The 2015 winners of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Animal Welfare Science were presented with their awards at the UFAW international symposium ‘Animal Populations – World Resources and Animal Welfare Science’, held recently in Zagreb, Croatia. Professor David Mellor of the Animal Welfare Science & Bioethics Centre, Massey University, New Zealand received the UFAW commemorative medal and £3,000 in recognition of his exceptional achievements in the advancement of animal welfare over many years.
Professor Mellor has made a significant contribution to the development and recognition of animal welfare science and has played a major role in the application of science to animal ethical analysis and humane animal management. At the Moredun Research Institute in Edinburgh David established the foundations for later major contributions to animal welfare science made after he moved to New Zealand 27 years ago. Previously recognised internationally as a contributor to foetal and neonatal physiology, more recently he has become a leading authority on foetal consciousness in utero and during parturition, and his conclusions have been important for informing both new legislation and animal husbandry. Likewise, he extended his prior Moredun studies of pain and stress associated with castration and tail docking in lambs to castration and dehorning of cattle, and his conclusions underpinned sound practical advice to farmers and veterinarians, as well as codes of welfare for painful husbandry procedures.
David has also advanced animal welfare assessment and ethical decision-making through the use of the extended Five Domains Model, which he first introduced in 1994. At an international level, he has had a pivotal role in the establishment of the New Zealand and Australian OIE Collaborating Centre for Animal Welfare Science and Bioethical Analysis. He has vigorously promoted animal welfare scholarship, and animal welfare science-based policy development and practice, both domestically and internationally.