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| Dr Sophia Yin. |
The veterinary world is
reeling following the announcement of the sudden, unexpected death of renowned
behaviourist Dr Sophia Yin yesterday. More information is available here (please be aware this contains upsetting information).
Dr Yin (48 years young) was a passionate
believer in the importance of understanding animal behaviour, the need for
low-stress animal handling, and the importance of rewarding rather than
punishing pets. She knew that the way we handle companion animals - as pets, as vets, as strangers approaching them on the street - could impact their welfare positively or negatively, and wanted to tip the scales on the positive side. Her website is a wonderful trove of resources that demonstrate
how to apply these principles.
She created educational
resources which she made available for free on her website (you can download these here).
She took her message
around the world, speaking at conferences including in Australia. She even
visited some remote Indigenous communities in Australia to help put together
AMRRIC’s “Staying Safe Around Dogs: Living and working with dogs in remote
communities” DVD (launched in Darwin just last week).
She wanted to be a vet
since she was a little kid, and is the kind of person many of us want to be
when we (eventually) grow up.
What a legacy. We join
many others, not just from Australia but around the world, in honouring Dr Yin
and sending our condolences to her family. She really did make the world a
better place for animals, and we know that those she taught - tirelessly - will continue to do so.
You can read more in Steve Dale's heartfelt article here.
