Prof Andrew Knight - Animal Welfare, Livestock Farming and Vegan Pet Diets

Prof Andrew Knight - Animal Welfare, Livestock Farming and Vegan Pet Diets

Author: maryvy September 1, 2025 Duration: 46:48
Professor Andrew KnightBVMS BSc PhD PFHEA DipECAWBM DipACAW MANZCVS FRCVS Welcome to the next episode of the Animal Welfare Conversation. And this week we caught up with Prof Andrew Knight, animal welfare advocate, researcher and campaigner. In this episode we about Andrew’s journey of campaigning for animal welfare. We hear about the impact of livestock farming on climate change, the future of vegan diets and how this relates to animal welfare. We also consider how the veterinary profession can play a pivotal role in advocating for systemic change beyond the clinic. Andrew established and directed the Centre for Animal Welfare at the University of Winchester; is a Principal Fellow of Advance HE; EBVS European and RCVS Veterinary Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law; American & New Zealand Veterinary Specialist in Animal Welfare and a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.   In 2019 Andrew was awarded  the Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics Shomer Award and also received the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association Humane Achievement Award Andrew has published a wide range of academic papers and books on animal welfare including The Costs and Benefits of Animal Experiments and co-edited the Routledge Handbook of Animal Welfare.   Further Information Sites https://www.andrewknight.info https://sustainablepetfood.info https://humanelearning.info https://animalexperiments.info   socials https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-knight-409b7434/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100046421604769 https://www.youtube.com/c/andrewknight   Key infographics Knight A (2023) The relative benefits for environmental sustainability of vegan diets for dogs, cats and people. PLoS ONE 18(10): e0291791. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291791  Knight A, Bauer A, Brown H (2023) Vegan versus meat-based cat food: Guardian-reported health outcomes in 1,369 cats, after controlling for feline demographic factors. PLoS ONE 18(9): e0284132. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284132  Vegan dog health   Other Information: http://aknight.info/articles/pet-food    And finally......... Please follow us on social media, and if you haven’t yet nominated you Animal Welfare Hero, please take time to nominate them. Find out more here. Alex Fraser Medal for Animal Welfare | Girling & Fraser Ltd  Closing date is 30th September.

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…