Dorothy Sidley Memorial Scholarships - Previous Winners

The Dorothy Sidley Memorial Scholarship scheme has enabled many young scientists to begin their research careers in animal welfare. Below some previous winners of the scholarship describe how the award helped them.  A list of recent projects and titles can also be found below.

Prof Daniel S. Mills BVSc PhD CBiol FRSB FHEA CCAB Dip ECAWBM(BM) MRCVS 

European & RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine, School of Life Science, University of Lincoln.

HSA Dorothy Sidley Memorial Scholar, 1988 “The effect of transportation on the tonic immobility fear response of spent hens.”, Bristol University

“The HSA award was fundamental to me pursuing my academic interests in animal behaviour and welfare. It gave me the opportunity to work alongside a leading research scientist (Christine Nicol) who introduced me to the research world, I never thought of myself as an academic, but this grant showed me that I had the type of enquiring mind and hunger for knowledge which are perhaps the most important attributes of a researcher. The work was published in the Veterinary Record, and the thrill of seeing something published with my name on it has not gone away. After leaving University I spent 4 years in Practice, initially with the PDSA and then in mixed practice, before a job came up  in Lincolnshire for a vet with an interest in behaviour, and I have never looked back. In 2004 I became the first person to be recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons as a specialist in veterinary behavioural medicine and later that to hold a chair in Europe in the same discipline.  I have been extremely fortunate with the opportunities that have come my way, but I can honestly say that I don’t think this would have happened without that initial Dorothy Sidley Memorial Scholarship.”

Mills D.S. Nicol C.J. (1990) Tonic immobility in spent hens after catching and transport. Vet. Rec. 126: 210-212

Georgina Limon-Vega, MVZ, MSc, Research Associate, Royal Veterinary College

HSA Dorothy Sidley Memorial Scholar, 2008, “An evaluation of the welfare of llamas and sheep before and during slaughtering in the community of Puxara, Bolivia “, Royal Veterinary College

“I was awarded the Dorothy Sidley Scholarship in 2008 to evaluate the welfare of llamas and sheep before and during slaughtering in the Bolivian high plateaux. While working on this project, I realised there are many animal species traditionally reared for meat consumption for which there is no available guidelines for stunning and slaughter.

I am currently working as a research associate in the Royal Veterinary College combining research on animal welfare, epidemiology and public health. I am also completing a part-time PhD focused on impact of animal diseases on smallholders and their implications for surveillance.

My work on humane slaughter has continued since 2008, working alongside Neville Gregory in the first years and lately with Troy Gibson. I have been awarded two more HSA grants as PI and have been involved in various projects in Bolivia, Peru and the UK evaluating current stunning methods in cattle, llamas, alpacas, horses and guinea pigs. In instances when the current methods are not humane, we have assessed potential alternatives to improve animal welfare whilst considering local needs and constraints. HSA funding has been essential to carry out these work.”

Gibson, T.J., Whitehead, C., Taylor, R., Sykes, O., Chancellor, N.M., Limon, G. 2015, Pathophysiology of penetrating captive bolt stunning in Alpacas (Vicugna pacos). Meat Science 100, 227-231

Limon, G, Guitian, J, Gregory, N.G., 2009. A note on the slaughter of llamas in Bolivia by the puntilla method. Meat Science, 82, 405-406

Previous Dorothy Sidley Memorial Scholarship Projects

2023

Assessment of cattle welfare in Narok Town Slaughterhouse in Narok County, Kenya - Maasai Mara University, Kenya.

Welfare assessment for broiler chicken sold in wet markets in Kampala and Wakiso districts -Makerere University, Uganda.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices of animal handlers on arrival at abattoir and preslaughter welfare of pigs in selected districts in central region - Makerere University, Uganda.

Animal welfare knowledge, attitudes and practices of meat inspectors in abattoirs in Laikipia County, Kenya – University of Nairobi, Kenya.

2022

Assessment of pre-slaughter practices affecting goat welfare at abattoirs of Punjab and Sindh - University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pakistan
 
British Columbian Livestock Transporter Stakeholders’ Perspectives on the Updated Federal Health of Animals Act Part XII: Impacts on Cull Dairy Cow Transportation - University of British Columbia, Canada
 
Assessment of the knowledge, attitudes and practices of animal handlers on the pre-slaughter welfare of sheep and goats in selected abattoirs in Kampala - Makerere University, Uganda

2021

The welfare of chicken in live poultry retail shops in Hong Kong wet markets - City University of Hong Kong

Welfare of saltwater fish in Hong Kong wet markets - City University of Hong Kong


Improving fish welfare through automated ike and shinkei-jime robotics - University of Pennsylvania

Assessing attitudes and methods for on-farm despatching of poultry in the United Kingdom - University of Edinburgh

Understanding the welfare concerns of ruminants transported from farms to abattoirs in Uganda - Makerere University, Uganda
 
2020

An investigation into the handling and transportation of UK farmed deer

2019

Stress in sheep at electrical stunning in connection with slaughter: Reducing isolation stress.

2018

Investigation of current profiles during head-only electrical stunning of sheep in UK abattoirs - Royal Veterinary College, UK

2017

Lameness in sheep - the hidden welfare issue! - University of Bristol, UK

2016

Assessment of captive-bolt gun performance in UK cattle abattoirs - Royal Veterinary College, UK

2015

Pathophysiology of captive-bolt stunning in turkey: comparison between the Turkey Euthanasia Device (TED) and the CASH Poultry Killer (CPK) - Royal Veterinary College, UK

2014

Investigation of equine slaughter and stunning methods. – Royal Veterinary College, UK

Evaluating and enhancing stakeholder knowledge of OIE animal welfare standards in Southeast Asia - University of Queensland, Australia

Behavioural responses to Low Atmospheric Pressure Stunning - University of Glasgow, UK

Investigation of current profiles during head-only electrical stunning of sheep in UK abattoirs – Royal Veterinary College, UK

Investigation of the reasons for rejection of carcass during ante- and post-mortem inspection for religious slaughter - Royal Veterinary College, UK

Examining the pathophysiology of captive bolt stunning of alpacas - Royal Veterinary College, UK

Assessing the impact of weight, age and manual catching of broilers in the morphological integrity of the hip joint and gracilis muscle - University of Porto, Portugal

2012     

Investigation of current profiles during electrical head only stunning of sheep in UK abattoirs - Royal Veterinary College, UK

The efficiency of neck cutting methods in small to medium turkey processing plants - Royal Veterinary College, UK

Pre-slaughter and slaughtering techniques in Estonia and in the UK - Estonian University of Life Sciences, Estonia

A review of the welfare of pigs during on farm euthanasia - University of Edinburgh, UK

2011

Sheep welfare responses to movements experienced during sea transport - University of Queensland, Australia

2010

Assessment of the incidence of post-stun behavioural reflexes in electrically stunned broilers in commercial conditions and the correlation of their frequency with the applied water bath electrical parameters - University of Bristol, UK

Identifying the variation in bird impedance in a single-bird, constant voltage waterbath stunner - University of Bristol, UK

2009     

The conscious period during slaughter without stunning in cattle: time to collapse and the influence of false aneurysms, blood aspiration and killing in the inverted position - Royal Veterinary College, UK

Reducing fear and pain in cattle at point of slaughter - Meat Hygiene Service, UK

The effects of pre-stun shocks in electrical waterbath stunners on carcass and meat quality in broilers - University of Bristol, UK

2008     

An evaluation of the welfare of llamas and sheep before and during slaughtering in the community of Puxara, Bolivia - Royal Veterinary College, UK

2007     

Implications of Shechita slaughter on animal welfare: a comparative study between a Turkish and a UK abattoir to determine the welfare effects of different practices in cattle - University of Bristol, UK

Relative efficacy of AC and DC waterbath stunning and its effects on product quality in poultry - Royal Veterinary College, UK

2006

The effect of waterbath stunning current, frequency and waveform on carcass and meat quality in broilers    - University of Bristol

Assessment of variation in the efficiency of captive bolt cartridges used for stunning cattle - Royal Veterinary College, UK

2004

The effects of two space allowances on the resting and sleep-wake behaviour of sheep - University of Edinburgh, UK

2003

The effect of blindfolding horses on heart rate and behaviour during handling and loading onto transport vehicles - University of Bristol, UK

Assessment of the welfare of horses in livestock markets - Suffolk & Otley College, UK

2000

The effects of time and space allowance in lairage on the recovery rates of cattle - University of Glasgow, UK