Research interests

• Assessing the humaneness of invasive animal control methods.
• Developing best practice methods of invasive animal control that reduce negative impacts on animal welfare.
• Humane euthanasia techniques.
• Attitudes towards animal welfare.

Background

Trudy Sharp is a Project Officer within the Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, located at Orange Agricultural Institute. Since starting with the Unit in 2003 she has reviewed invasive animal management techniques and developed and published 43 standard operating procedures and 7 codes of practice for the humane control of 10 invasive animal species. The aim of these documents is to encourage a more humane and uniform approach to the management of invasive animals. Recently she has developed a model to assess the relative humaneness of invasive animal control methods so that animal welfare impact can be considered when planning management programs.

She has also spent some time with the Department’s Animal Welfare Unit assisting with the development of codes of practice.

She joined NSW Agriculture* in 1991 as a Technical Officer in the Regional Veterinary Laboratory, Orange. She has over 12 years experience in performing technical diagnostic and research procedures in veterinary microbiology.

*NSW Department of Primary Industries was formed on July 1, 2004 through an amalgamation of NSW Agriculture, NSW Fisheries, State Forests of NSW and the NSW Department of Mineral Resources.

Qualifications

• B.Sc. (Hons) (Psych) – University of New England 2007 
• B.Sc. – University of New England 2002 
• Ass. Dip. App. Sc. (Med. Lab. Sc.) – Charles Sturt University 1989

Current projects

• Assessing the humaneness of invasive animal control methods.
• Developing standard operating procedures and codes of practice for the humane control of invasive animals.

Recent Publications

Sharp T and Saunders G (2008) A model for assessing the relative humaneness of pest animal control methods. Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra, ACT. Available from: http://www.daff.gov.au/animal-plant-health/welfare/aaws/humaneness_of_pest_animal_control_methods

Sharp T, Jones B, and Saunders G (2008) A model for assessing the humaneness of invasive animal control methods. In Saunders, G. and Lane, C (eds.) (2008). Proceedings of the 14th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference. Darwin, June.

Sharp T, and Saunders G (2007) Model standard operating procedures for the humane research of pest animals in Australia. New South Wales Department of Primary Industries: Orange. ISBN 978 0 7347 1843 3.
Available from: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/vertebrate-pests/codes/model-sops-research-pest-animals

Sharp T (2007) Walking the dog: an application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. B.Sc. (Honours) Thesis, University of New England, Armidale.

Sharp T and Saunders G (2005). Humane pest animal control: codes of practice and standard operating procedures. New South Wales Department of Primary Industries: Orange. ISBN 0 7347 1664 8.
Available from: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/vertebrate-pests/codes/humane-pest-animal-control

Blackall P, McKechnie K, and Sharp T (1994). Isolation of Haemophilus Taxon D from pigs in Australia. Australian Veterinary Journal, 71, 262-263.

Professional associations and activities

• Member of the International Society for Applied Ethology

Fields of Research

• 070207 Humane animal treatment
• 050211 Wildlife and habitat management
• 060801 Animal behaviour
• 220101 Bioethics (human and animal)

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Animal welfare 
• Invasive animals