In our first Animal Law Bitesize episode, Dr Simon Brooman provides an introductory history to animal law. Dr Brooman is a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and SEEDS award winner 2020 from the International Society of Animal Rights for his contributions to developing Animal Law in Higher Education.

In our next Bitesize episode, Dr Joe Wills introduces the concept of legal personhood for animals. Dr Joe Wills is a lecturer in law at the University of Leicester. His research interests are in the areas of human rights, animal rights and moral and political theory. He was recently awarded a Leverhulme Research Fellowship to produce a monograph on the moral and legal status of animals in Britain.

In this Bitesize episode, Dr Gareth Spark considers the interaction between animal welfare, science and ethics. Dr. Spark is an Associate Professor in Law at UEA Law School, University of East Anglia and completed his LL.B (Hons) and LL.M by Research at the University of East Anglia. He also holds a Ph.D from the University of Cambridge.

Our next Bitesize session is presented by Dr Steven McCulloch and focuses on how to represent animal interests in the public policy process. Dr Steven McCulloch is Senior Lecturer in Human-Animal Studies at the University of Winchester. Steven qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 2002 from Bristol University and holds a BA Philosophy from Birbeck College, London University. He has a PhD from the Royal Veterinary College, London University, for his thesis ‘The British animal health and welfare policy process: accounting for the interests of sentient species’. Steven’s research focus is on the ethics and policy of animal protection. His research has shown how UK government policy making excludes the interests of sentient animals. Steven proposes animal welfare impact assessment and independent ethical analysis as key reforms. He has applied these reforms to controversial policy issues such as bovine tuberculosis and badger culling. His more recent work has focused on Brexit, which he argues poses substantial risks to animal protection in the UK, EU and internationally.

Join Libby Anderson for our next Bitesize talk, in which she discusses contemporary issues and challenges in UK wildlife protection. Libby is the Policy Advisor for OneKind (formerly Advocates for Animals) and was previously the charity’s Policy Director. Over the past 20 years she has worked to influence Scottish legislation relevant to wild animal welfare, including hunting with dogs, the regulation of snaring, the protection of seals, general licences for the taking and killing of wild birds and the use of wild animals in travelling circuses. Libby is also involved in supporting campaigns on wild animal welfare issues such as a ban on snares and other traps, the culling of mountain hares and the use of glue traps. She is the Secretary of the Wild Animal Welfare Committee (WAWC), which she helped to found in 2014.

In this episode, Paula Spark, A-LAW Chairperson, summarises farmed animal legislation. Paula was previously in practice as a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers. Paula has an interest in animal law and regularly lectures and writes on topics around animal law and policy; she is currently a visiting lecturer at the University of Winchester where she teaches animal law and policy. She also has experience in the voluntary sector, where she worked prior to starting independent practice as a barrister.

In this session, Sarah Dixon and Dr Elizabeth Ormerod discuss the human-animal bond and no pet clauses in rental agreements. Sarah Dixon is a practicising Solicitor, a Director of the FOAL Group Ltd and an animal welfare campaigner. Amongst other campaigns, The FOAL Group Ltd are currently supporting Andrew Rosindell MPs Bill, known commonly as Jasmine’s Law, which seeks to address “no pet” policies.

As Small Animal House Physician, Dr Elizabeth Ormerod was responsible for Glasgow University’s innercity charity veterinary clinic during which period she became attuned to the significance of companion animals in the lives of vulnerable people. With multidisciplinary collaboration she developed veterinary outreach programmes, delivering Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) programmes to schools, nursing homes, hospitals, sheltered housing and prisons.

As a Churchill Fellow, and in subsequent study trips, Elizabeth has travelled widely to meet colleagues overseas working on pets in housing issues. She has advocated for her clients when threatened with eviction if they do not relinquish their pets.

Elizabeth is the Chairman of the Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS); is Vice President for membership of IAHAIO and co- Chair of the IAHAIO International Task Force on animal welfare in AAI; is co-Founder and Vice President of Canine Partners, the UK assistance dog programme; she is a Trustee of Our Special Friends and an adviser to Fostering Compassion.

She is a visiting lecturer on the bond to UK veterinary schools. Her work is recognised internationally, and she is the recipient of the Inaugural International William F. McCulloch Award for Excellence in human-animal interaction practice and education.

In our next Bitesize episode, Alexandra Pimor discusses human rights and responsibility in the anthropocene. Alexandra is a senior lecturer in Public (UK and EU) Law, and co-author of Unlocking EU Law (with Tony Storey, Routledge 2018). Her studies explore the intersection between law, governance and spirituality (not in religious terms but in that ‘of the mind’) at both European and international levels. More broadly, she is a scholar engaged in earth activism, with a special focus on the advancement of nature rights and the reframing of legisprudential and jurisprudential orders, based on the ecology of law, earth jurisprudence & ethics, and conscious governance paradigm.

In this Bitesize episode we hear from Dr Kadira Pethiyagoda about his upcoming book: The International Human Rights Law framework should Extend to Animals.

In this lecture, Simon Brooman and Debbie Legge reflect on the past 25 years of animal law thought. Brooman and Legge co-authored one of the few legal texts dedicated to Animal Law, ‘The Law Relating to Animals’, back in 1997. They also developed one of the UK’s first taught Animal Law university courses, which Simon continues to teach today at Liverpool John Moores University. In this talk, Legge also touches upon the law of ecocide.

In this talk, Peter Stevenson (Chief Policy Advisor at Compassion in World Farming), discusses whether WTO rules are capable of protecting farmed animal welfare. This highly relevant talk highlights why it’s important for the UK to do what it can to insist that imports meet UK animal welfare standards when negotiating trade agreements.

In this wide-ranging talk, Dr Mark Jones (Head of Policy at the Born Free Foundation) discusses global biodiversity, the international wildlife trade (IWT) and its impact on animal welfare, provisions in national and international regulatory frameworks to protect the welfare of animals traded as part of the the IWT, and future directions.

In this short talk, LJMU law students, Charlie Hume and Lila Tamea, discuss their experience studying the animal law module at Liverpool John Moores University, and how taking the course has changed the attitudes of them and their peers towards animals.

In this talk, Dr Steven McCulloch of Winchester University considers the potential impact of Brexit on animal welfare.

Highlights from our Second Conference on Animal Law, Ethics & Policy, which took place on 10-11 September 2019 at Liverpool John Moores University. 

In this talk, special guest speaker, Dr Brenda Bonnett, explores current global dog health and welfare issues, and methods of improvement, including changes in legislation.

This webinar was hosted by APDAWG and discussed the importation of dogs from overseas rescues. The panel discussed how we can help improve, 1) long-term welfare & safety of the dogs being imported into the UK, 2) knowledge available to general public about adopting foreign dogs from reputable, responsible rescues, 3) safety of existing dog & human population in UK, including zoonotic risk, 4) accountability of importing rescues & transporters. Panel of Experts includes:

Vicki Graham – South East Dog Rescue Julia Baber – Animalcouriers Ltd Catherine Henstridge or ‘Cat the Vet’ – Small Animal & Media Vet The K9 Angels – UK Charity Rehoming Dogs from Romania Hannah Molloy – Dog Behaviourist Wendy Higgins – Humane Society International Jordan Shelley – Behaviourist & Expert in Stray/Feral Dogs

This webinar was hosted by APDAWG and discussed the importation of dogs from overseas rescues. The panel discussed how we can help improve, 1) long-term welfare & safety of the dogs being imported into the UK, 2) knowledge available to general public about adopting foreign dogs from reputable, responsible rescues, 3) safety of existing dog & human population in UK, including zoonotic risk, 4) accountability of importing rescues & transporters. Panel of Experts includes:

Vicki Graham – South East Dog Rescue Julia Baber – Animalcouriers Ltd Catherine Henstridge or ‘Cat the Vet’ – Small Animal & Media Vet The K9 Angels – UK Charity Rehoming Dogs from Romania Hannah Molloy – Dog Behaviourist Wendy Higgins – Humane Society International Jordan Shelley – Behaviourist & Expert in Stray/Feral Dogs

In this talk, Tiffany Mitchell (Legal Support Officer at the UK Centre for Animal Law) explains how students can help animals, whilst also developing their skills. Animal law can be a tricky field to get into, so if you’re struggling for inspiration, this talk will highlight the different ways you can get involved and build experience.