PhD Studentship: Developing A Welfare Assessment Protocol For Kennelled Dogs

The project:

As public interest in animal welfare has increased, so has the recognition of the need to understand both the physical and psychological needs of the animals directly in our care. In UK in excess of 100,000 dogs are routinely housed in kennels, some for their entire working lives, and the well-being of these animals is not only a legal requirement but is also paramount for maintaining public support. Assessment of the welfare of dogs has been the subject of considerable scientific scrutiny, however research to date has focussed separately on dogs housed in kennels for different purposes. Recent reviews of the literature have concluded that the approach has varied across different populations of dogs and that the validation of welfare indicators is limited. A working party of stakeholders representing organisations from across the kennelled dog sector reached a consensus on the need and appetite for a practical, standardised, scientifically-informed, Welfare Assessment Protocol that is relevant for kennelled dogs across the sector. Such a tool could be used for routine welfare assessment, benchmarking (both within and between organisations), as well as understanding the impact of changes in management practices on the welfare of the dogs in their care.

The successful candidate will develop and validate standard welfare assessment protocols designed for welfare assessments within a kennel facility. The first stage of the project will involve the evaluation candidate welfare measures, to ensure that they are reliable, robust and feasible across the different organisations. Assessments will involve five different stakeholder organisations, including at least two rehoming centres, one military working dog facility (MOD), one police dog facility, and one racing greyhound kennel facility. Once these protocols have been developed, they will then be validated using an intervention shown to improve welfare.

The studentship provides a unique opportunity to work with the University of Bristol Animal Welfare and Behaviour group (Animal Welfare and Behaviour | Bristol Veterinary School | University of Bristol), along with a variety of stakeholders across the sector.

How to apply:

Please apply online at http://www.bris.ac.uk/pg-howtoapply. Please select ‘Online Application Portal’, type ‘Veterinary’ in the find a course box and then select ‘Veterinary Science (3 year)(PhD)’. Please enter details of the studentship when prompted in the Funding and Research Details sections of the form. Please use your personal statement to demonstrate any skills or experience you have that are relevant to this project.

Interviews will be held online on Monday 10^th March.

Candidate requirements: 

The ideal candidate will be with an enthusiasm for canine welfare and an interest in working in kennel environments. The successful applicant will primarily be based at the Langford campus, but will be required to attend a variety of kennel establishments for data collection, which may involve overnight stays.

Essential

• Standard University of Bristol eligibility rules apply (http://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/2021/health-sciences/phd-veterinary-sciences/)
• Enthusiasm for canine welfare

Desirable

• Research experience is desirable, but not essential

Funding:

This is a 3 year fully funded studentship by Defra. The studentship is open to applicants eligible for “Home” fees. International students are welcome to apply but must be able to fund the difference between UK and International tuition fees.

Contacts:

We welcome informal enquiries – these should be directed to Emily Blackwell (emily.blackwell@bristol.ac.uk)

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