Debby Reynolds

Debby Reynolds is the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) of the United Kingdom and for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Since becoming Chief Veterinary Officer in March 2004, she has been the British government's main spokesperson on animal health, and she has been 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.

Reynolds is a keen birdwatcher and was a member of the Reading Ornithology Club in the 1980s. Her husband keeps show game fowl, chickens and bantams. Government and university websites refer to her as Debby Reynolds, nevertheless news media have occasionally incorrectly referred to her as Debbie Reynolds.

Career

 * 1970 to 1975 - Studied veterinary science at the University of Bristol, a 5-year course, gained an honours degree, BVSc.
 * ? dates - PhD in the epidemiology of enteric viruses in calves, University of Reading
 * ? dates - Research Officer at the Institute for Animal Health.
 * 1984 to 1994 - Worked in the Veterinary Investigation Service of the State Veterinary Service and moved to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (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 Agency.
 * March 2004 to date - Chief Veterinary Officer for DEFRA and the United Kingdom.