Sri Lankan vet wins global award

Announcing the winners of the 4thannualGlobal Animal Welfare Awardssupported by Ceva Santé Animale

The World Veterinary Association (WVA) and Ceva Santé Animale are delighted to announce the winners of the 2020 Global Animal Welfare Awards. The 2020 Global Animal Welfare Awards features the addition of two novel award categories for veterinary technicians/nurses and for veterinary schools, recognizing those individuals and institutions for going ‘above and beyond’ in protecting animals and promoting animal welfare.

The official award ceremony, which was originally scheduled to take place during the 36th WVA Congress in Auckland, New Zealand earlier this year, will be streamed live during the WVA’s webinar, The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Veterinary Profession’ on 29th October 2020. The award ceremony will be followed by a series of short videos highlighting the work of each of the award recipients in their respective fields under a single common goal - improving the welfare of animals.

The WVA and Ceva Santé Animale are thrilled to work together in recognizing veterinarians, veterinary paraprofessionals, veterinary students, and veterinary academic institutions for their outstanding work in and dedication to the advancement of animal welfare. The organizations are therefore honored to present the recipients of the 4th Global Animal Welfare Awards.

Dr.Tharanga Thoradeniya (Sri Lanka) 

Dr Thoradeniya is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. She was nominated for her role in improving veterinary medicine and animal welfare and the ethics of laboratory animals.

Professor Paul McGreevy (Australia)

Professor McGreevy is Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science at the University of Sydney, Australia. He was awarded the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Impact Award 2019 for showing how the training of veterinary surgeons can lead to an international impact on animal welfare. He also works closely with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Australia.

Professor Gareth Bath (South Africa)

Professor Bath is Emeritus Professor of the Faculty of Veterinary Science South Africa and was elected to the Chair of the Livestock Animal Welfare Association in South Africa in 2009 and still leads the organisation in 2020. He has played a leading role in educating veterinary students in the subject of animal welfare and advises many other organisations in the country on animal welfare matters.

Paul Oluwadare (Nigeria) Veterinary Technician of the Year

Paul Oluwadare is Chief Animal Health Technologist at the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Ibadan, Nigeria. He is the author of 14 textbooks addressing topics in animal health and welfare and is a leading exponent of animal welfare delivery in his country.

Maya Cygań́ ska (Poland) Veterinary Student of the Year

Maya is a student at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Poland, and has been an active member of the International Veterinary Students’ Association (IVSA) since she joined in 2014. She was a key member of the team behind the organisation of the Ethical Dilemmas in Veterinary Education Conference, which was launched in 2017 and also took place in 2018 and 2019.

The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies Edinburgh, Scotland Veterinary School of the Year

Since 2011 the School has been home to the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education. The Centre provides teaching and training activities in animal welfare at undergraduate and postgraduate level for the veterinary school and contributes to student engagement in animal welfare. The school also organises numerous outreach projects for veterinarians and organisations on a global scale.