AVC faculty member wins Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada award

Dr. Laurie McDuffee, professor of large animal surgery at the Atlantic Veterinary College, has won the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada’s Dr. Carol Morgan Memorial Award.

Established in memory of Dr. Morgan who passed away in 2015, the award is to be used for continued education and training-related costs in the areas of ethics and/or animal welfare for veterinarians working to increase the application of these subjects within the profession broadly.

Dr. McDuffee will use the grant toward completing a course in the human-animal bond, offered in partnership by the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) Learning Academy and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI). Upon completion of the course, she will have certification in the human-animal bond from the NAVC Learning Academy and HABRI.

“The human-animal bond is increasing in importance in our daily lives and is a fundamental aspect of One Health,” she said. “With this award, I will improve my understanding of the science behind the human-animal bond and how to maximize the mutually beneficial relationship between animals and people. I will use this knowledge in my teaching and research at the Atlantic Veterinary College.”

Dr. Greg Keefe, dean of AVC, congratulated Dr. McDuffee on winning the award. 

“With support from the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada, Dr. McDuffee will make a valuable contribution to our understanding of the human-animal bond and to the education of our veterinary students,” he said. 

In addition to her role as a professor of large animal surgery, Dr. McDuffee is chair of the College’s Department of Health Management.