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
Dr Dan O'Neill - What makes a good life - part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:38
What makes a good life? Part 2 In this episode of the Animal Welfare Conversation, we continue the conversation with Dr Dan O’Neill of the RVC. Dan is well known in the veterinary profession for his work with VetCompass…
Dr Dan O'Neill - What makes a good life? Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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…
Education and Animal Welfare with Dr Toby Trimble [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:41
Welcome back! In this episode we catch up with Dr Toby Trimble, the founder of Trimble Group, a film production company, reinventing education for animal health. Listeners to the podcast will know that education features…
2025 - Looking Forward [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:35
After a slightly longer break than we had anticipated, I'm really happy to let everyone know that we're back! With so much happening in the world of animal welfare it's difficult to know where to start, but we're going t…
2024 - Reviewing the Animal Welfare Conversation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:51
It’s the end of the year, so we took the chance to review the podcast. I still can’t believe that we’ve being doing this for a year now and had the chance to talk to so many people, about the great work they’re doing in…
Prof Simon Girling - Reintroducing native species [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:32
Welcome to the next episode of The Animal Welfare Conversation. This week we are joined by Prof Simon Girling. Simon has worked with zoological collections for the past 15 years, and has been involved with many different…
Mike Flynn MBE - A career in animal welfare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:53
In this episode we were lucky enough to catch up, earlier this year, with Mike Flynn MBE, Chief Superintendent of the Scottish SPCA, and we caught up just before he retired, to find out more about his 37-year career prot…
Dr Paula Boyden - The Links Group and Freedom Project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:32
Trigger warning This is part 2 of an episode that we recorded with Dr Paula Boyden, Veterinary Director at Dogs Trust. This extra episode focusses on domestic abuse, and how the work of the Dogs Trust and The Links Group…
Episode 20 - Dr Paula Boyden - Dogs Trust [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:22
In this episode we catch up with Dr Paula Boyden, Veterinary Director at Dogs Trust, to find out more about their work. Dogs Trust is the largest dog welfare organisation in the UK, rehoming 14,000 dogs a year and many o…