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A professor at Massey University's Institute of Food Nutrition and Human Health in Palmerston North, David Mellor, ONZM, is an expert in animal welfare science and bioethics.
In 2004, he was involved in a study that found human and animal fetuses were unconscious throughout pregnancy and right up to birth, and therefore felt no pain.
He said it took several gasps of air for a newborn to boost oxygen levels enough to gain full consciousness.
Professor Mellor started investigating after slaughterhouse workers asked him if animal fetuses suffered after the mother was killed.
In 2005, he was elected an honorary associate of the Royal College for Veterinary Surgeons. He is also a former chairman of the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, advising the Government on animal welfare issues for several years after the committee was established in 1999.
Removal of the comb of male poultry and methods of pest control such as glue boards and leg-hold traps were among the issues considered by the committee during his reign.
The committee also compiled new welfare codes for pigs and hens, which were criticised when they were introduced in December 2004 for delaying any decision on banning sow stalls or battery cages until 2009.
But the committee said its own view was that sow stalls and battery cages failed to meet the basic requirements of the Animal Welfare Act.
In 2002, Professor Mellor said understanding animal needs and welfare required not only rigorous science, but a practical approach.
"Common sense, experience with practical care and management of animals, clinical observation of their health and welfare, and outcomes from veterinary therapies are also vitally important," he said.
His professional interests include uterine and fetal surgery, fetal growth, lactation and stress assessment.
Last year, he published papers on alleviating pain in cattle, and whether human eye contact served as a warning for domestic sheep.
