11 October 2013

3 minute read

North America

“It is our distinct pleasure to announce Drs Daniel (Dan) Weary and Marina (Nina) von Keyserlingk as the joint recipients of the 2013 Metacam 20 Bovine Welfare Award”, says Dr. John Campbell, Secretary-Treasurer of the CABV/ACVB.

Dan is a Professor and Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Industrial Research Chair at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and is co-founder of UBC’s Animal Welfare program. Nina is also a Professor and NSERC Industrial Research Chair holder in Animal Welfare at the University of British Columbia.

Left to right: Dr. Rob Tremblay (Boehringer Ingelheim [Canada] Ltd.), Dr. Dan Weary,
Dr. Melodie Chan (President CABV/ACVB) and Dr. Nina von Keyserlingk,

"We are honoured to be the recipients of this award. Research and outreach in cattle welfare is our passion, and we are very pleased to be recognized for the ongoing efforts of the work taking place in the University of British Columbia's Animal Welfare Program." said Nina after she and Dan were announced recipients of the 2013 Metacam 20 Bovine Welfare Award.

Dan was a co-founder of the UBC Animal Welfare Program, whose mandate is to improve the lives of animals through research, education and outreach.gram focused on dairy cattle welfare issues related to cow comfort, calf feeding, lameness and pain management.

Nina joined the faculty at the UBC Animal Welfare Program in 2002. Her complementary skills and expertise in dairy cattle nutrition, management and welfare provided a great addition to the program.

Working side by side, their research continued to focus on the areas described above, as well, they began to investigate the links between behavior and nutrition in welfare related issues.

Through their combined efforts, Nina and Dan’s work has collectively become internationally recognized as forerunners in dairy cattle welfare research, education and extension.

Their work in dairy cattle welfare has impacted countless individuals, whether producers, veterinarians, nutritionists, consultants, students and the general public.

In the past 11 years, their research has spanned and covered nearly all issues related to dairy cattle welfare. Achievements in this research include over 140 referred research publications, numerous conference proceedings, several book chapters, and other scholarly publications.

Their expertise in dairy cattle welfare, gained through research and extension activities, have also resulted in them being called upon to serve on various expert committees and contribute to animal care policy both nationally and internationally.

“We are very pleased to be able to continue to recognize those who have made outstanding contributions to the better understanding of livestock behaviour, animal welfare and animal well-being.

Thank you to the membership of the CABV/ ACVB for once again agreeing to undertake the task of seeking nominations and selecting the recipient” says Dr. Rob Tremblay, Bovine/Equine Specialist with Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd.

“The breadth of the contributions that Nina and Dan, the 2013 joint recipients, have made to our understanding of cattle husbandry, behaviour and welfare is remarkable. Even more remarkable is their ability to communicate their findings to people in all sectors of the cattle industry, to consumers and to the general public. Congratulations.”