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After just over a year and a half of discussions, consultations and planning PraxisUnico and Auril have formally announced the launch of their new organisation and identity at their annual Auril conference in Bristol on the 5th and 6th October 2017.

The Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG) system is a web-based software application designed for capturing, storing and visualising animal welfare assessment data. The system was developed by Public Health England in collaboration with the University of Surrey, School of Veterinary Medicine. The first version was released in 2015 and has been trialled by PHE and a number of other research organisations. Feedback has been very positive in terms of assessing current welfare and identifying areas for potential improvement such as housing, use of enrichment and frequency of applying procedures. During these trials and those from zoos and wildlife trusts, many ideas for future developments have been gathered. Further development is now required to refine the system and to make it applicable to a wider range of applications in the research community where the system has potential to improve animal welfare.