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Dr Dan O'Neill, recipient of the International Award.

The recipients of the prestigious 2021 awards have been revealed.

The winners of The International Canine Health Awards have been revealed for 2021. These awards, organised by The Kennel Club Charitable Trust and underwritten by a major financial gift from the founders of Metro Bank, Vernon and Shirley Hill, are some of the most esteemed and largest veterinary awards worldwide.

The awards celebrate and reward individuals who go beyond expectations to promote the health and wellbeing of dogs in their veterinary science work. The winners for 2021 include the pioneer of the VetCompass programme, a world-renowned professor in veterinary neurology, undergraduate students from the RVC, and a health coordinator for the beagle breed.

The ICHA Special Award has also been awarded to a not-for-profit organisation working with indigenous communities in Australia to assist with health and welfare of companion animals, and this recipient makes history as the first organisation to be awarded an ICHA Special Award.

Dr Dan O'Neill, a senior lecturer in Companion Animal Epidemiology at the RVC, received £40,000 for the International Award. The award recognises Dr O'Neill's expertise in evidence-based approaches to exploring canine health from a quantitative perspective.

Dr O'Neill commented after hearing of his award: "Winning this award makes me feel as giddy as a schoolchild receiving their first A on an essay after years of trying so hard to get better. We all need a pat on the back now and then so thank you to the International Canine Health Awards and The Kennel Club Charitable Trust for delivering such a nice pat!

“Winning this award will hugely enhance my work in the future by raising the profile of VetCompass and companion animal epidemiology as valued contributors towards improved canine welfare. And the monetary aspect of the award will support the development of the next generation of researchers into the novel and exciting world of VetCompass work on canine welfare.”

The £10,000 Lifetime Achievement award was bestowed to Professor Andrea Tipold, in recognition of her extraordinary contribution to veterinary neurology research and education worldwide. The award also pays tribute to her 'tremendous impact' on canine quality of life.

Professor Tipold said: “I am so grateful and honoured to receive this award. It is such an amazing and great experience and I am so proud. Thank you so much for electing me for this award – receiving this is the achievement which makes me the most proud!”

Two separate students were each awarded the £5,000 Undergraduate Student Inspiration Award - Yan Hui Lee, aged 24, and Eleanor (Ellie) Wilson, aged 22. Yan Hui's research proposes a new understanding of the epidemiology of aural haematomas, whilst Ellie's research helped to develop a new method of sequencing to investigate the activity of T-cell receptors in dogs, to explore their influence on the dogs' immune status.

Dr Samantha Goldberg received the £5,000 Breed Health Co-ordinator Award for her dedication to improving the health of the beagle breed, a breed which she has been involved with for over 40 years.

Commenting, Dr Goldberg said: “I am delighted to win this award, and I would like to thank the beagle breed clubs who put me forward. We have worked very hard to keep our breed healthy and it is a joint effort with me just coordinating the actions of the clubs and their members, as well as Beagle owners who care about our breed.”

The 2021 Special Award was given to AMRRIC, an organisation that helps to create culturally safe veterinary and education programmes in remote Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Speaking on behalf of the organisation, program manager and acting CEO Dr Bonny Cumming, said: “We are truly thrilled to be the first recipients of a Special International Canine Health Award. To be honoured with this award is absolutely humbling. It’s also wonderful validation of the value and impact of AMRRIC’s work to address health inequities, by working collaboratively to improving the health and wellbeing of companion animals in remote Australian Indigenous communities.

“The international recognition that this award brings will help to shine a spotlight on the continuing disadvantage faced by many RICs when it comes to accessing animal health services. It also assists to cement AMRRIC’s reputation as a leader in the delivery of collaborative, culturally appropriate, One Health One Wellbeing-focused services that aim to ensure communities are healthy and safe for people and their companion animals.”

The awards ceremony will take place online on Wednesday, 30 June 2021 at 2pm BST. Those interested in attending can register at video.ibm.com/channel

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