Meet The Animal People with Chris Whatling – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this episode of Meet the Animal People, host Chris Whatling speaks with Jade Statt, a veterinary surgeon and founder of Street Vet, a charity providing veterinary care to pets of people experiencing homelessness. Jade shares her journey from a childhood obsession with animals to becoming a vet and eventually starting Street Vet. The conversation delves into the challenges faced by homeless individuals with pets, the misconceptions surrounding homelessness, and the emotional toll of working in this field. Jade emphasises the importance of compassion, community support, and mental health in her work, and encourages listeners to get involved with Street Vet and help make a difference.

In this episode of Meet the Animal People, Chris Whatling sits down with Jo Boughton-White CEO of Dorwest Herbs, a proudly family-run business and one of the longest-standing names in natural pet supplements.

Jo shares her journey from a childhood spent surrounded by animals to forging her own academic and professional path, before ultimately returning to the family business with a renewed sense of purpose. She opens up about the realities of running a multi-generational brand in today’s competitive pet industry, the pressure of staying authentic in a fast-paced market, and what it really takes to maintain a strong company culture.

Together, Chris and Jo explore everything from the evolution of herbal supplements, to the importance of quality ingredients, customer trust, and the increasing commercialisation of the pet market. Jo also discusses Dorwest’s commitment to social responsibility including the Dorwest Foundation and the company’s work supporting rehabilitation and employment opportunities for ex-offenders.

This conversation is full of honesty, heart, and practical takeaways for anyone in the pet industry: from leadership lessons and workplace wellbeing, to product development, marketing, and looking after the animals at the centre of it all.

If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, family business dynamics, pet health, or simply want to understand what keeps a legacy brand thriving this is an episode you’ll love.

In this episode of Meet the Animal People, host Chris engages with Ebony Escalona, an accomplished equine vet and entrepreneur. They discuss Ebony's unique journey from a challenging childhood in Venezuela to becoming a voice for animals and a leader in the veterinary community. The conversation explores her early aspirations, the challenges she faced in veterinary school, and her eventual pivot towards diversifying her career. Ebony shares her insights on the importance of emotional intelligence, the founding of VSGD (Vets Stay, Go or Diversify), and the need for veterinary professionals to embrace their multifaceted identities beyond their job titles. In this conversation, Ebony Escalona discusses the importance of navigating career pivots, building meaningful relationships in recruitment, managing stress and burnout, and her charitable endeavours. She emphasises the need for patience during career transitions and the significance of understanding one's values and goals. The discussion also touches on conservation efforts, particularly regarding pangolins, and insights into the evolving pet industry.

In this episode of Meet The Animal People, Chris sits down with Layla Flaherty, founder of Urban Paws, the UK’s leading animal talent agency. From growing up with beloved pets to making her mark in modelling and reality TV, Layla shares how her love for animals inspired a bold career shift into entrepreneurship.

Layla opens up about the origins of Urban Paws, the highs and lows of running a business in the pet industry, and the importance of balancing commercial success with animal welfare. We explore the challenges of managing expectations in animal training, the power of mentorship, and the resilience required to break new ground in a niche industry.

This inspiring conversation touches on emerging trends in the pet world, tackles common misconceptions, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to turn passion into purpose. Layla also gives us a glimpse into the future of Urban Paws, including plans to launch a new range of pet products and expand the agency’s global reach.

Hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Meet The Animal People!

I’m genuinely excited to introduce this guest – Sean McCormack. Sean is a veterinary surgeon, but he’s also made a huge impact across the wider pet industry. He’s an author, a TV presenter, a passionate animal welfare advocate, and a wildlife conservationist with a serious love for nature and photography.

One of his proudest achievements? He played a key role in helping to reintroduce beavers to West London – yes, beavers in London! You can learn more about that incredible work at theealingbeaverproject.com.

In this episode, we cover everything from his career journey and conservation projects to the shared experience of growing up gay and navigating that identity within both the veterinary world and the wider pet and animal health industry. It’s honest, inspiring, and full of important conversations that don’t get talked about enough.

So grab a cuppa, take a walk, or settle in – I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did recording it.

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Meet The Animal People. Today we’re chatting to honorary Brummie Rachel Frost, Events & Community Fundraising Manager at Birmingham Dogs Home. Rachel tells us about her early days as working in an estate agents, and how she transitioned into the world of dog rescue. Grab a cuppa, and I hope you enjoy!

Welcome back to Meet The Animal People! Today, we’re speaking with Carolanne Cicero, Bella and Duke’s In House Veterinary Advisor. Carolanne explains when her love of animals first started, gives us an introduction to the world of raw-feeding, and very passionately explains how much she loves Dolly Parton (well who doesn’t?) 

Hope you enjoy!

Welcome to the very first guest episode of Meet The Animal People!

In this episode, I chat with the brilliant Paul Manktelow – a leading vet, TV personality, and host of The Consult Room. You might recognize Paul from his TV work on Crufts, where he’s shared his expert insights with millions of animal lovers.

Paul takes us through his lifelong passion for animals, the unexpected journey into television, and even a stint working in Ibiza along the way!

So, grab a cuppa, get comfy, and enjoy the conversation!”

Hi everyone, and welcome to ‘Meet The Animal People’ Podcast!

I’m your host, Chris Whatling, and in this podcast series, I’m going to be chatting with some of the most inspiring, animal-loving people in the business. I’ll be finding out all about their unique journeys into the pet and animal health sectors and getting them to share some of their best experiences, advice and insights. If you’re as mad about pets as I am, I think you might like it!  So grab a cuppa, sit back with your pet and enjoy!

Episode 15: From The Veterinary Profession to Reality TV – Miles Astaire’s Story

In this episode of Meet the Animal People, host Chris Whatling sits down with Miles Astaire — a passionate veterinary professional, advocate for diversity, and star of BBC’s The Traitors.

From growing up in Birmingham to building a career in veterinary nursing, Miles shares his inspiring journey through the highs and challenges of working in animal care. Together, Chris and Miles explore the realities of representation, identity, and inclusion in the veterinary industry — discussing how personal experiences of racism, stereotypes, and being part of the LGBTQ+ community have shaped Miles’ outlook and emotional intelligence.

The conversation dives into the power of mentorship, career progression, and networking, while also touching on what life is really like behind the scenes of reality TV and how visibility in media can spark change in professional spaces.

It’s a powerful, honest, and uplifting discussion that celebrates individuality, courage, and the love of animals — with a few laughs (and a bit of Mariah Carey!) along the way.

Tune in to hear how Miles is breaking stereotypes and inspiring the next generation of veterinary professionals.