A leading academic and self-proclaimed animal lover has been named as the head of a new Animal Welfare Evidence Centre – and making the economic case to governments for better animal welfare will be top of her in-tray.
Dr Jennifer Maher has been named Chief of Research for the new body, which will be focused on researching the human behaviours and societal systems that currently drive harm to animals.
She has started in post this week (6 July), and says the formation of the Evidence Centre has been a “long time coming” and could be a “game changer” for how government, industry and society considers animals in their practices.
Her initial work will be towards the official launch of the new Centre in September.
Dr Maher has been an Associate Professor in Green Criminology at the University of South Wales – and her published research includes work on the illegal puppy trade, wildlife crime, irresponsible dog ownership and animal sexual assault.
And Dr Maher says “bringing together four Goliaths” of the animal welfare world could give the Centre real influence.
The RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming, FOUR PAWS UK and Humane World for Animals UK have joined forces to steer AWEC.
She said: “This new Animal Welfare Evidence Centre has the potential to be one of the most important and exciting developments in UK animal welfare – a real game changer.
“The harms facing animals are vast and complex and while we have seen great progress over the years, animal neglect and cruelty remain systemic problems in our society. These harms extend beyond each animal’s suffering to broader impacts on humans. Without a doubt, preventing harm to animals inevitably means a better outcome and wellbeing for all of us.
“That’s why there is a real need to strengthen our understanding of the drivers and causes behind these harms, so I couldn’t be prouder to be leading this work as Chief of Research and to hopefully take the knowledge base at our sector’s disposal to the next level.
“A body like this has been a long time in the making, but in bringing together four Goliaths of the animal welfare world, AWEC has such massive potential to plug research gaps and offer the whole sector the data, insights and evidence to make a real difference.”
The Centre’s first piece of research will focus on economic modelling about the costs of animal cruelty – with the aim of strengthening the case for greater government investment in preventing harm to animals.
Other projects set to feature in the Centre’s research strategy include the links between domestic abuse and animal harm, the psychological dissonance between the UK’s status as a nation of animal lovers and people’s behaviours, and the implications of AI on caring for pets and livestock.
Dr Maher added: “We cannot fix a problem we don’t fully understand.
“‘The purpose of the Centre is to bring the welfare sector together to consolidate existing evidence, identify gaps and generate new social science and multidisciplinary research to further our understanding of the systemic drivers of animal abuse.
“That insight is what helps encourage stakeholders to not only deal with the symptoms of cruelty, but to actually work to cure the causes.
“It’s a really exciting moment for animals, and the sector. I can’t wait to get started.”
Jenny is passionate about giving animals a voice through evidence-driven research, policy, and practical action. Alongside her professional career, she has fostered and rehomed more than 200 dogs, giving her first-hand insight into the challenges facing animals and the people who care for them. But her constant companion is Rayne, a much-loved ‘failed foster care’ who came into her life as a six-week-old puppy after being found in a wheelbarrow, tucked inside a plant pot with her siblings.
Rayne never quite made it to a new home and instead became a trusted life and travel companion, joining Jenny on countless adventures across Europe in a camper van.
She added: “Rayne is equally excited about the Centre’s future and is looking forward to the new adventures ahead!”
A sizable gift from the Katherine Martin Charitable Trust has enabled AWEC’s formation, who hope it will become a “trusted and widely used source of evidence that charities, policy-makers and practitioners can draw on to better understand the challenges animals face”. Its work will be further supported by additional funding from the RSPCA.
The centre will be hosted by the RSPCA, and will report to an independent Advisory Board.
Thomas Schultz-Jagow, RSPCA Director, and chair of the new independent Board, added: “Establishing this Evidence Centre marks a quantum leap in how we understand the role animals play in society, and why animal harm and suffering is still so prevalent.
“Clearly, the challenges facing animals today are huge and complex, but by working together, and collaborating on pioneering research, we can tackle this scale of harmful behaviour that continues to impact animals’ lives every single day.
“This is our chance to understand more about why our society and culture too readily normalises animal harms, what drives humans to abuse animals, and what needs to happen to deliver truly transformational change for animals and humans alike.”
AWEC’s core objectives will be to:
- Improve the welfare of animals
- Understand attitudes and cultural norms
- Foster sector collaboration
- Apply a systemic lens
- Inform policy and practice
It will not take a campaigning role – but will instead produce robust evidence sets that others can take forward to support and develop their advocacy work for animals.
More information on AWEC is available on the RSPCA website.
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