[1] His military service in Oman led to his appointment as Veterinary Officer for HM Sultan Qaboos bin Said.
[2] He then took an MSc in Tropical Animal Health and Production at the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine in the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, which led to his appointment as Technical Advisor in the Middle East and North Africa, for The Wellcome Foundation.
[6][7] Following the closure of the institute in 2022, he raised funds to purchase the library and other historical records, which were relocated to the Harper Keele Veterinary School, and the institute's archives were transferred to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
It is awarded annually to the most commendable paper authored by a graduate within five years of obtaining their first degree.
[8] In 2009, Higgins chaired the Independent Anti-Doping and Medication Control Review for the Greyhound Board of Great Britain.