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- 16th ÖTT Conference at Vetmeduni
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16th ÖTT Conference at Vetmeduni
This year’s conference of the platform “Austrian Veterinarians for Animal Welfare” (ÖTT) took place on May 7, 2026, at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna (Vetmeduni Vienna). Under the motto “Animal Welfare in Veterinary Focus,” around 100 participants gathered in Vetmeduni’s ceremonial hall to discuss current issues in animal welfare, with about 70 additional attendees following the program online. A highlight was the presentation of the 4th ÖTT Animal Welfare Research Award.
Cornelia Rouha-Mülleder, ÖTT spokesperson, Vetmeduni Vice-Rector Barbara Bockstahler, and Kurt Frühwirt, President of the Austrian Chamber of Veterinarians, opened the event and welcomed the audience.
The lectures covered a broad range of topics, including current developments in animal welfare, veterinary responsibility for animal welfare, focal points on calf health and husbandry, veterinary responsibility from a professional ethics perspective, animal welfare in wildlife rehabilitation, and low-stress handling in veterinary practice. Several animal welfare case reports from (official) veterinary practice were also presented and discussed together.
The conference proceedings are available here free of charge!
4th Animal Welfare Research Award
As part of the conference, the ÖTT Animal Welfare Research Award was presented for the fourth time. This year’s laureate is Priv.-Doz. Dr. Dorothea Döring, whose study “The canine vibrissal system as a highly innervated and functional sensory organ” impressed the expert jury. The award, endowed with 3,000 euros, honors scientific work that demonstrably makes a substantial contribution to advancing evidence-based animal welfare.
