Animal Welfare and Antimicrobial Use in Livestock

This seminar is part of the Animal Matters Seminar Series presented by Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy  

Description: Increasing attention on antimicrobial resistance has led to changes in antimicrobial use in livestock. In the U.S., FDA policy changes in 2017 and 2023 have resulted in increased veterinary oversight of medically important antimicrobials in animals. Consumer pressure has led many restaurants, supermarkets, and food producers to enact policies limiting antimicrobial use. By limiting or eliminating the use of antimicrobials in livestock, producers often must make changes to other aspects of the management of their animals to prevent disease. But how do these changes impact animal welfare? What are the drivers of changes in antimicrobial use practices on farm? How can a One Health approach be used to address antimicrobial resistance, while still protecting animal welfare?

Biography: Dr. Chelsey Shivley is currently the Antimicrobial Resistance Coordinator in the Office of Interagency Coordination for USDA APHIS Veterinary Services, based in Saco, Maine. Prior to this, Dr. Shivley spent 3 years working on the National Animal Health Monitoring System team, focused on collecting data on antimicrobial use and resistance in animal agriculture. Dr. Shivley served as an AVMA/AAAS Congressional Science Fellow in 2016-2017, working on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Originally from Michigan, Dr. Shivley completed her undergraduate and veterinary degrees at Michigan State University. She then completed her PhD in Animal Behavior and Welfare at Colorado State University with Dr. Temple Grandin. Dr. Shivley is also board certified in the American College of Animal Welfare.

Made possible by the generous support of Elizabeth A. Lawrence Endowed Fund

About The Elizabeth A. Lawrence Endowed Fund: Dr. Elizabeth A. Lawrence was a pioneering veterinarian and anthropologist who wrote with insight and eloquence about the relationship between people and animals, with special attention to horses. In 1983, Dr. Lawrence co-founded Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy with Dr. Andrew Rowan. Dr. Lawrence’s impact is reflected in the Cummings School’s emphasis on the human-animal bond in the curriculum and in campus-community activities. The Elizabeth A. Lawrence Endowed Fund supports student and faculty-run community outreach activities and the infrastructure which sustains such programs. The Lawrence Fund is overseen by the Center for Animals and Public Policy Advisory Board

About Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy: The mission of the Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy is to conduct and encourage the study of complex issues surrounding the changing role and impact of animals in society. The Center supports the development and dissemination of research-driven policies, programs, and practices that benefit both people and animals. Work conducted by the Center is based on the tenets that animal well-being matters, that animal and human well-being are linked and that both are enhanced through improved understanding of human-animal relationships. vet.tufts.edu/center-animals-and-public-policy