News

UFAW announces 2023 award winners

16 May 2023

The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) has announced its 2023 award winners. The recipients will be presented with their awards, and speak about their work, at the UFAW Online Animal Welfare Conference taking place on 20–21 June 2023.

UFAW LINKS scheme supports student attendance at animal welfare assessment contest

30 November 2022

In November 2022, UFAW supported student teams from Long Island University, Iowa State University and Atlantic Veterinary College to attend the 22nd annual American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Animal Welfare Assessment Contest (AWJAC).

UFAW joins RSB as new MO

21 October 2022

In August 2022, UFAW joined the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) as a new Member Organisation (MO).

The RSB is a single unified voice for biology: advising Government and influencing policy; advancing education and professional development; supporting their members, and engaging and encouraging public interest in the life sciences. The Society represents a diverse membership of individuals, learned societies and other organisations. 

Debate Forum on animal welfare labelling: an attempt to summarise….

8 July 2022

At the UFAW conference held in Edinburgh on the 28 -29 June 2022, a debate forum was organised to discuss the pros, the cons, and the challenges associated with animal welfare labelling of food products. It was chaired by UFAW Research Director Birte Nielsen and – to initiate the discussion – featured talks from  Professor Frank Tuyttens (ILVO and Ghent University, Belgium), Professor Siobhan Mullan (University College Dublin, Ireland), and Professor Alistair Lawrence (SRUC/University of Edinburgh, UK). To encourage an open debate, the meeting was neither live-streamed, nor recorded, and the summary is but a fraction of the opinions and issues raised in the hour-long discussion that followed the talks.

The UK has recognised Animal Sentience in Law, Now the Hard Work Begins…

11 April 2022

Last week, the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill completed its parliamentary stages and now awaits Royal Assent to become law. The passing of the bill means that animal sentience will be enshrined in UK law, having been the only piece of legislation that was not transferred from the EU following Brexit.

Can we get better at tickling rats?

23 July 2021

Rats emit ultrasonic vocalisations (USVs) in the 50 kHz range when a human hand imitates the rough-and-tumble play seen between young rats. A recent publication questions whether current methods overemphasise the use of pinning, where the rat is flipped onto its back followed by rapid and forceful tickling of its belly. 

Picking up mice after sanitising your hands can affect mouse behaviour

16 June 2021

During the Covid 19 pandemic, most of us have become all too familiar with hand sanitisers, sometimes complaining of their strong smell or the feeling left on our hands, whilst appreciating their protective effects.

UFAW responds to DEFRA consultation on genome editing, highlighting potential welfare benefits but also significant dangers

25 March 2021

In a recent consultation on the regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) produced by genome editing (GE) or other genetic technologies, DEFRA* made a distinction between genetic changes that could have been developed using traditional breeding methods and those that could not.  However, the use of traditional breeding methods as a benchmark for what is and what is not acceptable is neither useful, nor scientifically logical.

Rodent glue traps consultation

25 March 2021

UFAW is pleased to see that the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) recommends a ban on the use of glue traps in its recently published report on the use of rodent glue traps in Scotland.

These devices are used to control ‘pests’ including rats and mice by catching them on a sticky board.  Captured animals (which sometimes include non-target species) may remain alive and stuck to the board for hours, causing severe suffering as they try to escape.  Astonishingly, these traps can currently be freely sold to, and used by, the general public in the UK.

UFAW lends support to The Wild Animal Welfare Committee’s virtual conference

22 March 2021

UFAW will be hosting the Wild Animal Welfare Committee’s (WAWC) one day conference on the GoToWebinar platform to enable hundreds of delegates from around the world to be able to attend.