Glenys is one of Australia’s most experienced animal advocates. From rural beginnings on a Victorian dairy farm to heading up Australia’s most effective animal advocacy group, her work to put animal welfare on community and government agendas has spanned over four decades.
After obtaining a degree in Behavioural Science, Glenys turned her attention to animal protection and is a quiet force behind many of the historic changes in Australian animal policy.
Glenys has contributed to numerous national reviews of Codes of Practice and animal welfare laws in each State and Territory. She was one of the instigators behind the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy – first endorsed in 2004 – and the more recent Australian Animal Welfare Standards for Poultry, which will see battery cages for egg-laying hens phased out across the country.
Glenys has also worked to achieve greater protection for animals through representation on various Government and industry standards committees, including the Australian National Consultative Committee on Animal Welfare (advising Federal and State Agriculture Ministers), the Victorian and Tasmanian Animal Welfare Advisory Committees, and Institutional Animal Ethics committees.
Glenys was once the sole employee of Animals Australia in 1983 and has since led the organisation to create and fuel some of the most important change for animals in Australia’s history.
Glenys was named the 2024 Victorian Senior Australian of the Year for her work in animal advocacy. With this award, Glenys has become the first ever animal advocate to be chosen as a state representative for the Australian of the Year – in any category.
Highly regarded internationally, Glenys is also a Board member of the World Federation for Animals and is keenly collaborating with international and compassionate leaders to advance our vision of a kinder world.
