Page 5 - ACT Annual Review August 2020 - July 2021

A YEAR IN REVIEW
FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE RVC ANIMAL CARE TRUST
I am grateful for my long-term colleague, and
President & Principal of the Royal Veterinary
College (RVC), Professor Stuart Reid, for
standing in for me as acting Chair of the RVC
Animal Care Trust (ACT), during my illness
and convalescence. The ACT has played a
central role, for many years, in funding the
full range of RVC activities, in particular,
clinical equipment to support advanced
healthcare and research. The President &
Principal temporarily stepping into this role
is an acknowledgement of the importance
we place on all the support we have received
from our donors, both past and present.
I cannot be the only person who feels that
they have lost two years of their life during the
worst of the pandemic. As we reported in the
last two Annual Reviews, this necessitated
considerable creativity on the part of our
fundraising team, and we have been grateful
for continued support for the RVC’s work,
despite all the other demands on your time
and resources.
During 2022, “normality” has slowly returned,
and it has been pleasing to see our marathon
runners back in action, as live events have
become possible. The stories in this Annual
Review detail the impact of all our volunteer
fundraisers, as well as those who contribute
through routes such as the Memory Tree and
the relaunched Tailwaggers, to the health and
welfare of farm animals, horses and our pets,
as well as the support of our students.
In terms of impact on pets, the following pages
include case examples such as the use of
electrodiagnostics, in Vinnie, and radiosurgery,
on Charlie the parrot. For treating horses,
we have funded video-endoscopy equipment
and a microwave-based hyperthermia system
for treating skin cancer. With the welfare of
farm animals in mind, we have been able to
support students in learning about calving and
farrowing, through acquisition of the latest
teaching simulators, and we have also been
able to support them with scholarships, as
well as support for farm placements and some
extra-curricular activities.
At all times, we welcome feedback on the
way we distribute precious resources,
recognising that we all have preferences
for the extra, charity-supported work that a
veterinary-focused institution like the RVC
might undertake. Looking back on the history
of Tail-Waggers, I was recently struck by a
passage from a piece in the Tail-Waggers
Club Handbook from 1931/32. At the time,
there was debate around whether this new
organisation could support research or whether
it should be channelling all its funds into
improvement in the care of dogs. T.M. Lyon,
the editor, felt the need to tackle this head-
on, emphasising that, whatever the personal
preferences of the Tail-Waggers supporters
of the day, improved welfare was their shared
goal and they could have the greatest impact
working together. As we relaunch Tail-
Waggers, nearly 100 years after its creation,
and can start to allocate the first £10,000
raised to projects on feline pancreatic cancer,
corneal melting in brachycephalic breeds and
canine gastric carcinoma, I know that improved
animal welfare remains the central desire of
us all.
Professor Stephen May
Chairman of the RVC Animal Care Trust
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