RIVER FALLS – Staff and students from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Humane Handling Institute (HHI) will present research and best practices at the Meat Institute’s Animal Care & Handling Conference in Denver May 13-14.

The only event in the country dedicated to advancing animal welfare and handling practices within the meat industry, the conference bridges academic research and real-world application with the goal of sharing practical solutions.

HHI Program Director Kurt Vogel, along with Kayla Williams from American Foods Group, will present “Creating Great Animal Welfare Culture.” Drawing from their real-world experience, Vogel and Williams will discuss practical strategies for inspiring teams, aligning operations with ethical standards and creating environments where everyone feels empowered to do what is right.

"Our goal is to foster a culture of excellence in animal welfare practices,” Vogel said. “This conference provides a valuable platform to share and collaborate with industry professionals, increasing our reach and expanding our impact."

Vogel is an animal welfare expert with a career dedicated to the development of animal welfare education and research. For nearly 15 years, he has helped UW-River Falls develop meat industry partnerships and engage in relevant and accessible research.

Brooke Casey and Alli Matzek, HHI’s student program technicians, will share findings from their research on humane handling enforcement actions and stun placement for bison, respectively. HHI scientist and trainer Karly Anderson will present research findings related to captive bolt placement for mature beef bulls. Anderson leads the HHI research program, currently focused on the evaluation and refinement of captive bolt stunning and euthanasia for various livestock species.

"Understanding the position of captive bolt placements relative to the brain is important for guiding stun placement recommendations,” explained Anderson.

Learn more about the conference at meatinstitute.swoogo.com/animalcare2025.

Established in 2022, the UW-River Falls Humane Handling Institute is strengthening the skill level of meat industry employees, improving animal welfare, and increasing consumer trust in meat processing establishments. The institute is internationally recognized for its hands-on training workshops for humane livestock handling, stunning, and equipment maintenance. For more information visit go.uwrf.edu/hhi.

Submitted by UW-River Falls