Winners of AVMA Animal Welfare Assessment Contest announced

A record 269 participants representing 28 universities and eight countries competed in the 21st annual Animal Welfare Assessment Contest, hosted virtually by the AVMA from Nov. 19-21, 2021.

Undergraduates, graduate students, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, AVMA members, and members of international veterinary medical associations practiced their animal welfare assessment skills and presented their findings to an expert panel of veterinarians and other scientists.

Species covered in the latest contest scenarios included boars, domestic cats, and psittacines.

The contest also featured presentations on animal welfare issues in the dairy and swine industries, as well as issues particular to rodeos, companion animal medicine, and wildlife. Participants earned up to six hours of continuing education credit.

“It’s wonderful to see so many students and veterinarians participate in an event that’s so important to the recognition and advancement of animal welfare in the veterinary profession and in our society,” AVMA President José Arce said in a statement.

The Animal Welfare Assessment Contest was founded at Michigan State University in 2001 as the Animal Welfare Judging and Assessment Contest and was modeled after traditional livestock, horse, and meat judging competitions. Funded in part through an educational grant from Merck Animal Health, today’s Animal Welfare Assessment Contest brings students together from across the United States and internationally.

Winners of the 2021 contest are as follows:

Veterinary Student Division, Individual: First place—Tannaz Zafarnia, Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine; second place—Magnus Yoshimura, Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine; third place—Bayla Bessemer, Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine; fourth place—Julie French, University of Guelph Ontario Veterinary College; and fifth place—Shannon Kelley, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Veterinary Student Division, Teams: First place—Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine Team 1; second place—The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine; third place—Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine; fourth place—University of Prince Edward Island Atlantic Veterinary College; and fifth place— University of Guelph Ontario Veterinary College.

Interactive Assessment, Individual: Undergraduate, Junior Division—Zoey Witruk, University of Illinois; Undergraduate, Senior Division—Blair Wermuth, University of Wisconsin-River Falls; Veterinary Student Division—Jasmine Hanson, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine; and Graduate Division—Jasmine Muszik, McGill University.

Interactive Assessment, Teams: Undergraduate, Junior Division—Michigan State University; Undergraduate, Senior Division—University of Minnesota; Veterinary Student Division—University of Prince Edward Island Atlantic Veterinary College; and Graduate Division—The Ohio State University.

Graduate Division, Individual: First place—Sara Pantel, Tufts University; second place— Kaitlyn St. Charles, University of Minnesota; third place— Clara Dell, Tufts University; fourth place—Tawni Williams, University of Illinois; and fifth place—Meagan Abraham, Purdue University.

Graduate Division, Teams: First place—Purdue University; second place—The Ohio State University; third place—University of Kentucky; fourth place—Tufts University; and fifth place—University of Guelph.

Undergraduate, Senior Division, Individual: First place—Madison Pinkerton, The Ohio State University; second place—MacKenzie Chapman, The Ohio State University; third place—Kaitlyn Rhine, Kansas State University; fourth place—Shauna Zisis, University of Guelph; and fifth place—Sarah Kay, University of Guelph.

Undergraduate, Senior Division, Teams: First place—The Ohio State University; second place—Kansas State University; third place—Michigan State University; fourth place—University of Guelph; and fifth place—University of Kentucky.

Undergraduate, Junior Division, Individuals: First place—Erin Stockland, Texas A&M University; second place—Jenna Volinski, Michigan State University; third place—Jessie Bouterse, The Ohio State University; fourth place—Samuel Suh, Texas A&M University; and fifth place—Katherine Gellhausen, Texas A&M University.

Undergraduate, Junior Division, Teams: First place—Michigan State University; second place—Texas A&M University; third place—The Ohio State University; fourth place—Texas A&M University-Commerce; and fifth place—University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Learn more about the Animal Welfare Assessment Contest.

A version of this article appears in the Jan. 1, 2022, print issue of JAVMA.