Animal Welfare Centre

30/08/2026

Experts in equine welfare and behaviour from the School have contributed to Scottish Government guidance for horse owners.

The 2026 Welfare of Equids: Guidance reflects significant advances in our understanding of equine welfare. Alongside physical health, it recognises the importance of mental wellbeing, positive experiences, social interaction and opportunities for equids to express natural behaviours.

Contributions from the School were led by Mrs Bryony Lancaster, MSc Equine Science programme director, Dr Sarah Brown, equine welfare lecturer/scientist and Dr Gemma Pearson, who is the only Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) recognised Specialist in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine (Equine). They were supported by a number of colleagues associated with Equine Science and the Animal Welfare Centre.

It is fantastic to see the expertise from the School extending beyond our campus and helping to support the welfare of horses, ponies and donkeys across Scotland and beyond.

Welfare of Equids: Guidance: https://www.gov.scot/publications/welfare-equids-guidance/
Equine Science: https://edin.ac/46w3oeb
Equine Behaviour: https://edin.ac/4zKylbE
Animal Welfare Centre: https://edin.ac/3DTjC5H

27/08/2026

25/08/2026

If you would like to connect with over 850 people with a passion for animal welfare as well as being kept up to date about publications, conferences, funding, and much more - join the Animal Welfare Centre LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/animal-welfare-centre

20/08/2026

🐱 Should beauty come at the cost of wellbeing? In the August issue of our free nurse journal , Yaiza Gomez-Mejias MRCVS talks us through the health, welfare and ethical concerns of cat breeding including:

➡️ Genetic traits
➡️ Supporting caregivers
➡️ Screening and testing

📖 View the article on our website here 👉 https://go.icatcare.org/Feline-Focus-Library-Forum (remember to sign in with your portal details!)

Nurse Membership is FREE! 😻 https://icatcare.org/veterinary-society/nurse-membership

20/08/2026

JOB OPPORTUNITY: We are looking for a part time Vet Services Assistant to join our Vet Services team predominantly in the Equine and Large Animal Hospitals.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced, highly motivated individual with excellent communication skills and attention to detail. They will be part of a friendly, supportive team whose emphasis is on delivering a high level of administrative support across our veterinary hospitals.

Salary: £29,588 - £33,951 pro rata based on 35 hours per week

For more information on this part time (14 hours a week), permanent contract, visit: https://edin.ac/4hzzKep

If you require the job description in an alternative format, please contact HR by email at [email protected].

Applications close at 23:59 on 31 August.

19/08/2026

Congratulations! Student research shortlisted: Helena Charlton, a final-year veterinary student The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies had her undergraduate SRC research project shortlisted as one of the top four out of more than 150 projects submitted this year. Helena travelled to Nepal where she investigated the impact of gender dynamics on the welfare of working equids in Nepalgunj. Her project was funded by World Horse Welfare and supported by Animal Nepal. Helena was supervised by Marie Rowland from MSc International Animal Welfare, Ethics & Law (on-line)

18/08/2026

August Tales & Tails now out! student research shortlisted, BEVA day, and a new online course from The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies - Sustainable Control of Haemonchosis in UK Livestock Grazing Systems (FAMACHA Card Training). https://vet.ed.ac.uk/education/centres/animal-welfare-centre/updates

Animal Welfare Centre updates. Information about conferences, publications, visits, collaborations, and much more.

15/08/2026

Today is International Homeless Day and we want to highlight All4Paws which is a student-led outreach project run by The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. They provide support and advice to homeless people with animals in Edinburgh. edin.ac/all4paws

12/08/2026

and our collaboration with Wild Welfare 🐘

🐘 It's ! 🐘
Providing optimal care for complex, highly intelligent species like elephants requires much more than just meeting their daily nutritional and environmental needs, it relies on proactive health monitoring, observation and preventative care.

In the 'Animal Health Care' module of our 'Wild About Welfare' E-Learning programme you can explore all about:

🩺 Routine Health Checking: Why continuous, daily checks are vital for catching subtle changes early.

📋 Preventative Healthcare: How effective veterinary and preventative medicine programmes ensure best-practice care throughout an animal's life.

🐾 Species-Specific Needs: Why understanding a species’ unique biology and individual traits is essential for spotting subtle behaviours indicative of pain or suffering.

This FREE tool developed in partnership with the Animal Welfare Centre at The University of Edinburgh, helps to better equip animal care staff globally with the tools to recognise early physical and behavioural shifts.

💡 Further your animal care and welfare knowledge by visiting https://wildwelfare.org/resources-elearn-programme/ and completing the completely free online modules today!