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Animal Welfare Award for SAC Researcher and Colleague

SAC News Release Ref. No: 11N45
Published: 12 Apr 2011

SAC animal welfare researcher Dr Malcolm Mitchell and his long time research partner Peter Kettlewell are the joint recipients of an award recognising the significant impact their work on live animal transport has made to the understanding and promotion of good animal welfare. The RSPCA/BSAS Award for Innovation Developments in Animal Welfare was presented at the Annual Conference of the British Society of Animal Science in Nottingham.

It is unusual for the award to be presented to two people from different organisations, but the organisers felt it was highly appropriate. It not only highlights the benefits to be gleaned from collaborative working between different research teams or individuals, but it also acknowledges and rewards both recipients for the highly significant and productive work that they put into improving animal welfare.

Dr Malcolm Mitchell, a physiologist, joined SAC in 2006 from the Roslin Institute where he had begun the studies on the effects on farm livestock of transportation and associated conditions. Peter Kettlewell was an engineer at the Silsoe Research Institute until it closed in 2006 and is now an “animal transport consultant”.

Together they have studied the transportation of many animal species and high profile projects have focussed upon the transportation of pigs across Europe in summer conditions and the imposition of transport stress on poultry carried on trucks in Canadian winters. Their work has led to the development of new vehicle designs and standards and underpinned European legislation. During their research they also developed a wide range of improved approaches and techniques for assessing and measuring physiological stress responses in a wide range of species, including pigs, sheep, cattle and poultry.

The award was presented by Prof Nigel Scollan of Aberystwyth University and President of BSAS who said:

“The impact of their research has been immense. It has informed animal welfare legislation and codes of recommendation, improved commercial practices and procedures, and contributed to advances in the design and operation of livestock facilities, transport containers and vehicles across the EU. Their research has also had an impact on practices in other countries, including Canada, the USA and South Africa”

A picture of the Award presentation is available on request.

For any further information please contact Dr Malcolm Mitchell 0131 535 3232, malcolm.mitchell@sac.ac.uk or Mike Steele British Society of Animal Science, 0131 445 4508 bsas@sac.ac.uk

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News Release Contacts

SAC Contact

Dr Malcolm Mitchell
Senior Researcher
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush,
Midlothian
EH25 9RG
TelWork 0131 5353232/6519353
Fax 0131 535 3121

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News Release Issued By

Mr Ken Rundle
Senior Communications Officer
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC, King's Buildings, West Mains Road,
Edinburgh
EH9 3JG
TelWork 0131 535 4196

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