Humanimal Trust, the charity founded in 2014 by renowned orthopaedic veterinary surgeon Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, has announced the winners of its 2025 Creative Awards.
Now in their third year, the awards attracted 135 entries from individuals across the globe, including Turkey, China, Lithuania and Cyprus. Entrants showcased their talents across a wide range of media – artwork, poetry, photography and ceramics – responding to this year’s compelling theme: ”We are all animals”.
Inspired by the newly released children’s non-fiction book of the same name, co-authored by Humanimal Trust Patron, Christopher Lloyd, the theme invited participants to explore and express the profound biological and emotional connections shared by all animals, including humans.
The 2025 awards introduced a new category dedicated to professionals and students in human and animal medicine, reinforcing the Trust’s core mission: to advance the principles of One Medicine, which seeks to break down barriers between human and veterinary medicine for the mutual benefit of both people and animals – without causing harm to either.
Julie Askew, a PhD student at Bath Spa University, was named the winner of this new category for her captivating photomicrograph of a drop of dog saliva residue. Her work, which bridges art and science, highlights the diagnostic potential of non-invasive testing in both human and veterinary medicine.
Julie, said: “Research is on-going regarding the patterns of contaminates left in human dry drop residue of both saliva and blood, with diagnosis of disease possible with this non-invasive method. I am interested in the possibility of this being used for veterinary research, with dogs as the first test group. The potential is endless.”
Dr Matt Morgan, intensive care consultant, author and Patron of Humanimal Trust, who judged the new category, said: “Julie’s photograph beautifully captures the essence of One Medicine: the interconnectedness between animals and humans, the ordinary yet profound elements of biology we share. The saliva, mundane at first sight, symbolises a bridge – connecting the health and wellbeing of our companion animals directly to our own.
“Creatively and scientifically, saliva embodies both vulnerability and strength. It is protective, healing, and diagnostic – qualities equally critical in human and veterinary medicine. This image prompted reflection on the deeper narrative that binds us across species, reminding us that the tools to understand and heal are often hidden within everyday experiences.
“Choosing this photograph celebrated not only its visual creativity, but its conceptual brilliance. It invites us all to reconsider what is seemingly trivial, highlighting that often, the greatest insights come from looking closer at life’s simplest details.”
The two runners-up in the category for professionals and students are:
- Anita Van Adelsbergen from the Netherlands for her short story, entitled “A human-animal-conversation”.
- Helena Ramalho from Portugal for her poem inspired by One Medicine.
Andrea Short, research and scientific outreach manager at Humanimal Trust, said: “The creativity, compassion and thoughtfulness shown by every entrant has been truly inspiring. The theme ’We are all animals’ reflects not only our biological connections, but also our shared responsibility to foster a more collaborative, ethical and compassionate approach to medicine. We’re deeply grateful to everyone who took part.”
You can find more information about the Creative Awards and Humanimal Trust’s mission here.
