Making room for small ethical breeders

Making room for small ethical breeders

Author: maryvy March 6, 2026 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 nose‑to‑tail assessment / Breeding For Health Framework. Mary catches up with Beverley Cuddy, a former podcast guest, to discuss these developments. A key theme of the conversation is the importance of involving breeders in discussions about the future of dog breeding. Beverley recently founded the Union of Dog People, representing those small scale breeders who believe that breeding a dog brings with it responsibility.  As previously discussed on the podcast, puppy farming poses significant risks to animal welfare. Small, ethical breeders can and do play an important role in the fight against puppy farms, providing support and education for new dog owners, and enabling people to bring dogs into their family that are healthy and socialised.  There's a lot to discuss, with social media full of different points of view on the best way forward, from academics, charities, breeders and everyone who has spent their life with dogs. Hopefully, by working together, we can find a solution to the problem of extreme conformation and have many future generations of healthy, happy dogs.  More Information Welcome to the Union of Good Dog People - Dogs above everything Breeding for health framework | The Royal Kennel Club Innate Health Assessment | Promote Healthy Breeding Now RKC and APGAW Dog Health Action Plan    

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
Sneak Preview - Vet Nursing Awareness Month [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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In this short intro episode, we highlight new episodes for May, otherwise known as Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month. So, we're focussing on the impact of veterinary nursing on animal welfare. In our first 3 episodes we…
Episode 8 - Animal welfare and the CMA report [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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In this episode we take a break from interviews, and Mary considers the impact of the CMA report on animal welfare. Recent years have seen many changes in veterinary practice, and in particular the corporatisation of the…
Episode 7 - Dr Tanya Stephens FRCVS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Duration: 46:52
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Episode 1 - Amy Lyons - Veterinary Nursing in Australia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:00
We were delighted to chat with Amy Lyons in our more recent edition of Animal Welfare Conversations. Working as a veterinary nurse in Australia Amy sees a variety of different animals – anything from wombats and kangaroo…
AWC_Introduction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:13
Welcome to Animal Welfare Conversations A podcast for veterinary nurses, vets, vet students, and anyone who just loves working with animals. This podcast is for you if you want to feel part of a larger conversation and c…