Virtual contest challenges participants’ animal welfare assessment skills

The third annual spring virtual Animal Welfare Assessment Contest (AWJAC) was held April 26-27, with registrants from across North America, Europe, and Asia completing assessments of the welfare of animals in multiple settings.

Sixty-nine participants included undergraduates, veterinary students, graduate students, postgraduates, veterinary technicians, and AVMA member veterinarians.

This virtual event, offered in addition to the annual fall AWJAC, is a practice forum for ethical reasoning, objective assessment of animal welfare according to scientific theory and data, critical thinking, and communication skills. Participants use their assessment skills and present their findings to expert scientists and veterinarians in a logical and persuasive manner.

Species covered in the 2025 virtual contest scenarios were gestating sows and cownose rays in a zoo’s touch tank.

The expert panel for the event comprised Drs. Monique Pairis-Garcia, an associate professor of global production animal welfare at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine; Cara Haden, director of animal welfare for Pipestone Veterinary Services; Scott Kramer, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Jen-Yun Chou, adjunct professor at the University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources; David Miller, Miller Veterinary Services; Bree Karns, postdoctoral fellow at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center; Aimee Berliner, director of animal health and welfare at the National Aquarium in Baltimore; and Zarah Deutsch, Professors of the Future fellow at University of California-Davis.

Winners of the 2025 virtual contest are as follows:

Undergraduate, Junior Division, Individual: First place—Aditri Singh, Rutgers University; second place—Bethany Pannel, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; third place—Tom Herman, Colorado State University; fourth place—Lily Nuss, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and fifth place—Grace Regier, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Undergraduate, Senior Division, Individual: First place—Laura Sarabando, Rutgers University; second place—Evie Anderson, Colorado State University; third place—Jacob Bazer, Rutgers University; fourth place—Dominic Uddowlah, The Ohio State University; and fifth place—Angely Morocho, Rutgers University.

Graduate Division, Individual: First place—Sophia Maddocks, Rutgers University; second place—Lyndsay Ritzler, The Ohio State University; third place—Cesar Velasquez, Colorado State University; fourth place—Kacie Leonard, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and fifth place—Emma Hamilton, Colorado State University.

Veterinary Division, Individual: First place—Finnerel Schaeffer, University of Minnesota; second place—Anna Mueller, University of Minnesota; third place—Ellie Lindauer, University of Minnesota; fourth place—Victoria Michel, University of Missouri; and fifth place—Mo Usavage, University of Minnesota.

Merck Animal Health, lead educational funder for the past eight years, provides support to ensure today’s Animal Welfare Assessment Contest continues to bring students together from across the United States and internationally.

The fall AWJAC will be held November 7-9 at Texas A&M University. Participants can take part in educational tours, a social networking event, live and computerized scenarios, oral presentations of assessments, and an awards reception.

Species that will be covered in the fall 2025 contest are tilapia aquaculture (live), pet gerbil, snakes in a zoo, and dressage horses.

Participants should be prepared to assess the welfare of all aspects of each species situation, including but not limited to transport, housing, health, training, retirement, production, slaughter, and euthanasia.

AWJAC registration opens this summer.