From mice to elephants, the BC SPCA’s new general manager of animal behaviour and welfare has treated almost every species under the sun.
Pat Pryor, DVM, brings to the BC SPCA more than 25 years of experience in various aspects of veterinary medicine, animal science, welfare and behaviour.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have Pat join us in enhancing the quality of life for the animals in our care,” says Craig Daniell, chief executive officer for the BC SPCA. “Animals will benefit immeasurably from her insight and expertise.”
Pryor graduated magna cum laude from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Saskatoon and has won numerous awards of achievement in pathology and both small and large animal medicine. In addition to completing an internship and residency in large animal medicine and a residency in veterinary behaviour, she is the only board-certified veterinary behaviourist in Western Canada.
With a distinguished career north and south of the 49th parallel, Pryor’s research on behavioural issues such as urine-marking in cats, aggression in dogs and grooming in sheep and goats has been published in international scientific journals.
She also has extensive teaching experience and has taught clinical behaviour, social behaviour, body language interpretation, bite prevention and the principles of ethology to audiences ranging from veterinarians and other animal welfare professionals to members of the public.
With the BC SPCA, Pryor hopes to inspire people to view animals and each other with the curiosity, kindness and reverence they all deserve.
“I am dedicated to improving the quality of life of animals through educating the public about the nature of the animals we share our lives with: about what motivates them, about how they learn, about how brilliant they are at the tasks they are designed for, and about how we can sometimes get our wires crossed when we fail to appreciate who they are or provide for them what they need.”
Pryor hopes her work with animal guardians in particular will give them the confidence to address their pets’ behavioural issues. Every year, hundreds of animals are surrendered to SPCA shelters due to behavioural issues, including house-soiling, barking and digging.
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