Karen Hiestand is a lecturer in veterinary and animal ethics at the Royal Veterinary College, London and is a European and RCVS veterinary specialist in animal welfare, ethics and law. She originally trained as a vet at Massey University in New Zealand, and she has wide ranging experience of first opinion mixed practice, shelter medicine, rehoming charities and voluntary work, particularly dog and cat population management programs. Having always been focused on how to improve animal welfare, she entered post-graduate education starting with an MSc in applied animal behaviour and welfare at Edinburgh. This experience kicked off a very expensive habit, and over the ensuing years Karen completed a BSc in psychology, an MA in medical ethics and law, a residency with the European college of animal welfare and behavioural medicine, and a PhD in psychology - investigating the role of animal empathy in human-companion animal relationships. Alongside her role as an educator, she continues to volunteer in the animal welfare sector, as a trustee at International Cat Care, chair of the Animal Welfare, Science, Ethics, Law and Forensics Association (AWSELFA), and holds committee positions on welfare and ethics advisory boards at both RVC and RSPCA.