Debby Reynolds
Encyclopedia
Deborah 'Debby' Reynolds CB
served as the Chief Veterinary Officer
(CVO) of the United Kingdom
from March 2004 until she retired in November 2007. She is usually referred to as Debby Reynolds, or less often as Deborah Reynolds, and occasionally as Debbie Reynolds.
(CVO) of the United Kingdom
and for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(DEFRA) from March 2004 to 9 November 2007. As CVO, Reynolds was the British
government's main spokesperson on animal health
, and was in the British nationwide news repeatedly to explain policy and answer questions about outbreaks or control of serious animal infections, such as foot-and-mouth disease
, H5N1 bird flu
, bovine TB
, rabies
and bluetongue virus
. On 9 November 2007 DEFRA announced that Reynolds had opted to take early retirement at the age of 55 years, and that the Deputy CVO Fred Landeg
would take over temporarily as acting
CVO with immediate effect. She was made a Companion of the Order of Bath
(CB) in the New Year Honours 2008
.
and was a member of the Reading Ornithology Club in the 1980s. Her husband keeps show game fowl
, chicken
s and bantams
.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
served as the Chief Veterinary Officer
Chief Veterinary Officer (United Kingdom)
The Chief Veterinary Officer is an official in the British government, who is head of veterinary services in the United Kingdom. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland also each have a Chief Veterinary Officer....
(CVO) of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from March 2004 until she retired in November 2007. She is usually referred to as Debby Reynolds, or less often as Deborah Reynolds, and occasionally as Debbie Reynolds.
Chief Veterinary Officer
Reynolds was the Chief Veterinary OfficerChief Veterinary Officer (United Kingdom)
The Chief Veterinary Officer is an official in the British government, who is head of veterinary services in the United Kingdom. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland also each have a Chief Veterinary Officer....
(CVO) of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
(DEFRA) from March 2004 to 9 November 2007. As CVO, Reynolds was the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
government's main spokesperson on animal health
Veterinary medicine
Veterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...
, and was in the British nationwide news repeatedly to explain policy and answer questions about outbreaks or control of serious animal infections, such as foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease or hoof-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids...
, H5N1 bird flu
H5N1
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, also known as "bird flu", A or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other animal species...
, bovine TB
Mycobacterium bovis
Mycobacterium bovis is a slow-growing , aerobic bacterium and the causative agent of tuberculosis in cattle...
, rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
and bluetongue virus
Bluetongue disease
Bluetongue disease or catarrhal fever is a non-contagious, non-zoonotic, insect-borne, viral disease of ruminants, mainly sheep and less frequently cattle, goats, buffalo, deer, dromedaries and antelope...
. On 9 November 2007 DEFRA announced that Reynolds had opted to take early retirement at the age of 55 years, and that the Deputy CVO Fred Landeg
Fred Landeg
Frederick John Landeg CBE was the Chief Veterinary Officer of the United Kingdom and for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs , a post he took over on 9 November 2007....
would take over temporarily as acting
Acting (law)
In law, when someone is said to be acting in a position it can mean one of three things.*The position has not yet been formally created.*The person is only occupying the position temporarily, to ensure continuity.*The person does not have a mandate....
CVO with immediate effect. She was made a Companion of the Order of Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(CB) in the New Year Honours 2008
New Year Honours 2008
The New Year Honours 2008 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 29 December 2007, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2008....
.
Personal life
Reynolds is a keen birdwatcherBirdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
and was a member of the Reading Ornithology Club in the 1980s. Her husband keeps show game fowl
Fowl
Fowl is a word for birds in general but usually refers to birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl and the waterfowl...
, chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
s and bantams
Bantam (chicken)
A bantam is a small variety of poultry, especially chickens. Etymologically, the name bantam is derived from the city of Bantam - currently known as "Banten Province" or previously "Banten Residency" - once a major seaport, in Indonesia...
.
Career
- 1970 to 1975 - Studied veterinaryVeterinarianA veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
science at the University of BristolUniversity of BristolThe University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
, a 5-year course, gained an honours degree, BVSc - ? dates - PhDDoctor of PhilosophyDoctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in the epidemiology of enteric viruses in calves, University of ReadingUniversity of ReadingThe University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition... - ? dates - Research Officer at the Institute for Animal HealthInstitute for Animal HealthThe Institute for Animal Health is a research institute in the United Kingdom dedicated to the study of infectious diseases of farm animals. It forms part of the UK government's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council . The institute employs many scientists and vets, along with a...
- 1984 to 1994 - Worked in the Veterinary Investigation Service of the State Veterinary Service and moved to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodMinistry of Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodThe Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a United Kingdom government department created by the Board of Agriculture Act 1889 and at that time called the Board of Agriculture, and then from 1903 the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and from 1919 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries...
(MAFF) in 1991 where she worked until 1994 - 1994 to 1997 - Head of the Bacteriology Department at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency
- 1997 to 2001 - Head of Endemic Animal Disease and Zoonoses at MAFF, which subsequently became DEFRA
- 2001 to 2004 - Veterinary Director of the Food Standards AgencyFood Standards AgencyThe Food Standards Agency is a non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for protecting public health in relation to food throughout the United Kingdom and is led by a board appointed to act in the public interest...
- March 2004 to 9 November 2007 - Chief Veterinary Officer for DEFRA and the United Kingdom