“In a world where the treatment of animals is often overlooked or undervalued, Dr. Grandin stands as a beacon of compassion, empathy, and innovation.”
—Sandra Eskin, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety
Dr. Temple Grandin’s pragmatic approach to giving farmed animals a life worth living has defined her advocacy efforts over the past half century. From squeezing herself into a stock chute at her aunt’s ranch, to developing animal welfare scorecards for fast-food giants, to designing cattle corrals that reduce stress and improve productivity, she is exceptionally attuned to animals’ needs.
A renowned animal behaviorist and autism activist, Dr. Grandin has authored hundreds of scientific articles and textbooks, consulted with agricultural companies both large and small, and educated and mentored thousands of students as a professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University. Dr. Grandin was among the first scientists to call for the phasing out of gestation crates for pregnant sows, and she is a strong proponent of transparency and auditing of animal agriculture practices.
In 2010, Time magazine named Dr. Grandin as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in the “heroes” category. In 2015, the World Organisation for Animal Health honored her with its Meritorious Achievement Award.
On March 14, at a ceremony in Washington, DC, AWI awarded the Schweitzer Medal to Dr. Grandin in recognition of her enduring advocacy for the humane treatment of farmed animals. Following introductory remarks by AWI’s executive director and CEO, Susan Millward, Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) presented the medal to Dr. Grandin. Her “passion for relating to nonhuman animals has benefited billions of animals worldwide,” he told the audience. USDA Deputy Under Secretary Eskin also spoke at the ceremony.
Shortly after AWI was founded, Dr. Albert Schweitzer—a famed scientist and humanitarian known for his philosophy focused on the value of all living things—gave the organization permission to create a medal bearing his name and honoring his legacy. For nearly 70 years, the Schweitzer Medal has been a symbol of outstanding achievement in the advancement of animal welfare.
Dr. Grandin has credited autism for providing her with a unique perspective in relating to nonhuman animals. “One of the things that I think has helped me in my work with animals is that I am a totally visual thinker. So the very first work I ever did, I looked at what cattle were seeing when they were going through the chutes at the feedlots to get vaccinated. ... I didn’t know at the time that other people didn’t think in pictures.”
Throughout her long and storied career, Dr. Grandin has made it her mission to develop and encourage practical innovations to reduce the suffering experienced by the legions of animals farmed for food: “We owe them a decent life and a decent death, and their lives should be as low-stress as possible,” she wrote in her 2005 bestseller, Animals in Translation. “That’s my job.”