About us
We work to protect animal and public health by preventing and controlling the spread of disease.
We support the food and farming industry by providing science-based evidence to advise policy-makers on animal health and welfare.
Who we are
Our headquarters is located in Weybridge, Surrey. We employ around 2,200 staff, based at various sites across the UK.
Our responsibilities
We’re responsible for:
- protecting public health and food security through our work to prevent, identify and control animal disease
- working to identify and understand new and re-emerging diseases and other threats to animal health, and finding the best means to diagnose and prevent them
- ensuring high standards of welfare in farmed animals
- facilitating trade in animals and in products of animal origin
- providing an emergency response to an animal disease outbreak
- protecting endangered species through licensing and registration
- providing evidence to enable Defra, Scotland, Wales and the EU to make policy in the field of animal and public health, and animal welfare
Our priorities
From 2014 to 2015, our priorities will be:
- to successfully manage the merger of AHVLA with the Plant, Seed and Bee Health Inspectorates of Fera and launch a new combined agency
- identify future issues for animal health and welfare in line with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Scottish government and Welsh government policy
- look for new sources of income, and continue to introduce charges for services that are currently provided free to the industry
- introduce a procurement programme for the supply of veterinary services
- introduce a new way of working with private veterinary surgeons
- introduce Surveillance 2014, a new model for monitoring for trends in animal diseases
- continue to provide scientific evidence to help tackle bovine tuberculosis
Additional services
The AHVLA offers additional services to the veterinary and scientific community, industry and the public, including:
- the supply of commercial products and services through AHVLA Scientific
- a disease alert service which helps keep people informed of the latest developments on animal disease
- an online tool which provides access to veterinary information and instructions for official veterinarians and private veterinary surgeons