home and/or increase their chances of being returned to a shelter, to inform mitigation strategies. She will discuss the importance of ensuring early life experiences familiarise dogs with the domestic environment, positive promotion of the breed, addressing owner misapprehensions and providing education for new owners to ease the dog’s transition to a ‘good life’ in a domestic environment upon retirement.

Asst Professor Alexandra (Sasha) Protopopova gained her MSc and a PhD in Behavior Analysis from the University of Florida. She is currently Assistant Professor in the Animal Welfare Program at the University of British Columbia in Canada, and the NSERC/BC SPCA Industrial Research Chair in Animal Welfare. Sasha’s research aims are to learn more about dogs, improve animal shelter practices, improve companion animal welfare in shelters, pet homes, and in assistance roles – all within a One Welfare framework. Recently, Sasha has been shifting her research focus on connecting climate change and other societal issues to companion animal welfare.

Sasha’s talk will consider the impact ‘on and of’ companion animals of climate change and the opportunities for animal guardians to reduce these impacts through alterations in the management of their pets, including breeding practices, as well as the role of education regarding zoonosis and disaster preparedness. She will explain how building climate resilience through decreasing inequity in companion animal fields is paramount; and suggests a good start place relates to the animal shelter environment. Finally, she will consider how risk mitigation in relation to companion animal management will involve consideration of carbon ‘paw/hoof prints’ and improving our understanding of the way we make use of finite resources.

Dr Hayley Squance is a veterinary technologist, emergency management practitioner, researcher and educator. She completed her BAppSci Veterinary Technology at the University of Queensland, and then in 2011, she graduated with her Masters in Education followed in 2022 with a PhD in Emergency Management from Massey University. She is now an internationally recognised emergency management expert and managing director for BML Veterinary Consulting Ltd. She founded the Massey University Veterinary Emergency Response Team and was the national animal welfare emergency management coordinator for 5 years for the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand coordinating animal welfare for over 50 disaster events including earthquakes, floods, wildfires, terrorist attack, and the COVID-19 pandemic. She currently works with international organisations such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Hayley’s talk titled; "Unveiling the Unspoken Heroes" - Harnessing the power of connection in emergencies through the human-animal bond and community unity, will describe the unwavering strength of the human-animal bond and the resilience found in community connections as pivotal pillars in response and recovery efforts. She will discuss with real- life examples the often-underestimated role that companion animals play during emergencies. From providing solace and emotional support to becoming invaluable partners in rescue and recovery operations, she will describe how their presence is more than just companionship, but also significantly shapes the resilience of individuals and communities alike.

Dr Heather Bacon graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2003 with an intercalated honours degree in conservation medicine and from the University of Bristol in 2005 with her veterinary degree. She is the Dean of Veterinary Medicine at the newly established School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Central Lancashire UK. She gained her PhD from the University of Edinburgh, holds a postgraduate certificate in zoological medicine, is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and in 2021, was awarded an OBE for services to veterinary education and animal welfare. Her previous roles have included Veterinary Director at the Animals Asia Foundation, an NGO working to end the trade in bear bile across Asia, and the Veterinary Welfare Education and Outreach manager at the University of Edinburgh’s Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education (JMICAWE). Heather lectures internationally on companion animal and captive wildlife ethical and welfare issues; she has published on a variety of topics and has received numerous national and international awards for her work in animal welfare and veterinary education.

In her presentation, Heather will discuss the role of companion animals in sustainability, with a particular focus on sustainability in companion animal care in relation to breeding, sheltering, feeding, veterinary care and rehoming of companion animals. She will consider how such practices may influence the ‘social licence’ regarding the keeping of companion species and the opportunities where companion animal guardians, welfare organisations and veterinary practices can contribute positively to the SDGs, and to sustainability more widely.

Professor Kathaliijne Visser is an animal behaviour and welfare scientist who graduated from the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands, and then obtained her PhD in 2002 on the personality of horses (‘Horsonality’) at Utrecht University. She has continued to work at Wageningen as a senior animal welfare scientist managing national and international projects for governments and businesses. She is an Hon. Fellow and was a board member of International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) and co-organized the annual ISES conference in the Netherlands in 2011. Since 2015, she has been working at Aeres University of Applied Sciences in Dronten. In 2020 she became Professor of Human-Animal Interactions, leading a research team working on animal welfare projects and in particular exploring the human-companion animal bond.

In her plenary talk titled ‘Beyond Companionship…’ she will unravel the dynamic bond between Humans and their animals, and consider the complex relationship we have with our companion animals and the beneficial impact that both parties can have on each other’s lives. She will discuss how interacting with a pet can benefit a person’s health though reduction in stress, lowered blood pressure, and is even associated with a decrease in the risk of heart disease. In addition, she will explore the psychological benefits such as comfort, reduced loneliness, and increased feelings of happiness and well-being. As the understanding of the importance of human-animal relationships grows, so does the recognition of the ethical responsibilities that come with keeping companion animals. Professor Visser will explain the importance of taking responsibility for ensuring the physical and emotional well-being of our companion animals, providing them with a safe and nurturing environment, and respecting their natural behaviours and needs.

Dr Susan Hazel is a veterinarian with previous experience in veterinary practice and medical research. She is the inaugural Program Director for the BSc (Animal Behaviour) degree. She teaches animal behaviour, welfare and ethics into all four undergraduate degree programs in the School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences at the University of Adelaide.

Susan leads the Animal Behaviour Welfare and Anthrozoology research group, with projects that include animal behaviour and welfare, human-companion animal interactions, and animal management (cat management, dog barking and nuisance and dog attacks). Apart from an extensive publications list, Susan has considerable community engagement as a Board Member of the Dog & Cat Management Board of South Australia, RSPCA South Australia, and the South Australian Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, as well as engaging internationally as a Scientific Advisor for the Center for Companion Animal Welfare at the University of Copenhagen.

Susan’s talk – A Good Life for Companion Animals, will explore our current understanding of what animals need for positive welfare, particularly for dogs and cats. In her invited talk Susan will provide an insight into how we can tell if our companion animals have ‘A Good Life’, where they have more positive experiences than negative ones and the factors that are associated with positive and negative experiences, along with the indicators we can use to assess them. Using examples of how we interact with our pets in training, management and social interactions, she will explore the notion of animal happiness and ask whether our pets need to be ‘happy’ all the time and if indeed, it’s possible to remove all negative experiences.

Dr Helen Beattie graduated in 1998 from Massey University School of Veterinary Science, her extensive career has included being a mixed animal clinician on high country stations, working on the 2001 UK foot and mouth response, companion animal practice ownership, an educator for veterinary nurse programmes, a warranted animal welfare inspector and shelter veterinarian during her time as the SPCA Otago's Director of Animal Welfare and the New Zealand Veterinary Association’s Chief Veterinary Officer. She is currently the inaugural Managing Director for the charity, Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Aotearoa, an organisation offering a unique new voice for animal welfare advocacy in Aotearoa, promoting a good life for animals.

Helen will act as the session facilitator for a panel discussion involving the conference plenary speakers to explore questions related to ‘Pet-keeping in the future’. They will be asked about whether there is a risk to social licence regarding companion animal keeping, what the challenges (if any) may be and what may need to change to ensure we can continue to enjoy companion animal guardianship into the future.