Exploring the ethics and realities of animal welfare today

Join us on Monday 11^th May 2026 for a thought-provoking programme tackling the complex questions shaping animal welfare and veterinary ethics. From rewilding to rehabilitation and from pets to livestock, we’ll challenge assumptions, confront contradictions, and share fresh perspectives across species and settings.

Main discussion sessions include:

• Responsible pet ownership: guiding principle or loaded label?
  What does “responsible” really mean and who decides? This session digs into bias, access, and equity in the way we talk about pet care and ownership.
• Not just tools: rethinking animal welfare in rewilding
  When rewilding projects use animals to restore ecosystems, where does that leave their welfare? We’ll explore the balance between ecological ambition and ethical responsibility.
• All animals are equal… but some are more equal than others
  Why do welfare standards differ so starkly between species with similar sentience? This panel examines speciesism, empathy  and the challenge of consistency across companion, farmed, lab, and wild animals.
• Wildlife rehabilitation: good or bad for welfare?
  A closer look at the uneasy realities of rehab: low survival rates, species bias and moral trade-offs between compassion and conservation.

Plus: research updates, lightning talks, and plenty of networking bringing together vets, nurses, scientists, welfare professionals and policymakers.

Date: Monday 11^th May 2026
Location: Cavendish Conference Centre, 22 Duchess Mews, London, W1G 9DT

Tickets available now.

Join the conversation on the future of animal welfare.