From Vet to Visionary: Manda Scott on Healing, Hope, and Systemic Change

From Vet to Visionary: Manda Scott on Healing, Hope, and Systemic Change

Author: maryvy March 13, 2026 Duration: 1:12:44
In this expansive and deeply grounded conversation, we hear from Manda Scott, to explore why personal healing and systemic change must go hand in hand if we want to leave a healthy planet for future generations. Tracing her journey from veterinary medicine in Scotland and Cambridge to award‑winning writing and spiritual practice, Manda shares her understanding of today’s interconnected poly crisis, the sixth mass extinction, breached planetary boundaries, and why incremental solutions can’t meet the scale of the challenge. Manda reminds us that the answers already exist—and meaningful change is still possible if we choose to act together.   Biography Born in Scotland at 318ppm CO2, Manda Scott trained as a veterinary surgeon, but is now an award-winning novelist, host of the Accidental Gods podcast and co-creator of the Thrutopia Masterclass. Best known for the Boudica: Dreaming series, her latest novel, Any Human Power, is a mytho-political Thrutopian thriller that explores the potential for a future we'd be proud to leave as our legacy. She believes that the way forward now is for everyone to craft open-hearted connections with all parts of ourselves, each other and the Web of Life. She lives with her wife in the Shropshire Marches.   Further information Accidental Gods Podcast https://accidentalgods.life/our-podcast/ Accidental Gods Membership https://accidentalgods.life/join-us/ Thrutopia Masterclass https://thrutopia.life/the-thrutopia-masterclass/ Dreaming Awake https://dreamingawake.co.uk/ Manda books https://mandascott.co.uk/  Resource Page from Any Human Power https://mandascott.co.uk/any-human-power-resources/   Audrey Tang https://rightlivelihood.org/the-change-makers/find-a-laureate/audrey-tang/ Doughnut Economics https://doughnuteconomics.org/ Wellbeing Alliance (there’s a strong hub of this in Scotland) https://weall.org/ Client Earth https://www.clientearth.org/ Stop Ecocide https://www.stopecocide.earth/ Layers for Nature https://lawyers-for-nature.ghost.io/ Biomimicry https://biomimicry.org/inspiration/what-is-biomimicry/ The Work that Reconnects https://workthatreconnects.org/dimensions-of-the-great-turning/ River Dôn Project https://www.theriverdon.org/ Local Currencies  https://centerforneweconomics.org/publications/local-currencies-in-the-21st-century-understanding-money-building-local-economies-renewing-community/

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
Making room for small ethical breeders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:43
With Crufts taking place this weekend, we explore the future of dog breeding. Recent media attention has focused on breeding practices, conformation, the Innate Health Assessment Tool, and the Royal Kennel Club’s new nos…
Assessing Pain, Improving Welfare: Insights from Dr Beatriz Monteiro [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:15
In this episode we are joined by Dr Beatriz Monteiro, to discuss in more depth the impact of pain on animal welfare. We consider the differences between acute and chronic pain, how pain impacts on all aspects of animal w…
2026: New Animal welfare conversations [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:13
Welcome to 2026, and new episodes of the Animal Welfare Conversation. In this introductory episode we have a sneak preview of the new interviews, covering a broad range of topics including animal welfare science, climate…
Veterinary Controversies & Ethical Dilemmas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:19
This week, we had the privilege of speaking with Professor Eddie Clutton and Dr Polly Taylor, both distinguished anaesthetists and two of the co-editors of Veterinary Controversies and Ethical Dilemmas. Their book, now h…
Epilepsy in Veterinary and Human Healthcare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:10
This week we catch up with Dr Jos Bongers, a veterinary neurologist from Glasgow Vet School, and Professor Sameer Zuberi, a paediatric neurologist at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. They discuss their career…
Clinical Biases [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:13
Decision making mini-series - episode 3 - Bias In this episode we discuss the complexities of decision-making in veterinary medicine, focusing on biases that can impact clinical reasoning and client communication. We loo…
Clinical Reasoning and Animal Welfare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:45
In the second episode focussing on Clinical Decision Making, this week we look at clinical reasoning. Last week we discussed the way in which vets make decisions and all of the things that they are juggling at the one ti…
Animal Welfare and Decision Making [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:23
In this episode of the Animal Welfare Conversation podcast, we take a break from the interviews, and will spend the next few weeks looking at the complexities of decision-making in veterinary medicine and how this relate…
The Impact of Human Bias on Animal Welfare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:57
Welcome to the next episode of The Animal Welfare Conversation. This week we meet Dr Rowena Packer, of the RVC. Rowena is the Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science at the Royal Veterinary Coll…