Eminent animal welfare scientist Professor David Mellor, University of Massey, New Zealand, will give a public lecture at the Atlantic Veterinary College on Tuesday, October 17, at 7 pm.

During his lecture, “Thriving, not merely surviving: A fresh perspective on animal welfare,” Mellor will look at negative and positive emotions in animals and how these emotions affect behaviours. He will offer a fresh perspective on animal welfare management through promoting positive states and minimizing negative ones, and consider the interaction between them.

Much of Mellor’s pioneering and well-recognized work in the field of animal welfare is on animal emotions and behaviour, and the promotion of positive welfare states in companion animals, farm animals, and others. He led the development and subsequent refinement of the Five Domains model of animal welfare, which covers all aspects of animal welfare including nutrition, environment, health, behaviour, and the animal’s mental state, both negative and positive.

The Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre is hosting the lecture, which is part of AVC’s annual community workshop series. For information, contact Janice MacWilliam at jmacwilliam@upei.ca or (902) 566-0589.