Listen to the finale episode of Vet Voices on Air for the full mix of chaos, laughter, penguins, snails, politics, hiking storms, and heartfelt community chat – available where you usually find us.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays / peaceful festive on-call rota

May the on-call gods be gentle, the chocolate be out of reach of dogs, and your 2026 be full of more glimmers than grumbles.

See you in January for SEASON 3!

In this episode, Paul and Robyn explore how public expectations, rehabilitation centre realities, and veterinary clinical decision-making can sometimes pull in different directions. From questions around treatment thresholds and release suitability, to the emotional weight of euthanasia decisions, we unpack why different groups may see the same situation differently — and why that’s okay (but also requires some understanding and respect, as wildlife facilities and veterinary professionals often face substantial abuse for their decisions around wildlife care)

What we cover:

• Why members of the public often see saving an animal as the only ethical outcome

• How rehabbers balance compassion, resources, legislation and welfare

• The veterinarian’s responsibility to consider suffering, prognosis and humane limits

• The importance of understanding biosecurity, facility standards and the wider ecosystem

• And most importantly… how we can communicate with more empathy, transparency and shared understanding

This episode isn’t about who’s “right” — it’s about bridging gaps, improving collaboration and building a clearer shared knowledge of why different decisions are made. When we understand each other better, wildlife welfare always wins.

This week on Vet Voices On Air, Robyn talks with Professor Dan O’Neill (Royal Veterinary College, VetCompass) about a powerful new way of thinking: innate health.

Rather than asking “Does my dog have a disease?”, innate health asks:👉 “Can my dog actually live the full life a dog should — breathe easily, run, blink, sleep, wag, communicate and enjoy life without pain or struggle?”

Dan explains how extreme conformations — like very flat faces, bulging eyes, deep skin folds, twisted legs or missing tails — can limit those basic abilities, even before disease appears.

He also shares data from VetCompass, showing how some breeds with extreme features have shorter average lifespans. And together, we explore why public education alone hasn’t shifted buying habits, how “cute” can cloud our judgement, and how we can move toward healthier, more functional dogs without losing breed identity.

What we discuss:

✅What “innate health” means and why it changes the conversation

✅Evidence on lifespan and welfare from thousands of dogs

✅The difference between healthy variety and harmful extremes

✅How owners, vets and breeders can all play a role in change

✅Why compassion and reflection work better than blame

Our goal? To make “healthy the new cute.”