A unique opportunity: Boost your animal welfare acumen

Hone your understanding of animal welfare principles, along with your critical thinking and assessment skills, at AVMA's spring virtual Animal Welfare Assessment Contest ®, coming up this April.

This one-of-a-kind event will take place online Saturday-Sunday, April 20-21, 2024. AVMA members can sign up to participate for just $40 and will be eligible to receive CE credit. Veterinary technicians who are members of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in American (NAVTA) also can take part.

The Animal Welfare Assessment Contest-also known as AWJAC-is a unique event that helps both students and veterinary professionals explore the intricacies of welfare issues that affect animals used for human purposes-including agriculture, research, and companionship. Participants compare similar scenarios involving animals to determine which scenario better supports and protects the animals' welfare, then present their findings to an expert judge.

Students compete in four divisions: veterinary, graduate, undergraduate senior, and undergraduate junior. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians don't compete for awards, but are otherwise full participants-evaluating the scenarios, presenting oral assessments, and receiving scores.

The April event will feature one scenario per day. In each case, participants will assess welfare as it pertains to all aspects of the animals' lives, including transport, housing, health, production, and more.

Presentations on housing system management and animal welfare of sows, laying hens, breeding dogs, and laboratory mice will be offered each day following the scenario and assessments.

Learn more, see the tentative schedule, view past scenarios, and register online at awjac.org. Registration closes April 10.