In this Vet Voices on Air episode, Robyn Lowe hosts a powerhouse panel to unpack the brand new Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Act 2025 – the law many are calling the Puppy Smuggling Act, but which reaches far beyond puppies alone.

Featuring:

Dr Danny Chambers – Vet & MP, who brought the Bill through Parliament

Dr Sean McCormack – Vet, conservationist & presenter (ear cropping and welfare campaigner)

Dr Alison Skipper – Vet & Veterinary and Research Advisor, Royal Kennel Club

Cat the Vet – Vet, educator, welfare advocate & media commentator

Ever wondered what actually happens when a horse vet swaps night shifts and colic calls for Parliament and policy.

In this episode of Vet Voices On Air, Robyn speaks to her friend Danny Chambers – founder of Veterinary Voices UK, equine vet and now MP (since July 2024) – about life on the green benches and what it really means to have “a vet in the room” in Westminster.

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.”

Bonus episode: The revamped Rabbit Friendly Practice Scheme — and how to get featured where owners look first

On Vet Voices on Air, Robyn chats with John Chitty (Advisor, Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund) about the biggest overhaul of the Rabbit Friendly Practice Scheme since it began — plus how practices can appear in the Trusted Rabbit Friendly Vet Directory that rabbit owners actively use to find care.

Join us for a hard-hitting episode with Dr John Tulloch, Lecturer in Veterinary Public Health and RCVS Specialist, as we unpack a critical but often overlooked topic: workplace injury in the veterinary profession.

We’ll cover:

• How the profession defines a workplace injury and the legal/occupational framework behind it

• Patterns and risks of injury in equine and farm veterinarians, based on recent field research

• Common hazards and incidents in veterinary teaching hospitals and clinics, from sharps injuries to animal handling accidents

• Practical steps clinics and individual veterinarians can take to reduce risk and foster safer working environments
  

If you’ve ever wondered what “occupational health” really means for veterinary workers, or if you're concerned about safety in your workplace, this episode is for you.

Nutrition Case Files with Charley Gray
GP vet Charley Gray joins Robyn to share powerful real-life cases where asking “What does your pet eat?” unlocked the diagnosis. From skin disease to seizures, we explore how curiosity, open dialogue, and non-judgmental nutrition discussions can transform outcomes in practice