The Rwanda Animal Welfare Organization (RAWO), in partnership with WTS-Vet United and the Rwanda Council of Veterinary Doctors (RCVD), has intensified efforts to improve animal welfare guidelines standards in Rwanda through advanced training for private veterinary professionals operating under the government’s Veterinary Sanitary Mandate (VSM) program.
The latest Training of Trainers (ToTs) session, held on May 15, 2026, brought together private veterinarians and para-veterinarians Director managing private veterinary services in Rwanda’s Northern Province and parts of the Western Province.
The initiative forms part of a broader 2026–2027 project aimed at integrating animal welfare guidelines into Rwanda’s livestock sector and development cooperation programs involving animals.
The Veterinary Sanitary Mandate program, established by the Government of Rwanda, seeks to improve the quality and accessibility of private veterinary services across the country.
Authorities and animal welfare advocates say strengthening veterinary professionalism is essential for improving livestock productivity, animal health, farmer incomes and food security.
The latest trainings builds on previous efforts RAWO made by conducting them in 2025 targeting District Animal Resources Officers (DAROs), marking what stakeholders described as the next phase in equipping frontline private veterinary professionals with animal welfare knowledge and livestock management skills.
Speaking during the training, Dr. Mbaga Daniel, Chairperson of the Rwanda Council of Veterinary Doctors in the Northern Province and guest of honor at the event, said Continuous Professional Development ( CPD)trainings remains critical as the livestock sector evolves and new animal diseases emerge.
“Due to the constant development of knowledge and technology in animal husbandry and veterinary medicine, as well as new diseases that are emerging, veterinarians are required to constantly train to provide better services that respond to the problems of livestock farmers without ignoring animal welfare,” he said.
He noted that veterinarians trained under the program gained knowledge on new animal welfare guidelines, diseases prevention and treatment approaches that they are expected to pass on to fellow professionals and livestock farmers.
“This will help us to train other veterinarians to improve the services we provide, and we will train breeders to increase production and animal wellbeing,” Mbaga added.
RAWO says the initiative reflects its wider mission of advancing animal welfare standards in Rwanda by advocating for the inclusion of animal welfare guidelines in governmental livestock programs and development cooperation projects involving animals.
The organization is currently promoting internationally recognized animal welfare principles centered on the “Five Freedoms of Animals,” which include freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injuries and disease, freedom to express normal behavior, and freedom from fear and distress.
According to Dr Jean Claude Masengesho, Executive Director of RAWO, the training was designed to improve the competencies of veterinary professionals while ensuring that animal welfare guidelines becomes an integral part of livestock development programs.
“The purpose and impact is to have vets know what animal welfare is, animal welfare guidelines and how to implement those guidelines,” Masengesho said.
The push for stronger animal welfare standards follows findings from research conducted by WTS-Vet United, which identified significant gaps in animal welfare awareness and practices in projects involving livestock and other animals.
The research showed that poor handling and treatment of animals often weakens the sustainability and long-term impact of development projects, prompting calls for animal welfare guidelines to be embedded in all livestock-related interventions.
Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), one of the partners in the initiative, has previously emphasized the need for CPD for private vets to improve professionalism within the sector.
Officials have noted that inadequate service delivery by some practitioners has, in the past, affected public trust in veterinary services, making professional development programs increasingly important.
As part of the next implementation phase, RAWO plans to conduct other similar trainings in other provinces of Rwanda.
The discussions are expected to focus on practical approaches for integrating animal welfare guidelines into government livestock programs and development cooperation projects, while also identifying potential challenges and opportunities in implementing the standards nationwide.
These efforts signal a growing recognition in Rwanda that animal welfare is not only ethical concern, but also a critical pillar for sustainable livestock production, public health and rural economic development.
