Dr Karen Hiestand
BVSc, BSc, MSc, MA
Lecturer in Veterinary & Animal Ethics
Department: Pathobiology & Population Sciences
Campus: Hawkshead
Research Groups: Animal Welfare Science and Ethics
Research Centres: RVC Animal Welfare Science and Ethics
Karen is Lecturer in Veterinary and Animal Ethics. Her main interests lie in exploring facets of human:animal relationships, particularly regarding companion animals, the veterinary-client-patient triad, differing ethical perspectives and societal and indiviudal moral duties towards animals. She also researches animal empathy and has a background in shelter medicine and working with animal welfare charities. She likes cats, a lot.
Karen joined the RVC in September 2022 as a part-time lecturer in Veterinary and Animal Ethics while completing a PhD at the University of Sussex, School of Psychology investigating companion animal empathy and a residency with the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine in the subspecialty animal welfare science, ethics and law.
After gaining a veterinary degree from Massy University (New Zealand) Karen gained a background as a first opinion clinical veterinarian alongside international experience in shelter medicine, companion animal welfare and behaviour, dog and cat population management, NGO and companion animal charity organisations. Karen also has a BSc in Psychology (Massey), an MSc in Applied Animal Welfare and Behaviour (Edinburgh) and an MA (Keele) in Medical Ethics and Law.
Karen holds a number of external positions:
- Trustee - International Cat Care
- Committee Member - RSPCA Animal Welfare Committee
- Co-pted Member - Sussex University AWERB
- Junior Vice-Chari - AWSELVA (Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Veterinary Association)
- International Liason - ECAWBM (European College Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine)
- Member - Feline Wellbeing Panel, International Cat Care
Karen's overall research interests lie in exploring facets of human animal interaction, particularly regarding companion animal relationships, the veterinary-client-patient triad, differing ethical perspectives and societal and individual moral duties towards animals.
One aspect of her current research explores the role of animal empathy in human - companion animal relationships, both through experimental work in the capacities of cats and dogs to feel empathy for humans, and qualitative methods to investigate human attribution of empathy to their animals and how this relates to our understanding of anthropomorphism and impacts human animal relationships.
Karen also explores fundamental ethical aspects of veterinary care, such as the role of the autonomy principle in the veterinarian - client - patient relationship, the application of the best interests principle, the ethical positioning of veterinary professionals in different contexts, the social contract/social license of the veterinary profession and the role of ethical training on veterinary mental health.
Hiestand KM, McComb K, Banerjee R. "It Almost Makes Her Human": How Female Animal Guardians Construct Experiences of Cat and Dog Empathy. (2022). Animals, 12(23):3434. doi: 10.3390/ani12233434. PMID: 36496955; PMCID: PMC9739904.
Hiestand KM., The Autonomy Principle in Companion Veterinary Medicine: A Critique. (2022). Front. Vet. Sci., Sec. Veterinary Humanities and Social Sciences, Volume 9 .
Hiestand K., Newbury E. (2018). Chapter 23: Training and Education in the Shelter Environment. BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Shelter Medicine Principles of Health and Welfare in a Multi-animal Environment. Dean R (Editor), Roberts M (Editor), Stavisky J (Editor)Hiestand KM.,
Making the Most of a Veterinary Educaiton. (2016). The Veterinary Record, 178(2):i-ii, .
Karen teaches veterinary and animal ethics topics across the BVetMed/BVSc curriculum, and is module leader of Animals in Human Society, in year three Biosciences.
She is also an academic tutor for veterinary undergraduates and supervises undergraduate research students,
Karen works with clinicians to research veterinary-client-patient relationships and on ethical training and understanding to improve veterinarian mental health.
Karen continues to work closely with animal welfare organisations as a consultant, educator, committee member and trustee, and regularly acts as an invited speaker at national and international companion animal welfare meetings and conferences.
She has appeared in numerous media, including live national tv (This Morning, ITV news), live and recorded local and national radio (BBC regional, BBC 4, All in the Mind), podcasts (Veterinary Ramblings) and print media (The Guardian, CP Clinic), usually talking about cats. She has run training courses and lectures on feline shelter medicine, animal welfare and ethics for national and international audiences through the Dogs Trust International Training Program, Sudanese veterinary animal welfare, Estonia animal shelters conference, International Companion Animal Welfare Conferences and the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes.
She also volunteers as a school speaker with Inspiring the Future, and as a peer supporter for Pregancy Sickness Support