Animals in Translation is a podcast brought to you by hosts from across the globe who talk with experts about their animal welfare work. The goal? To deconstruct animal issues into palatable pieces for listeners wanting to dig deeper into international animal welfare, ethics, or policy. Tune in monthly for new episodes.
Primate expert Lou Grossfeldt discusses global primate conservation efforts, highlighting the evolution of zoos and the importance of education in protecting endangered species in this interview.
14 Jul 2025
Sheep Fatigue During Transport with Katia Colitti
Lawyer Katia Colitti informs hosts Kerri and Sophie about sheep fatigue during transport, exploring how anthropomorphism influences stakeholder understanding and impacts animal welfare policy in this interview.
1 Jul 2025
Sheep Primer
Researcher Sophie Edwards is interviewed by Kerri about sheep welfare, including dental disorders, the preference for white wool, on-farm slaughter, and the impact of live export on these often overlooked animals.
14 Jun 2025
Media impact on Irish farmers with Amy Duley
Amy Duley, PhD student, discusses the media's impact on Irish farmers, communication gaps, and negative stereotypes affecting their mental health in an interview with Sophie and Kerri, highlighting the importance of farmer well-being for animal welfare.
1 Jun 2025
Polarization in Animal Protection- Primer
Hosts Sophie and Kerri examine polarization within the animal protection movement, emphasizing clear communication and finding common ground to improve animal welfare standards; they also reference Peter Sandøe's definition of positive animal welfare.
23 May 2025
Animal Ethics with Peter Sandøe
Professor Peter Sandøe discusses animal ethics, welfare, and the importance of diverse viewpoints in cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary discussions, highlighting the need for ethical pluralism in this interview with Sophie and Kerri.
14 May 2025
Pig Motivation and Welfare with Dr. Inés Sánchez-Garcia
In this episode of Animals in Translation, Kerri and Sophie interview Dr. Inés Sánchez-Garcia about her MSc dissertation on the motivation and cognitive abilities of pigs. Ines is a laboratory animal veterinarian at Newcastle University. She is responsible for, monitors and provides advice on the health, welfare and treatment of animals in research, with a particular interest in animal welfare, motivation and cognition. After graduating from Complutense University of Madrid, she pursued an international career across three continents as a veterinary clinician. Her passion for animal welfare drove her to complete a master’s degree at the University of Edinburgh in applied animal behaviour and welfare.
Inés explains the complex relationship between motivation, behavior, and cognition, and how it should be considered in animal research to help reduce bias and support the 3R-s, particularly the reduction of animals used. Inés walks listeners through the concepts of contra freeloading, such as cat predation, and reward anticipation through learned experience, such as training a dog with treats. She also touches on the variation in cognitive styles, such as in humans using different skills to solve a math problem. Here’s a link to a video about her research.
Inés' study supports the claim that food restriction is not necessary for cognitive behavioral research on pigs. The study also suggests that pigs with environmental enrichment tend to perform better on cognitive tests. Inés highlights the need for better welfare standards in animal husbandry, particularly eliminating the use of farrowing and gestation crates, and providing straw to pigs in commercial farms.
1 May 2025
Pig Primer
In this episode of Animals in Translation, Sophie and Kerri provide an informative discussion on domestic pigs, examining their intelligence, lifestyle, and preferences. They delve into the roles pigs play in society as companion animals, sources of food, and subjects of research. The conversation also addresses the cultural phenomenon of pigs as pets and the influence of media on public perception of pigs. Additionally, the hosts introduce the significance of animal welfare research and its role in establishing welfare standards within agricultural and laboratory settings. The use of gestation crates in modern industrial farming is critically examined. The principles of the 3R’s—replacement, reduction, and refinement—are explained in the context of research, alongside the necessity for transparency from institutions to foster public trust. To reduce research waste, sharing research data is presented as an effective approach to minimizing animal use in studies. The UK-based non-profit organization, Understanding Animal Research, is highlighted as an exemplary model of research data transparency. This primer is meant to prepare listeners for a deeper dive interview with Animal Welfare Researcher and Veterinarian, Inez Garcia-Sanchez, which will be available on the 15th of this month.
15 Apr 2025
Cat predation research with guest Martina Cecchetti
Summary
In this episode, PhD researcher, Martina Cacchetti, discusses her research paper called "Provision of High Meat Content Food and Object Play Reduce Predation of Wild Animals by Domestic Cats Felis catus" with hosts Sophie, Kerri, and the Cat. Martina's research on domestic cat ecology and behavior focused on strategies to reduce the predation of wildlife by domestic cats. The conversation covers her methodology, the interventions tested, and the impact of cat owners' behavior on wildlife conservation. The discussion highlights the importance of balancing cat welfare with wildlife protection, and the effectiveness of high-meat food, object play, and BirdsbeSafe collars in reducing hunting behavior. This interview explores the complex relationship between domestic cats and wildlife, emphasizing the importance of responsible cat ownership, cultural attitudes towards cat confinement, and the nutritional needs of cats. The discussion highlights the ecological impact of free-roaming cats, the challenges of implementing cat enclosures, and innovative solutions for pet food that consider animal welfare and environmental sustainability.
1 Apr 2025
Cat Primer
This episode of Animals in Translation delves into the complex world of cats. The hosts discuss the staggering number of cats worldwide, the roles they play in society, and the welfare issues arising from breeding practices and declawing. They explore the dangers faced by outdoor cats and the implications of feral cat populations on wildlife. The conversation also touches on the importance of training and enriching the lives of indoor cats. This is a primer for the next AIT podcast episode- a deeper dive with researcher, Martina Cecchetti, on her research findings on cat behavior, hunting instincts, and interventions of feline wildlife predation.
15 Mar 2025
Poultry in China with Lisa Yang
In this episode of Animals in Translation, Sophie, Kerri, and The Cat interview Lisa Yang to discuss her recently published research paper: Animal welfare with Chinese characteristics: Chinese poultry producers’ perceptions of, and attitudes towards, animal welfare. Lisa found that, although poultry producers have an understanding of animal welfare, prioritizing economic motivations is key to successful interventions leading to cage-free housing systems.
You can find more about her research on poultry welfare in China here.
1 Mar 2025
Poultry Primer
In this episode, Sophie and Kerri discuss the critical issues surrounding poultry and animal welfare, referencing Ruth Harrison's influential book 'Animal Machines'. They explore the ethical dilemmas of cheap protein production and the harsh realities of industrial farming practices. The conversation highlights the importance of recognizing chickens as individuals and the need for humane treatment throughout their lives, including during slaughter. To help support more humane production practices, buy Certified Humane eggs from producers such as Nest Fresh, who were the first to use the new in-ovo sexed chick technology to avoid chick maceration. This is a primer for the next AIT podcast episode- a deeper dive with researcher, Lisa Yang, on her research about poultry production in China.
24 Feb 2025
Introduction to AIT
In this first episode of 'Animals in Translation (AIT)', hosts Sophie and Kerri introduce themselves and share their diverse backgrounds in animal welfare. They explore the Five Freedoms, the progress in animal welfare assessment, and the importance of ethical pluralism. AIT will post a monthly 'primer' podcast to introduce a specific animal welfare topic before offering a longer, in-depth interview with an animal welfare expert to discuss their published work.
Who has been a guest on Animals in Translation
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Lou Grossfeldt
Katia Colitti
Sophie Edwards
Amy Duley
Peter Sandøe
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 26 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
39
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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