RVC Supervisor(s): Dr Karen Hiestand

Non RVC Supervisor: Prof. Heike Bauer

Department: Pathobiology and Population Sciences

Project Summary:

Is animal euthanasia a necessary treatment or a failure of care? The veterinary act of animal euthanasia occupies a complex role both within the profession and for the people faced with decisions about the end-of-life care of their pet. Unlike in human healthcare where the protection and extension of life is taken as a central tenet, animal healthcare accepts premature death as part of a practice focused on the limitation of suffering. Yet the advances in veterinary science over the last three decades have made the decision about when is the right time to euthanize an animal ever more difficult. Popular representations of veterinary practice today often focus explicitly on life-extending treatments even as voices within the profession have begun to raise concern that veterinary advances may be valuing life over suffering (Clutton, 2025).

This project brings together veterinary and cultural perspectives to map changing professional and client attitudes to euthanasia, the varied contexts that inform them, and how they shape companion animal care today.

Aims:

• Examine how euthanasia is understood within the UK veterinary profession and its clients
• Generate understanding of how changing attitudes to euthanasia shape end-of-life care for companion animals today  

Objectives:

• Develop an interdisciplinary approach to study the euthanasia in clinical and cultural context
• Attend to historical shifts in understanding of end-of-life practices over the last thirty years
• Consider how veterinarians manage euthanasia on the nexus between the common veterinary practice, the animal’s best interest and client’s expectations
• Examine clients’ own understanding and experience of the euthanasia
• Draw together these findings to identify how understanding of euthanasia affects animal welfare in veterinary practice today

Methodology:

The thesis adopts an interdisciplinary approach pioneered in the emerging field of the veterinary humanities, which argues that dialogue between the humanities and social sciences is crucial to tackling veterinary issues.

1.     The cultural-historical analysis will focus on textual and visual sources that might range from newspapers to professional records, charity appeals to TV shows, to identify shifts in popular and critical discourses about companion animal euthanasia.

2.     The ethnographic analysis might draw on quantitative and qualitative social research methods to understand how vets and clients construct their realities, the meaning they take from them and how this shapes their decision making in relation to euthanasia.

References:

1.  Davidson, J. (2024). ‘History of the Veterinary Profession’. Vet Record
2.  Desmond, J. (2022), ‘Medicine, Value, and Knowledge in the Veterinary Clinic. Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
3. Clutton, R. E. (2025). Veterinary Controversies and Ethical Dilemmas
4. Haraway, D. (2008), When Species Meet.
5. Skipper, A. et al. (2021). ‘Gold standard care’ is an unhelpful term. Vet Record

Requirements

This is a unique opportunity for candidates interested in innovative approaches to human-animal relations. Applicants will be able to shape the direction of the project in line with their own interests under guidance from the supervisors. They will have access to training and the rich research communities at RVC and Birkbeck.  

We welcome applicants from a wide range of backgrounds in veterinary medicine, humanities and social sciences. A good first degree and master’s degree are essential. Candidates should be highly motivated and open to familiarising themselves with new approaches and areas of research.

Essential:

• Undergraduate degree in related area
• Experience in veterinary, animal welfare or animal studies research

Desirable:

• Master’s degree
• Interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary research experience
• An openness to engaging with critical and theoretical debates in animal ethics, animal studies and/or animal history may be an advantage.

Fees and Funding

This is a 3-year fully-funded studentship (part-time students can be considered), funded by the RVC Bloomsbury Studentship. This funding covers 'Home' rate tuition fees and a stipend. 

The studentship will commence in October 2026.

This studentship is open to applicants eligible for "Home" fees. International applicants are welcome to apply but must be able to fund the difference between "Home" and "Overseas" tuition fees. 

EU/EEA and Swiss national students starting studies in the 2021/22 academic year or later academic years may no longer be eligible to pay the “home” rate of tuition fees nor claim any financial support for their studies dependent on your personal circumstances (including immigration status and residence history in the UK). To help determine whether you would be eligible for home fees please see the UKCISA's 'Who pays 'home' fees for higher education in England?' guide found here.

If you are interested in applying for this PhD project, please follow the link below.  Please use your personal statement to demonstrate any previous skills or experience you have in using both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

How to Apply

For more information on the application process and English Language requirements see How to Apply.

Deadline is April 2nd 2026.

Interviews are expected to take place in person at our Hawkshead campus or remotely the w/c of 20th April 2026.

We welcome informal enquiries - these should be directed to Dr Hiestand: kahiestand@rvc.ac.uk

Deadline: 02/04/2026