Ceva Animal Health has revealed its shortlist for its eighth annual Animal Welfare Awards.

The awards celebrate the achievements of remarkable people from the farming, veterinary and charity industries, who go beyond the call of duty to better the lives of animals around the world.  Nominations were submitted by friends, family, clients and colleagues.

Spanning six categories, the shortlist for the 2018 Ceva Animal Welfare Awards is as follows:

Chris Laurence Vet of the Year Award supported by Your Dog and Your Cat magazines

• Catriona Wood, RSPCA Harmsworth Animal Hospital, London
• Hannah Capon, Veterinary Surgeon and Founder of Canine Arthritis Management
• Richard Saunders, Veterinary Advisor for the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF)

Vet Nurse of the Year Award supported by Agria Pet Insurance

• Zoe Reeve, Veterinary Nurse at Alder Veterinary Practice in Spalding
• Adina Valentine, Veterinary Nurse at the Grimsby Blue Cross Animal Hospital
• Reuben Allfree, Veterinary Nurse at St James Veterinary Group in Swansea

Charity Team of the Year supported by PDSA

• Hero Paws, Kinkardine, Fife
• The Dog Breeding Reform Group, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire
• Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG), London

Charitable Contribution of the Year supported by Blue Cross

• Mark Thorogood, Fundraiser, Committee Member and Shelter Volunteer at Gozo SPCA
• Kay Robinson, Founder of the Tortoise Protection Group, Cardiff
• Naomi and Gary Wordsworth, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
• Jenny Bunting, BGOA Retired Greyhound Trust, Haywards Heath, West Sussex

Farm Animal Welfare Award supported by R.A.B.I. and NADIS

• Halton Farms Ltd, Congleton, Cheshire
• University of Nottingham Dairy Herd Health Group, Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire
• Richard Vecqueray, the Evidence Group, Penrith, Cumbria

International Cat Care Welfare Award

International Cat Care will be choosing the winner of this award from its extensive membership base.  The winner will be announced at the awards’ ceremony.

In addition to the scheduled categories, the judges have granted one additional award in special recognition of an individual’s lifetime commitment to animal welfare.

The shortlist for each award was decided following a day of deliberations by a panel of judges chaired by retired veterinary surgeon, Chris Laurence MBE FRCVS. Chris is chairman of the Animal Welfare Foundation, the Canine and Feline Sector Group of the Animal Health and Welfare Board and BVBA (British Veterinary Behaviour Association) and before retiring he was chief veterinary officer at the RSPCA and veterinary director of Dogs Trust. He is also involved in a number of charities and is a trustee of the Pet Blood Bank and the Bella Moss Foundation.

Chris said: "Judging the ever-increasing number of nominations takes a lot of work, just to read them all let alone deciding who should go forward as a finalist.  The standard of nomination improves every year and each is an inspiration to the judges because of the selfless effort put in by each nominee to improve animal welfare, often in the most difficult circumstances."

Cuneyt Seckin, managing director of Ceva Animal Health, added: "Year-on-year we are amazed and humbled by the individuals and organisations who dedicate their lives to enhance and improve animal welfare both in the UK and abroad.  We are delighted to be able to honour these people, while highlighting their important work to a wider audience."

The winners will be announced and presented with their awards during a ceremony held in Birmingham ahead of BSAVA Congress on 4th April 2018.

To find out more about the awards, visit: www.cevawelfareawards.com. 

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