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From early mornings down at the harbour checking for banned imports and pet microchips, to inspecting beekeeper hives and supporting cattle vaccination programmes, Senior Scientific Officer for Veterinary in the Infrastructure and Environment Department, Ashley Pinel, has spent decades helping to keep the Island running.
Ashley has been a key figure at Howard Davis Farm since 1989, starting in Agriculture and Fisheries. He then moved to the veterinary team and has been working there for the past 25 years. Once a home for bulls, Howard Davis Farm now serves as a laboratory and office base for the work of I&E’s Natural Environment Directorate.
One day Ashley may be checking a pet passport, the next he may be inspecting a beehive. However, one call he didn’t expect to receive came from the coastguard when he was called out to Grouville Beach.
“I was actually about to go swimming as it wasn’t work hours, but I got back into the car and headed straight out as some cows escaped, got onto Grouville Beach and ended up in the sea!
“When I arrived, I helped the vets and the keepers who were there, took my instructions and supported how I could. But that’s how it is, you may receive a call anytime – day or night. That’s what it’s like working with animals, but at the end of the day we’re here for the animals first, as well as for public safety of course.”
As well as responding to animal welfare concerns, a key part of Ashley’s role is protecting animals’ health by making sure Jersey is free from disease through important surveillance work.
Ashley said: “Our surveillance programmes check cattle for diseases like Bovine TB, as well as the shellfish industry such as oysters, fish in the reservoirs and so on. It’s about making sure the Island can be recognised as free from disease.”
Thanks to the work of the veterinary team with local farmers, Jersey has an excellent vaccination rate for Blue Tongue Virus in sheep, cattle and goats. This achievement has been essential in keeping the Island disease free, despite outbreaks of it in neighbouring France.
Down at the harbour, Ashley has an important job of ensuring cats and dogs travelling under the pet travel scheme are correctly documented and vaccinated before entering the Island.
“Most of this work is done out of hours because of ferry schedules. Sometimes we get calls as early as four o’clock in the morning from Saint Malo if there’s an issue.”
The work done behind the scenes keeps the Island running by keeping the public safe, protecting Jersey’s animals, and supporting the farming industry.
Jersey currently has precautionary restrictions on the importation of meat and dairy products due to the risk Foot and Mouth Disease, and other diseases such as lumpy skin disease and African swine fever in the EU presents to our livestock.
“We work with Customs and Immigration, as well as DFDS, to advise people and enforce the rules, it’s to protect our livestock in Jersey. When disease outbreaks occur in Europe or the UK, we need to work with the ports, farmers and Islanders to put preventative measures in place.”
Ashley has seen first-hand how important biosecurity measures can be throughout his career. One experience that has stayed with him dates to the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak, when Jersey was surrounded by cases in neighbouring countries but managed to remain disease-free.
During an official visit to the Island, Ashley and two colleagues were tasked with meeting Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh when they arrived by helicopter.
“They had said before arriving that they wanted to be treated the same as everyone else and follow the same biosecurity rules. So when they landed, myself and two colleagues ensured a royal foot bath was ready for them with a little bit of disinfectant in. It was very quick but a real honour to see them and the Duke of Edinburgh gave us a little cheeky smile.”
Owning both a dog, Scarlet, and a black cat, Sydney, what shines through when speaking to Ashley is just how much he cares about animal welfare.
“Having animals is a privilege and a responsibility. If you’re unsure about anything please seek advice, people are welcome to contact us here at Howard Davis Farm if they have any concerns.
“One of the hardest things for people can be knowing when it’s time to let a pet go. It’s important to get support.”
A piece of work Ashley is particularly proud of, and has been working tirelessly on, is the Animal Welfare (Jersey) Law 2026 which was passed by the States Assembly earlier this year.
“A lot of people are already doing a fantastic job looking after their animals so they shouldn’t be affected or notice a change. What this legislation does is raise standards, so it gives stronger protection to our animals.”
“This law will still be around long after I’ve gone, so that’ll be my little legacy.”
Whether it’s before dawn at the harbour or answering an emergency on the coast, Ashley and the team’s work is rarely predictable but after decades of helping protect Jersey’s animals and biosecurity, and working to strengthen animal welfare laws for the future, it all remains a vital part of keeping the Island running.