of March 2015 - European Commission

“Improving animal welfare
- a practical approach”
Animal Welfare Workshops
European Commission
Direction General Health and Consumers
organised in co-operation with:
Federation of Veterinarians (FVE)
Union of Veterinarians in Bulgaria (UVB)
Bulgarian Food Safety Agency
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University
With special support of Ministry of Food and Agriculture
Venue :
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Trakia University
Stara Zagora 6000
Bulgaria
25-26 March 2015
Aim of the workshop:
This workshop, which aims to provide veterinarians with a deeper understanding of animal welfare, will focus per
species on the animal welfare legislation applicable, the critical welfare issues and species-specific welfare assessment
schemes.
The workshop will be true to the slogan "prevention is better than cure"
The health of animals is as important as their well-being. Health and welfare cannot be seen as separate issues. A
weakened health status will affect the animals' welfare and when welfare is compromised, the animals will be more
susceptible to infection and disease.
The veterinary profession – as knowledgeable and accountable professionals - has an important responsibility in
promoting and assuring the health and welfare of animals. This will not only benefit the animals concerned but also their
owners as happy healthy animals are profitable animals.
In addition, veterinary surgeons have an important role in providing expertise and knowledge to the general public and
animal keepers as well as to policy makers.
The workshop will consist of both a theoretical and a practical on-farm session, where participants can bring their
theoretical knowledge into practice.
This workshop is part of a series of workshops. Similar workshops were held in Budapest (Hungary), Barcelona (Spain),
Riga (Latvia), Sinaii (Romania), Lasize (Italy), Zeist (Netherlands) , Warsaw (Poland) and Lyon (France). This one is
mainly targeted at veterinary farm animal practitioners and official veterinarians from Bulgaria and neighbouring
countries. Some places will be reserved for veterinary or animal health related students and producers.
Want to see how the previous workshops went? Have a look at:
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/information_sources/ahw_events_en.htm
Day I: Wednesday, 25th of March 2015
Plenery session – Why should we care more about animal welfare?
Chair plenary part I: Associate professor Plamen Georgiev, Vice Dean of Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University
9:00
Participants registration and welcome coffee
9:30
Opening of conference by chairman plenary part I:
Plamen Georgiev, Associate professor
9:35
Opening presentations by:
Marguerite Kuzma, Unit Animal Welfare; Directorate General for Health and Food Safety,
European Commission
Rafael Laguens, Vice-President of the FVE
Petja Petkova, Department Animal Welfare Bulgarian Food Safety Agency
Michael Bashtavelov, President UVB, Bulgaria
Professor Mihni Lyutskanov, Dean of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
10:00
Importance of Animal Welfare in Bulgaria and the role of veterinarians
Dr Damyan Iliev, CVO Bulgaria, Representative Ministry of Bulgaria (tbc)
10:20
Animal Welfare Strategy of the European Union
Marguerite Kuzma, Unit Animal Welfare; Directorate General for Health and Food Safety,
European Commission
10:40
OIE engagement with Animal Welfare and the Veterinary Profession
Dr Nikola Belev, OIE regional representative for Eastern Europe
10:50
Coffee break
11:20
Animal welfare, veterinary economics and the role of the veterinarian
Peter Jinman, Chair Farm Animal Welfare Council,UK (tbc)
11:40
Communication: Improving advising strategies
Krasimira Uzunova, Associate professor, Unit of Animal Hygiene, Ethology and Animal
Protection, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University
Professor Jurii Mitev, Unit of Animal Health, Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University
12:30
Welfare Quality: using animal-based criteria to measure animal welfare
Nancy De Briyne, Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE)
12:50
Conclusions and Housekeeping messages
Dimitrina Gundasheva, Associate professor, Unit of Immunology and Functional Pathology,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University
13:00
Lunch (offered by the Commission)
Day I: Wednesday, 25th of March 2015
SECTION 2 – Species specific workshops: Legislation, Animal Welfare
Assessment tools and critical issues session
All participants will be divided in 4 groups of maximum 40 participants per group:
• a working group on cattle
• a working group on pigs
• a working group on horses
• a working group on wild animals in captivity
Theoretical sessions
14:30 – 18:00
CATTLE SESSION
Chairs:
Dr. Borut Zemljic, Slovenia
Dr. Laura Hänninen, University of Helsinki
Jurii Mitev, Professor, Unit of Animal Health, Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University
14:30
Critical Animal Welfare Issues with Cattle:
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Overall cattle welfare issues: feeding, housing ...
Dairy cows: housing (space, ventilation, feed/water), feeding, lameness, dehorning,
mastitis, downer cows…
Jurii Mitev, Professor, Unit of Animal Health, Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University
Vanya Dimova, Associate professor, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of
Agriculture, Trakia University
16:00
Coffee break
16:30
Assessment of welfare in cattle
•
Introduction to assessment on farm – practical demonstration and video examples –
creating a ‘checklist’
Practical preparation of site visits
(aspects for examinations, forming of groups, etc.)
18:00
Networking cocktail
PIG SESSION
Chairs:
Antoni Dalmau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
Nadya Bozakova, Associate professor, Unit of Animal Hygiene, Ethology and Animal
Protection, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University
14:30
Concept of animal welfare, basis for welfare evaluation, main issues in pigs (sows + piglets;
growing/fattening pigs)
Nadya Bozakova, Associate professor, Unit of Animal Hygiene, Ethology and Animal
Protection, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University
16:00
16:30
Coffee break
Welfare in the daily vet practice
Introduction to pig assessment on farm: practical demonstration with pictures and videos
(sows+ piglets; growing/ fattening pigs)
Practical preparation of site visits (aspects for examinations, forming of groups)
18:00
Networking coctail
WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY SESSION
Session organised in collaboration with:
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•
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Stara Zagora Zoo
Jeanne Marchig foundation
Born Free Foundation
European Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians (EAZA)
•
FVE and the European Commission (DG Sanco, DG ENV)
European
•
•
•
•
14:30
wild animals in captivity expert:
Heather Bacon, Edinburgh JM Foundation
Daniel Turner, Born Free Foundation
Jacques Kaandorp, EAZA
Radoslav Michaylov, Associate professor, Director and Veterinarian of Stara Zagora
ZOO, Unit of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University
EU Zoo Directive and the EU zoo inquiry
Jorge Savio, Unit Natura 2000; Directorate General for the Environment, European Commission
Welfare legislation in Bulgaria and challenges in zoos
Radoslav Michaylov, Associate professor, Director and Veterinarian of Stara Zagora ZOO
16:00
Coffee break
16:30
Animal welfare assessment and indicators
Animal welfare and zoo veterinarians
Practical session preparation
18:00
Networking coctail
HORSE SESSION
Chairs:
•
•
14:30
Jo White, Progressive Ideas, UK (JW)
Dr. Dimitar Berovsky, Bulgaria
Welcome introduction to the equine sessionAn overview of equine welfare:
Equine Welfare, a A BulgarianVets Perspective: Dr. Dimitar Berovsky,
“Unwanted horses” and the trouble around the end of the life of equine population:
16:15 -16:30
Coffee break
Current approaches to equine welfare assessment
Equine welfare assessment developing practical and useable tools
Using the assessment tools and results to identify issues, causes and develop solution
Preparation for the site visit - explain approach and schedule
Questions, discussion and conclusions
18:00
Networking cocktail
Day II: Thursday, 26th of March 2015
Continuation of SECTION 2:
Practical Aspect of the Species specific workshops: Legislation,
Animal Welfare Assessment tools and critical issues Session
8:00 – 15:00
Practical Sessions in:
•
Addresses of different practical sessions
Buses will start at 8:00 from the conference centre to take participants to the farms and the zoo.
At the farms/zoo, the participants will do a group assessment activity. The group assessments will finish
around 12:30 after which the groups will discuss the visits' findings and identify a rapporteur for the plenary
meeting.
At the plenary session, all groups will present their assessment findings and the groups will give feedback on
the practical experience using the assessment system in the local farms and local situation.
8:00-12:30
Transport busses to farms/zoo
Group assessment at farms/zoo
Transport back to Trakia Veterinary Faculty
12:30-13:30
Lunch and discuss of group findings per group
13:30 – 15:00
Plenary meeting
Chair: Petja Petkova
• 4x15 min presentation of findings/results by each working group
• Concluding remarks and farewell message
Conclusions by Rafael Laguens, FVE Vice-President

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