Dr Dan O'Neill - What makes a good life? Part 1

Dr Dan O'Neill - What makes a good life? Part 1

Author: maryvy August 25, 2025 Duration: 30:36
What makes a good life? Part 1 In this episode of the Animal Welfare Conversation, we meet Dr Dan O’Neill of the RVC. Dan is well known in the veterinary profession for his work with VetCompass and animal welfare. Dan is a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and has received many awards in recent years from BSAVA, Kennel Club Charitable Trust, and was awarded the RCVS Impact Award in 2025. In this 2 part podcast episode we examine an animal’s capacity for a good life and the opportunities they get to fulfil that. In this eye-opening episode, Dr. O'Neill challenges traditional veterinary approaches, arguing that good animal welfare extends far beyond the absence of disease. He presents a groundbreaking framework based on two key elements: an animal's capacity for a good life and their opportunity to fulfil that capacity. Through compelling examples, including the concerning rise of brachycephalic breeds in the UK we see how human choices can significantly impact animals' ability to live naturally and happily.   BIOGRAPHY Dr Dan O’Neill , Associate Professor Companion Animal Epidemiology, RVCMVB BSc(Hons) GPCert(SAP) GPCert(FelP) GPCert(Derm) GPCert(B&PS) PGCertVetEd FHEA MSc(VetEpi) PhD FRCVS Following 22 years in general veterinary practice, Dan moved to academia to gain a PhD and now co-leads the RVC VetCompass™ Programme. With over 170 papers, he also co-authored the books ‘Breed Predispositions to Disease in Dogs and Cats’ and ‘Health and Welfare of Brachycephalic (Flat-faced) Companion Animals’. He is a founding member of the UK Brachycephalic Working Group, the UK Legal Advisory Group on Extreme Conformation in Dogs and the International Collaborative on Extreme Conformation in Dogs. Dan was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2018, the BSAVA Blaine Award for Advancement of Small Animal Science in 2019, the International Canine Health Award from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust in 2021, the UK All Party Parliamentary Group ‘Phillippa Robinson Dog Welfare Award’ in 2024 and the RCVS Impact Award in 2025. Dan is currently developing his Innate Health Concept as an application for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare (APGAW) that aims to shift the UK dog demographic progressively away from extreme conformation over the coming decade. 

What does it truly mean to care for an animal, whether it's a beloved pet at home or a species on the brink in the wild? Animal Welfare Conversations digs into that question through candid, often surprising discussions with the people on the front lines. Hosted by maryvy, each episode brings you directly into dialogue with veterinary surgeons and nurses making critical medical decisions, conservationists designing field interventions, and animal owners navigating daily ethical choices. The scope is deliberately broad, covering pets, domestic animals, farm residents, zoo inhabitants, and wildlife, because the principles of compassionate care connect them all. You'll hear concrete stories about decision-making and the realities of providing a good life, not just abstract theory. This is a podcast built on curiosity and a willingness to re-examine what we think we know, challenging assumptions about standard practices and long-held beliefs in the pursuit of tangible improvement. It’s for anyone-families, science enthusiasts, or nature lovers-who believes animal welfare is a complex, evolving conversation worth having. Tune in for perspectives that are both deeply personal and rigorously practical, reminding us of our shared responsibility toward the creatures in our care.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 41

Animal Welfare Conversations
Podcast Episodes
Episode 18: Nora Smith and the work of the USPCA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:22
In this episode we focus on the work of the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, otherwise known as the USPCA. Established in 1836, the USPCA is the second oldest animal welfare charity in the world,…
Announcing a new award for animal welfare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:10
Sneak preview! We are still finalising things, but I wanted to let you know that Animal Welfare Conversations is launching a new award for Animal Welfare. The Alex Fraser Medal for Animal Welfare will be awarded on an an…
Episode 15 - Dr Bronwyn Orr - Animal Welfare Science [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:40
Welcome to the next episode of the Animal Welfare conversation. This week we’re joined by Dr Bronwyn Orr, who is a veterinary surgeon in Australia. Dr Bronwyn Orr has a particular interest in animal welfare, completing a…
Episode 14 - Dr Marc Abraham OBE, Campaigning for lasting change [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:18
In this episode we catch up with Dr Marc Abraham OBE, BVM&S MRCVS, or ‘Marc the Vet’ as he’s usually known, a multi-award-winning veterinary surgeon, author, broadcaster, and animal welfare campaigner. Marc qualified fro…
Episode 12 - Beverley Cuddy, Editor, Dogs Today Magazine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:23
In this episode we catch up with Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today Magazine. Beverley Cuddy has been the editor of Dogs Today magazine since in launch in 1990 when it was part of the Daily Mail group. From childhood s…
Episode 11 Sam Fontaine RVN - Giving Vet Nurses a Seat at the Table [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:12
In this episode we meet Sam Fontaine MSc PGCAP BSc DipAVN(Med) RVN FHEA SFRET Sam qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2002 and after a short time in general practice, joined the University of Glasgow’s Small Animal Hospit…
Episode 10 - Emma Ruggles RVN - Hydrotherapy and Animal Welfare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:11
In this episode we meet Emma Ruggles RVN CertVNECC APVN (Wildlife and Zoo Animals) L3CertSAHydro. Emma has worked in the veterinary industry for 10 years and qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2016, and has al…
Episode 9 - Veterinary Nursing with Lacey Pitcher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:50
In this episode we chat to Lacey Pitcher RVN about the world of veterinary nursing, and that impact of that on animal welfare. We consider the importance of understanding socio-economic factors in animal welfare, sharing…