Dog Welfare and Ethics Advisory Committee

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.

Emily oversees the strategic and day-to-day operations of Guide Dogs Victoria’s breeding program, bringing extensive expertise in canine reproduction, early puppy development and welfare. Her role includes managing breeding plans, monitoring genetic health and diversity, coordinating matings and fertility management, and overseeing breeding dogs while supporting their volunteer carers. 

Alongside her reproductive expertise, Emily has led initiatives to expand early socialisation practices and refine enrichment approaches that support strong behavioural foundations in puppies during their earliest weeks. Her work plays a key role in setting puppies up for long-term success and wellbeing. 

Emily’s journey with Guide Dogs Victoria began in 2004 during work placement while completing her Diploma in Animal Technology. Since then, she has progressed through volunteer and staff roles, discovering a passion for canine reproduction and incorporating cooperative care techniques to ensure breeding dogs experience positive, low-stress handling. 

Karen brings more than 13 years of experience with Guide Dogs Victoria to her role on the Dog Welfare & Ethics Committee. She began her journey as a dedicated volunteer, raising four puppies, running puppy classes, and supporting first-time puppy raisers by delivering pups into their homes. She has also been an active member of the events team, assisting with a range of duties including handling GDV’s Ambassador Dogs. 

Motivated by her love of the organisation and its dogs, Karen later joined GDV as an employee, gaining hands-on experience working in both the kennels and the nursery. These roles have given her a strong, practical understanding of the care and welfare needs of dogs at different stages of their journey. 

With experience spanning volunteer and staff roles, Karen brings a well-rounded perspective to the committee. Her passion for dog welfare and her knowledge across multiple areas of GDV make her a valuable contributor to ensuring dogs’ wellbeing remains at the heart of decision-making. 

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.

Janice brings nearly three decades of hands-on experience at Guide Dogs Victoria to her role on the Dog Welfare & Ethics Committee. Having spent 27 years working across the organisation, she has developed a deep, practical understanding of dog welfare through roles in the nursery supporting whelps, time in the kennels, and now in her current position working closely alongside GDV’s vet. 

In her role today, Janice helps oversee the health and welfare of GDV’s entire colony, including breeding stock, puppies in the raising program, dogs in training, working Guide Dogs, Therapy Dogs and Wellbeing Dogs. This whole-of-lifecycle perspective gives her a strong, informed voice on welfare considerations across every stage of a dog’s journey at GDV. 

With a longstanding commitment to canine health and wellbeing, Janice is passionate about ensuring dogs and puppies are thoughtfully represented in decision-making. She welcomes conversations around welfare and ethics and is proud to contribute her experience to the committee, helping uphold and strengthen GDV’s high standards of care into the future. 

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. 

Monica has been part of Guide Dogs Victoria since 2021, working within the kennels facility with a strong focus on the health, welfare and development of dogs in training. In this role, she plays an integral part in ensuring each dog receives high-quality care, appropriate socialisation and tailored support throughout their training journey. 

Monica has contributed to the development and standardisation of enrichment strategies designed to enhance wellbeing, reduce stress and promote positive behavioural outcomes. Prior to joining GDV, she spent five years working in the animal welfare sector with shelter dogs and holds a Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services, supporting her hands-on experience with formal qualifications. 

Beyond her professional work, Monica has over a decade of experience fostering dogs, including those with complex medical and behavioural needs. She currently cares for a Cavoodle requiring ongoing medical support and is the proud owner of a black Labrador, Willow, reflecting her deep personal commitment to animal welfare.