We believe that a large variety of events at the Congress will offer each and everyone something interesting. Join us and see for yourself!
Please note that this is only a provisional agenda and that changes are still possible.
Thursday, October 1, 2026
10:00 – 10:30
Opening Ceremony
10:30 – 11:15
Plenary Session
Daniel Mills: A History of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine and the People Who Have Shaped It
11:15 – 12:00
Plenary Session
Mitja Šedlbauer: Beyond the Five Freedoms: The Next Generation of EU Animal Welfare Policy
12:00 – 12:30
Coffee Break
12:30 – 14:00
Parallel Session – Behaviour Medicine
Giacomo Riggio: Inside the Dog Inside the Cage: Behavioural and Welfare Implications of Domestic Crating
Irena Czycholl: The crate dilemma: Is being crated in home alone settings beneficial for or a threat to the welfare of dogs?
Sylvia Masson: Validation of the Canine Behavioral Evaluation Score (Can-BES) Using Specialist Clinical Diagnosis as the Reference Standard
Laura Saiz i Vivas: From arbitrary labels to behavioural structure: sequential analysis of dog interactions in field conditions
Pascalle Roulaux: Desexing Effects on Dog Behaviour and Owner Reported Reasons for Desexing
Vanessa Ashall: The human-animal bond and relational veterinary clinical research: informing contextualised ‘care’ in the veterinary clinic.
Parallel Session – Welfare Science, Ethics, and Law
Anna Rademann: Cattle and human welfare at Austrian abattoirs
Virginia Sherwin: Factors shaping treatment choices and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories use in pre-weaned calves: perspectives of farmers and veterinarians
Lina Elmersson: Cattle cleanliness on Swedish beef and dairy farms – an analysis based on animal welfare inspection reports
Rok Marzel: Beyond the “happy cow” narrative: Behavioral, physiological and production-related responses of dairy cows to the first pasture release
Genesis Cordero-Arbelo: Sheep Peripartum Behavior Score
Susanne Waiblinger: Effects of a virtual fence on heart rate variability and behaviour of goats
14:00 – 15:00
Lunch
15:00 – 16:30
Parallel Session – Behaviour Medicine
Valentina Alonso Montenegro: Use of Citalopram on dog behavior problems: preliminary results on 74 cases
Audrey Besegher: Effects of Cannabidiol- and Cannabidiolic Acid-Rich Hemp Extract on Stress-Related Behaviours in Shelter-Housed Dogs
Karen Kam: Pregabalin for Fear and Anxiety in Dogs: A Retrospective Multicentre Study of Clinical Use, Client- and Vet-Reported Efficacy, and Adverse Effects
Javier Guerra: Behavioural and Physiological Responses of Dogs to Different Olfactory Stimuli Under Double-Blind Conditions
Marie Lacoste: Therapeutic reassessment of severe aggression revealing dysthymia in a Jack Russell Terrier
Punyanuch Likitteerasub: Management of Hyperarousal and Frustration-Related Behaviours in a Juvenile Small Breed Dog: A Case-Based Report
Parallel Session – Welfare Science, Ethics, and Law
Monika Budzyńska: Measuring Human-Animal Interaction in Alpacas and Its Relationship to Health Assessment
Barbara Padalino: How to Apply Positive Reinforcement-Based Training for Self-Loading and Self-Unloading in Dromedary Camels
Maria Francisca Ferrreira: Who is responsible for the sow’s welfare? Ethical Gaps of EU Pig Production
Eva Mainau: Automatic monitoring of sows and piglet behaviour using Computer Vision to predict the onset of farrowing and assess its progression
Anna Lena Palmetzhofer: Adapting fully slatted pens for growing-finishing pigs towards improved welfare: Effects on manipulatory behaviour and lesions
Anna Valros: Is It Possible to Rear Intact Boars with Intact Tails?
16:30 – 17:00
Coffee Break
17:00 – 18:15
Parallel Session – Behaviour Medicine
Morgane Van Belle: Cat-related factors affecting sociability in multi-cat households
Ebru Yalcin: Fear, Anxiety, and Stress-Related Behavioural Problems in Cats Fed Using Automatic Feeders
Denise Remy: Adoption of Laboratory Cats: A retrospective Study and Improvement protocol
Christine Arhant: Sickness Behaviours in Guinea Pigs – an Online Survey in German-speaking Households
Gaëlla van Walraven: From human neuromodulation to canine behaviour: a pilot study of transcranial direct current stimulation in dogs
Parallel Session – Welfare Science, Ethics, and Law
Deborah Temple: Do pigs distinguish between dead and resting pen-mates?
Alenka Seliškar: Feasibility and limitations of a single-lumen peripherally inserted central catheter in pigs
Alexandra Harlander: Pushing the Limits of Flight: Biomechanical Constraints on Vertical Movement in Laying Hens
Evangelia Sossidou: Effects of dietary supplementation with Lactobacillus Plantarum and Yarrowia lipolytica yeast on performance and welfare indicators in broilers
18:15 – 19:00
Poster Teasers – Section A
Poster Teasers – Section B
19:00
Welcome Reception
Friday, October 2, 2026
9:00 – 10:30
Plenary Session
Mitja Gombač: The Role of the Veterinary Pathologist in Cases of Suspected Animal Abuse
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:30
Parallel Session – Welfare Science, Ethics, and Law
Karen Hiestand: Ought to Report? Navigating Animal Abuse and Neglect in UK Veterinary Practice
Frida Lundmark Hedman: Farm animal welfare offences in Swedish courts
Kirsi Swan: Veterinarians as Assessors in the Pretrial Phase of Criminal Proceedings: An Empirical Legal Study
Denise Remy: A Study of the French Veterinary Code of Professional Conduct and the Ethical Dilemma between the Moral Duties towards the Animal and the Client
Ida Blomfjell: What is ‘fair’ in animal welfare inspections? Understanding the animal keepers’ perspectives
Andrew Knight: Animal Welfare Concerns During Carbon Dioxide Stunning of Pigs and Chickens
Parallel Session – Welfare Science, Ethics, and Law
Camille Bezancon: Proposed definition of abandonment and closed list of reasons for dogs and cats to enter and leave the care of facilities and organizations
Ana Margarida Fernandes Araújo: Low-Stress Handling in Dogs: Improving Safety, Welfare, and Clinical Outcomes
Caroline Gilbert: Canine-assisted intervention and best practices: the case of Snoopy, an auxiliary care dog at Institut Curie, France
Pantaleo Gemma: An Investigation into Dog Owners’ Perspectives and Management Strategies Regarding Firework-Related Behavioural and Welfare Issues in the Maltese Islands
Julia Miller: Association of Age at Adoption and Attachment Style in Companion Dogs
Peter Sandøe: Which Factors Predict Successful Treatment of Canine Separation-Related Problems? A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Survey of Scandinavian Dog Owners
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 14:30
Poster Sessions
14:30 – 15:45
Parallel Session – Welfare Science, Ethics, and Law
Chiara Mariti: A Survey of Italian Veterinarians Expert in Animal-Assisted Services Part 1: the Welfare of Involved Cats and the Working Setting
Giulia Russo: A Survey of Italian Veterinarians Expert in Animal-Assisted Services Part 2: the Suitability Evaluation of Involved Cats
Anne Quain: Undervalued, underestimated, understudied and overdone: nail clipping in dogs and cats impacts welfare of patients and veterinary team members
Eleonora Uber: Do Animals Think and Feel? Views on Animal Emotion and Cognition amongst children in Karamoja (Uganda)
Manuel Magalhães-Sant’Ana: Do Humans Have a Moral Obligation to Be Vegan? A Reflective Equilibrium Approach
Parallel Session – Welfare Science, Ethics, and Law
Beatrice Benedetti: Development and application of a tailored welfare assessment protocol for horses kept in groups at pasture
Rita Campilho: Welfare of Stabled Horses in Portugal – Preliminary Results
Emanuela Dalla Costa: Smart monitoring of horse behaviour using non-invasive sensors: clinical applications and welfare implications
Olivia Curry: Pain-Related Expressive Change in Horses: A Novel Application of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment
Gemma Pearson: First reported use of Memantine as part of a multi-modal analgesic regime in horses