Dog Welfare and Ethics Advisory Committee

Aaron Horsington is a dedicated member of GDV’s DWEAC, where he plays a crucial role in fostering discussions on dog welfare and best practices across the organisation. His role as Guide Dogs Training and Client Services Manager, combined with his expertise as a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor, enriches the council with valuable insights and a strong commitment to prioritising dog welfare. 

Being an active member of the International Guide Dog Federation Accreditation Committee, Aaron ensures excellence in dog training and care, aspiring to help GDV produce the highest quality Guide Dogs while upholding world-class welfare standards. What he finds most fulfilling about his role on the council is engaging with diverse individuals and teams from outside the Guide Dog industry, inspiring fresh ideas and invigorating his passion for improving welfare practices.  

At home, Aaron enjoys experimenting with various cuisines and embraces a zero-waste approach to cooking. He also proudly loves and cares for Delphie, one of GDV’s charming Ambassador Dogs, who not only accompanies him to work each day but also spreads joy and affection at GDV events across Victoria. 

With extensive experience in the animal industry and qualifications in canine psychology, behaviour and training, and small animal hydrotherapy, Angela Braewood brings a deep commitment to GDV’s DWEAC. Believing that, “animals are among the kindest and purest beings we are surrounded by,” Angela’s passion for the wellbeing of animals, particularly dogs, is instantly recognisable.  

Through her work at GDV beyond the DWEAC, Angela actively contributes to the ongoing care of Clients and their dogs through her role as the Guide Dog Services Administration Coordinator. She feels privileged to be part of a team dedicated to ensuring the best possible care for GDV’s Clients and their dogs, who give so much to the community, and looks forward to both GDV and the DWEAC leading the way in dog welfare. 

Angela is the proud mum to Shelby, a Belgian Malinois x Border Collie, and Theodore, a Labrador who transitioned from the Guide Dog program to a pet, alongside a cat named Princess Pickles and five snakes. In her spare time, she enjoys playing percussion – though her dogs may not always appreciate the noise! 

Dr Elaine Ong is the dedicated founder and CEO (probono) of Vets for Compassion and a volunteer veterinarian during Victoria’s fire and flood emergencies. Vets for Compassion is committed to improving animal welfare across Australia, offering emergency capture and rescue services to all displaced, stray, mistreated or injured species in Metropolitan and outer Melbourne.

Elaine’s passion for advancing animal welfare extends beyond Australia to parts of Asia. A long-term ‘Train the Trainer’ project in China has become a highly sustainable program to train vets in desexing surgery for stray cats and dogs. She was the owner of the Balwyn Central Vet Hospital for 30 years and provided veterinary services to Guide Dogs Victoria for over 15 years.

In 2023, Elaine was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia Medal for her pioneering efforts in large animal rescue in Victoria and New South Wales and awarded Boroondara Citizen of the year in 2021. With Elaine’s invaluable expertise, the DWEAC can ensure GDV’s colony receives the highest standards of animal welfare and care.

Dr Kate Mornement holds a Ph.D. in animal behaviour and is a Board Certified Applied Animal Behaviourist (CAAB) through the Animal Behavior Society. Kate’s PhD research focused on the assessment of shelter dog behaviour to determine adoption suitability. With almost 20 years of experience, she has shared her expertise through her consulting business, Pets Behaving Badly, and more recently, as the founder of online education platform, Pet Behaviour Academy. Throughout her career, Kate has provided invaluable advice and education to pet owners, industry professionals, local government, and media outlets. Her work focuses on strengthening human-animal relationships by helping people understand animal behaviour, addressing behavioural challenges and building deeper connections between animals and their carers. Featured in the ABC docuseries A Dog’s World, she is a recognised subject matter expert and regularly speaks at prominent pet events and conferences. When she’s not working, Kate loves spending time with her family, friends, her beautiful rescue Border Collie, Lenny, and backyard chickens.

A dedicated volunteer for thirteen years across many different areas including nursery, Puppy Raising, temporary caring, and training, Loretta Priest’s years of experience working with our dogs at our Kew Campus is invaluable to this initiative. As well as raising three puppies in her time, Loretta gets behind every GDV campaign as a donor and participant, regularly taking part in our annual PAWGUST fundraiser to raise vital funds.

After losing her vision in a car accident at the age of 15, Lucy Coates faced the prospect of losing her beloved hobby, horse riding. Within a week of leaving the hospital, she was back in the saddle with big goals. Her lived experience as a Guide Dog Handler and deep love of animals informs her approach to GDV’s DWEAC, ensuring the perspective of those working directly with Guide Dogs. Training five times a week to reach her goal of competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics as a para-equestrian dressage rider, Lucy loves knowing that her Guide Dog Mickey is cheering her on from the sidelines, patiently waiting for her during each ride and helping her navigate the stables. She is currently studying psychology and neuroscience at university. 

Dr Mia Cobb is a leading interdisciplinary scientist who researches the welfare of dogs, with a focus on how animal welfare science, human psychology and emerging technologies can help dogs and people live happier lives. With a focus on promoting positive human-animal interactions, she advocates for responsible pet ownership and humane training methods. Having worked in shelters and working dog facilities for over a decade, as well as being an ex-GDV employee, Mia’s experience could not be more suited to DWEAC’s work. She shares her home with a large dog named Rudy, a rehomed ‘pandemic pup’ called Luna, and three chickens named after characters from the musical Hamilton. 

Russell Harrison’s career began in veterinary medicine, working at different practices across Australia and the UK. Returning to Australia, he served as Head of Hospital at Lort Smith Animal Hospital, providing accessible, low-cost veterinary care to those that need it most. Transitioning to work within disability services, Russell served as Deputy CEO and COO at an organisation supporting over 1500 Clients across 100 sites in Victoria. His commitment to ensuring that the voices of Clients are heard and acted upon makes him an invaluable asset to the CAC. 

Russell’s unique background working as a vet and within the disability sector showed him the profound impact animals have on peoples’ lives, inspiring his career path and leading to what feels like a destined role at GDV as General Manager of Dog and Vision Services. At GDV, Russell has driven several innovative programs, including wellbeing and employment services, on-site veterinary services, and a revitalised Therapy Dog program. Outside of work, Russell is an active member of the community, regularly surfing and running as a volunteer sighted guide at the Achilles Melbourne running club for people with disability. You can also find him relaxing at home with his family and their beloved Maltese cross, Boris.