News Bulletin - Australian Animal Studies Group

Dr Susan Hazel
I grew up on a fruit farm 30km outside Mildura, a short walk
down the hill to the Murray River. We always had dogs and a
cat and later in high school when I began to think about what I
wanted to study, being a vet was first choice. Veterinary
School at Sydney Uni followed, then working in general
veterinary practice in South Australia and England. Although I
loved being a vet and helping people and their pets, desexing
and vaccinating got less stimulating after a while.
My career continued with a PhD in medical research in
Adelaide, postdocs in Stockholm and Sydney, running a
cancer research laboratory in Adelaide, and work in public
health for ASERNIP-S and the PBAC. Finally I came full circle
in 2006 and accepted an academic position teaching animal
behaviour, welfare and ethics for the University of Adelaide in
what is now the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences.
Every job I‘ve had has used my veterinary training and taught me new skills and ways of looking at
the world, but working closely with animals again is like coming home.
In 1995 when I was doing a postdoc in Stockholm I took holidays to attend the IAHAIO conference
in Geneva. My aim was to look for a research job working in human-animal interactions. However it
wasn't until 2006 that I finally started work in this area. My research aims to understand more about
animals and their behaviour, and how humans interact with them. I am also so happy to be able to
teach vet and animal science students about animal welfare and ethics. (Note: when I said above
working with animals again was like coming home it was in the TS Eliot sense of returning and
knowing the place for the first time as veterinary training has changed since my day, when we were
not taught explicitly about animal welfare). Concern for the treatment of animals has gathered
momentum around the world, and is a significant social movement in which change will be
inevitable.
In 2008 I started the Human-Animal Research Group of Adelaide. HARG has grown into a strong
multidisciplinary group and a catalyst for anthrozoological research in Adelaide. It's been a surprise
to find out just how many people in Adelaide are interested in this area of research and incredibly
rewarding to talk to like-minded people from scientific and humanity disciplines and share ideas.
This year was heartbreaking as we said a final goodbye to our 14 year old Labrador. Cilla was a
failed Guide Dog, but a great success in other areas as she volunteered with me for five years
visiting a rehabilitation centre in Adelaide with the Delta Society. She was also my four-year-old
daughter's closest companion. However we have just got a new Labrador puppy and member of
our family. Animals will continue to be an integral part of my life.
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Please send items for the next issue to:
Carol Freeman
Editor, Australian Animal Studies Group News Bulletin
Honorary Research Associate
University of Tasmania
T: +61 6224 0219
M: +61 438 633102
Carol.Freeman@utas.edu.au
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