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
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…