From the time of his earliest memory, Neil Trent wanted to work
for animals, sometimes even skipping school to work in a
veterinary office. Such passion served him well at the age of
20, when he managed to convince the British Royal Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) to relax its
strict age-entry criteria and admit him to its prestigious Law
Enforcement Division training program. Graduating at the top of
his class, Trent hit the streets of London ready to do battle
with the animal abusers.
And for the past 30 years, Trent has been doing exactly
that, although on a much wider scale. He has traveled the
world, from The Congo to Vietnam, confronting those who
exploit, abuse, or simply neglect animals.
With Animal Latitudes, Trent will share his insights into
global animal welfare issues, based on his wealth of practical
experience. His day-to-day experiences include dealing with
investigations, animal sheltering and control, companion animal
behavior, spay/neuter programs, humane education, wildlife
protection (including rehabilitation programs), animal rescue,
and disaster relief. What's more, Trent is considered an expert
on all aspects of humane handling, transport and slaughter of
livestock. He has also worked with foreign government
officials, politicians, and local animal protection groups to
develop animal welfare programs, campaigns and initiatives.
His work with animals has taken him all over the globe. He
has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin
American and the Caribbean, and the Pacific Rim. His career
highlights include:
- Eighteen years with the RSPCA in England, the Bahamas
and Australia
- Service with the World Society for the Protection of
Animals (WSPA), first as field officer, then as field
services director, and finally as regional director for
North and Latin America
Trent joined Humane Society International in 1997 as
operations director and was quickly promoted to executive
director. The opinions expressed in Animal Latitudes are
Trent's; they are not necessarily those of The HSUS.
