Four Diversity Initiatives in Animal Behaviour, Dog Training, & Veterinary Medicine
Four current initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion that you might like to know about.
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| Photo: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock |
By Zazie Todd, PhD
There are some encouraging moves to promote diversity at the moment. Here are four current or upcoming initiatives from the fields of dog training, veterinary medicine, and animal behaviour.
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Black in Animal Behavior Week
Black in Animal Behavior Week started 23rd July as a prelude to the Animal Behavior Society’s 2020 virtual meeting. Follow the hashtag #BlackinAnimalBehavior on Twitter (note the American spelling) and get to know Black animal behavior scientists and what they do, complete with photos and videos of the species they study in the wild or in the lab.
Petition to the AVMA to address systemic racism in veterinary medicine
Ten groups have come together to create this petition which lists a set of specific demands to address racism in veterinary medicine. The organizations are the Association of Asian Veterinary Medical Professionals, BlackDVM Network, Latinx Veterinary Medical Association, Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association, National Association for Black Veterinarians, Native American Veterinary Association, Pride Veterinary Medical Community, Veterinarians as One for an Inclusive Community for Empowerment, Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative.
At time of writing, over 2,000 people have signed.
BIPOC Scholarships from the Academy for Dog Trainers
The Academy for Dog Trainers is offering scholarships to aspiring dog trainers of colour. The deadline is 7th August and you can find out more here.
Courageous Conversations Virtual Diversity Conference
The Virtual Diversity Conference takes place on the 14th and 15th August and is organized by the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society and the University of Surrey. Other participating groups include British Veterinary LGBT+, British Veterinary Chronic Illness Support, and Animal Aspirations. This is the first time a conference dedicated to diversity and equality in veterinary medicine is being held in the UK.
Get tickets and see the program here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/courageous-conversationsthe-surrey-virtual-veterinary-diversity-conference-tickets-113080530912
P.S. Want my free guide, Seven Secrets to a Happy Dog? Join over 4,500 animal lovers and sign up now.
Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. She is the creator of the popular blog, Companion Animal Psychology, writes The Pawsitive Post premium newsletter, and also has a column at Psychology Today. Todd lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband, one dog, and two cats.
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