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Students win fourth place in animal welfare contest

Second-year UF veterinary medical students Kailey McDougald, Denae Campanale, Katelyn Sheppard and Lia Massena are shown with their award.

Four second-year University of Florida veterinary students received fourth place overall in the  15^th Annual Intercollegiate Animal Welfare Judging and Assessment Contest, held Nov. 14-15 at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

“This is only the second time UF has ever had a team attend,” said Dr. Amanda House, interim director of student affairs at the college.

The UF team also received second place in Team Reasons for replacement jersey heifers.

Teams were asked to assess the jersey heifers’ welfare status and to make recommendations for improving the farm, its protocols and overall welfare situation.

“All four of the UF team members have strong previous experiences with cattle and enjoyed the opportunity to articulate and tie concepts into this competition,” said UF team member Kailey McDougald.

Other UF team members included Denae Campanale, Katelyn Sheppard and Lia Missena.

Twelve veterinary colleges competed in the event, along with several undergraduate programs from various universities.

According to its website, the contest aims to provide a unique educational experience while strengthening student vocabulary and reasoning skills. Students learn how to assess the welfare of animals in a variety of settings using science-based methods and reasoning.

This contest “ensures that tomorrow’s leaders in the animal industries develop strong communication skills and acquire enhanced knowledge of animal welfare,” the website states.