Education & Research
Teaching Animal Welfare
Worldwide, animal welfare is a topic of growing public interest and concern. One of the pillars for improving animal welfare in our societies is education. Animal welfare education is a necessity at all levels of society, but especially for relevant actors, like animal health professionals, animal keepers, etc.
In order to foster a culture of care and compassion to non-human animals, developments in animal welfare science must be disseminated through humane education at all levels in society and in formal and informal contexts. Thus prompting a more compassionate way towards animals, as well as positively influencing the way we humans relate to each other (One Welfare approach). These developments can be adapted to different levels of formal and informal education, including: children and youth in schools and other institutions, animal keepers, policy makers and relevant stakeholders, and especially animal health professionals, which are recognised being responsible for improving animal welfare in societies.
Free access to scientifically based teaching resources adapted to education levels is a key pillar to overcoming obstacles and limitations that committed lecturers and teachers are faced with in delivering animal welfare and humane education content.
Due to the important role of animal health professionals regarding animal welfare, they need to have a profound knowledge of animal welfare topics, as well as good practical skills and strong animal welfare awareness. Thus they will be able to act as multipliers of humane treatment of animals among their communities.
Academic education and Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
World Organisation Animal Health (WOAH)
The global authority for animal health establishes basic competencies and curricula contents regarding animal welfare to standardise animal health professionals’ training worldwide.
Recommendations on the competencies of graduating veterinarians
www.woah.org/app/uploads/2021/03/dayone-b-ang-vc.pdf
Competency Guidelines for Veterinary Paraprofessionals
rr-asia.woah.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/oie-competency-guidelines-for-vpp.pdf
Guidelines on Veterinary Core Curriculum
www.woah.org/app/uploads/2021/03/af-core-ang.pdf
Curricula Guidelines for Veterinary Paraprofessionals
www.woah.org/app/uploads/2021/03/af-corecv-ang.pdf
Welttierschutzstiftung (WTS)
The WTS VETS UNITED programme, which supports animal welfare education for animal health professionals, offers free-access, ready-to-use and and science-based Animal Welfare Teaching Modules.
teaching-animal-welfare.org/
World Animal Protection (WAP)
First of its kind animal welfare related training modules have been designed by WAP for veterinary lecturers, but also possible as self-directed learning tool for everyone.
https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.au/education/concepts-in-animal-welfare/
One Welfare Platform
The free access resources have been developed by a network of Australian universities for teaching and learning with special focus on the One Welfare approach.
onewelfare.sydney.edu.au/about-this-portal/
onewelfare.sydney.edu.au/scenarios/
Southeast Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN)
The network provides free access didactic resources with a special focus on the One Health approach.
www.seaohun.org/one-health-modules
School Education
This platform focuses solely on providing information for professionals. Nevertheless, there are several sources for teaching materials for school education.
Compassion in World Farming
RSPCA
AWARE Free Resources for Educators
teachers.rspca.org.au/
www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/education
One Health Lessons
Hero in my Hood