ABOUT VETWORK UK
In the late-1980s a group of veterinarians with an interest in community-based
animal health and welfare projects started sharing ideas and field experiences on an
informal basis. Promotion of local skills, and the social and environmental implications
of animal keeping, particularly in poor or marginalised communities, were of particular interest.
Though much of their experience was in 'developing' countries, many of the
issues were equally relevant in the UK.
Vetwork formed to bring these ideas and experiences within
a single networking organisation.
In January 1998 we became a registered
charity in Scotland, with the following aims:
- To provide technical and project support to proposed or ongoing livestock
projects in developing countries. Vetwork works with other NGOs and bilateral
and multilateral agencies.
- To collate and disseminate experiences in primary animal health and
welfare service delivery in the context of veterinary service reform. Vetwork
has particular experience in community-based services, participatory approaches
and methods, and indigenous knowledge systems.
- To develop existing research interests in animal welfare and social
aspects of animal ownership in the UK and overseas.
The Vetwork UK web-site provides an information resource and discussion forum for veterinary surgeons,
animal welfare professionals, and others involved in animal health care.
Through the articles and other content on the web-site, Vetwork UK aims to facilitate debate, and the sharing
of information and experience, both in the UK and internationally, about
the development of animal health and welfare services, particularly with respect
to the links between humans, animals and the environment.
Anyone is invited to submit information or discussion articles based on their own ideas, experience or research.
Titles, summaries, short articles or full documants may be posted on the Vetwork web-site.
Summaries will be accompanied by addresses to request full articles wherever possible.
Vetwork UK will endeavour to provide hard copies of its own reports or articles upon request.
Vetwork aims to encourage debate about a number of specific practical issues,
and also debate about the social and ethical context in which animal health
services operate. Vetwork is keen to explore the links between human, animal
and environmental health and welfare.
Of particular international interest, Vetwork aims to:
- facilitate discussion about different models of animal health service;
- improve understanding of ethnoveterinary knowledge and how it can be
incorporated into animal health services;
- support an holistic approach to working with communities and their
animals, based on principles of community participation, flexibility and
a 'process' approach;
- encourage models of animal health service delivery based on these approaches
combined with sound technical knowledge and field experience;
- contribute to improved access to animal health and welfare services.
Of particular UK interest, Vetwork aims to:
- encourage greater debate within the profession about ethical and social
aspects of veterinary work;
- encourage greater public access to information about animal health
and welfare.
- Please submit articles electronically if possible.
- Please make your article concise, and limit it to two sides of A4 paper.
- Please start with a short descriptive title.
- Please include a short (3-5 line) summary with a list of key words.
- Please include a contact for people who would like further information.
We would like Vetwork to be accessible to as many vets and other animal health workers as possible.
We have chosen to use e-mail and an Internet homepage as the primary means of communication because they
are both potentially cheap and quick compared to the production of a magazine.
However, we are aware that many people do not have access to e-mail or the Internet.
Please share the information on this web-site as widely as possible with people who may not have access
directly themselves.
Vetwork UK can be contacted via the following:
- Stephen Blakeway
- 35D Beach lane
- Musselburgh
- EH21 6JX
- UK
- tel: UK +44 (0) 131 665 2417
- e-mail: stephen@vetwork.org.uk
- Susi Arnott
- e-mail: s
- Suzan Bishop
- PO Box 1554
- Addis Ababa
- Ethiopia
- e-mail: sbishop@ethionet.et
- Sarah Morgan
- Trowel and Hammer
- Wetherup St
- Wetheringsett
- Stowe Market
- Suffolk
- IT14 5QT
- UK
- e-mail: s.c.morgan@btconnect.com
- Susi Arnott is an independent film-maker who made the film 'Sleeping Ruff' as a voluntary project with Vetwork
as well as many documentaries on development and for educational TV channels.
e-mail: s
- Suzan Bishop is a veterinarian with a Masters in Tropical Veterinary Science. Her interests
include community-based livestock development, in particular training of animal health workers, and
she has country work experience in Bolivia, Eritrea, Southern Sudan, Kenya and Zambia.
e-mail: sbishop@ethionet.et
- Stephen Blakeway is a veterinarian with a Masters in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare
and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. His main interests are animal welfare, human-animal realtionships,
and how life-long learning and community-based approaches can bring benefit to animals and people.
He has worked in UK, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Sudan, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Egypt, India and Mexico.
Stephen is currently Director of Overseas Operations (Outside Europe) for The Donkey Sanctuary.
e-mail: stephen@vetwork.org.uk
- Sarah Morgan is a veterinarian whose interests include animal welfare
and overseas aid. Sarah has worked in Mozambique for VetAid and currently
runs a veterinary practice in Suffolk, UK. e-mail:
s.c.morgan@btopenworld.com