Veterinary nursing honour for Dr Anne McBride
Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Dr Anne McBride has been awarded honorary membership of the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) reflecting her years of dedicated work with animals and continued support of the veterinary nursing profession and education in animal behaviour. She received the award at a ceremony at the BVNA 2013 Congress.
At the University of Southampton, Anne directed the postgraduate diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour. She now teaches on human-animal interactions and writes on animal behaviour and welfare and how human factors influence problem behaviour in pets.
"I was delighted to receive this award from this long-established group of dedicated professionals who work in the best interests of animals alongside vets," she says. "I value veterinary nurses' interest in furthering their profession and am pleased to assist in this endeavour."
Anne's involvement with the veterinary nursing profession started as a child when she worked for her local vet at weekends and evenings. Although she found it fascinating, she realised she was more interested in animal and human behaviour than becoming a vet or a veterinary nurse so took a psychology degree and then a PhD in rabbit behaviour. Later, she worked as a behaviour counsellor and set up some of the earliest puppy classes in the UK, followed by initiating the first academic course in animal behaviour counselling here at Southampton. She has taught on the BVNA course in companion animal behaviour for nearly a decade and in 2010 she was asked to join the BVNA Congress committee and assist the Association in putting together its scientific programme.
Photo credit: Image courtesy of the BVNA.