Celebrating 25 Years of the Animal Welfare Program

UBC’s Animal Welfare Program (AWP) was created in 1997 with the mission “to improve the lives of animals through  research ,  education , and  outreach ”.  Since its inception, the program’s research has led to improvements in the lives of animals in British Columbia and around the world. The mission of the program is to improve the welfare and humane care of animals in agriculture, research, companionship and other areas through active efforts in research, education and public outreach. 

The program is located in UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems. It was launched through funding from many donors including the BC SPCA, Dairy Farmers of Canada, the BC Veterinary Medical Association and individuals, with matching funds from Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. 

The program engages in research with the aim of improving the welfare of animals. We work towards this objective by conducting research across a number of different disciplines. Our research aims:

• to provide the  dairy industry  with knowledge-based solutions to welfare challenges.
• to improve the lives of  animals used in research , testing and teaching.
• to improve the welfare of  companion animals  at home, work and play.
• to understand the  linkages between society and animals , and the welfare of all.
• to understand the welfare needs of  wild animals  and their relationship within built communities.

Over the past twenty-five years, the program has established itself as a leader in the field of animal welfare science both locally and globally. The program through its faculty, students, and alumni has had an impact on the greater community in a variety of ways. Please explore our  webpage  to find out more.

We acknowledge that UBC’s Point Grey Campus, where the offices of the Animal Welfare Program are housed, is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəyəm (Musqueam) people. We recognize that the UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre is situated in Agassiz, BC, the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Coast Salish people, which includes the Pilalt and Sts'ailes tribes and their descendants. 

Please visit the UBC Vancouver Aboriginal Portal  https://aboriginal.ubc.ca/  to learn more about the history of Aboriginal presence on the locations of the Vancouver campus and about the UBC programs and research that support Aboriginal communities and organizations.

Explore our faculty webpage to learn more about them and the work they do

Over the past twenty-five years, the program has established itself as a leader in the field of animal welfare science both locally and globally. Since it's inception in 1997, the program has reached newer heights. And as we celebrate these past 25 years, we also take this opportunity to reflect on how the program has grown, as well as look forward to the future of the Program. Here is a look at the the past 25 years of discovery, success and beginnings of the Animal Welfare Program.

As one of the largest and most respected programs in the world in the field of animal welfare science, the Animal Welfare Program's impact can be felt in many parts of the world.

With students coming from numerous countries, as well as active research collaborations with scholars in various parts of the world, the program has expanded its outreach through the years. Here area few examples of past and continuing collaborations and projects.

Perhaps the greatest legacy of the Animal Welfare Program is the many graduates who have gone on to influential positions where they promote the welfare of animals in business, education, government and the animal protection movement.

In the past 25 years, the program has mentored more than 500 students including graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, program alumni, visiting researchers and faculty and associates, all of who have been involved in a variety of research projects, teaching roles and study opportunities in a range of topics including dairy cattle, animals in science, wild animals, companion animals and animals in society.

Here are a few examples of AWP Alumni who continue to work in the field of animal welfare science.

Note: The information provided below is not an exhaustive list of all our Alumni and it is accurate and up to date as of August 2023. However, it's important to note that some of the information is subject to continuous change. Depending on when you are reading this, there might have been developments, updates, or changes that are not reflected on this website.

Your dedication drove our Animal Welfare Program's success. Your compassion inspired countless initiatives, sparking vital change in animal lives. Your tireless work, advocacy, and support shaped our achievements. This program thrived due to your commitment. Your legacy fuels our future.

Thank you for being the heart of our Animal Welfare Program.

Our research is made possible by partners of the Animal Welfare Program.

In 1997, eleven organizations – the BC SPCA, BC Veterinary Medical Association and its members, Dairy Farmers of Canada, BC Dairy Foundation, Western Canada’s Genetics Centre (Westgen), Beef Cattle Industry Development Fund, BC Egg Producers Association, BC Broiler Egg Hatching Commission, Horse Council of BC, Animal Nutrition Association of Canada-BC Division, BC Salmon Farmers Association – pledged cooperation and assistance which enabled the Program to obtain matching funding from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and to establish itself as a powerful player in animal welfare. Since that time, there have been innumerable partners and agencies that have collaborated by providing research funds and in-kind contributions to build and expand the reach of the program.

Individual donors play a major role in funding the Animal Welfare Program. Thank you to our many donors who have joined the growing community of friends of the Animal Welfare Program. Your support is very much appreciated.

Dr. David Fraser’s career in animal welfare science spans fifty years, including the past 25 years as one of the founding members of the UBC’s Animal Welfare Program. Have a listen to Dr. Fraser discuss how animal welfare has evolved as an area of social concern and policy, and how science is now helping to improve the lives of animals around the world. This event was hosted as part of the UBC Animal Welfare Program’s 25th Anniversary with the support of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems.

In addition to the above event, the UBC Animal Welfare Program celebrated its 25th Anniversary with an eight-episode webinar series highlighting how to improve the lives of animals across various areas and topics. See below for our pilot episode that features Dr David Fraser and faculty members Dr Dan Weary, Dr Marina (Nina) von Keyserlingk, and Dr. Alexandra (Sasha) Protopopova, and click this link to listen to all the episodes once they are released  https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ubc-awp 

And thank you, dear reader, for taking this journey down the memory lane with us.

Here's to another 25 years!