Meet The Animal People with Chris Whatling

In this episode of Meet the Animal People , Chris is joined by Heidi Luedecke, Marketing Director at LickiMat — one of the most recognisable and trusted brands in the pet industry. Heidi shares her journey from growing up in Australia and studying art history and marketing, to building a career in the London art world, including time at Tate, before making the leap into the pet industry and joinin...

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 indi...

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...

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 an...

In this episode, Chris Whatling interviews someone he truly admires – Dr Marc Abraham OBE. Marc is not only a highly respected veterinarian but also a passionate animal welfare campaigner, author, and media personality. From his early days dreaming of helping animals to leading the campaign for Lucy’s Law, Marc’s journey is both inspiring and deeply impactful. Chris and Marc explore why communicat...

In this episode, Chris sits down with Rory Hanna, co‑founder of PAWD, to uncover how a childhood love of dogs evolved into a groundbreaking venture in liquid supplements for pet health. Rory shares the personal challenges that inspired PAWD, the science behind their liquid supplement innovation, and how he and his business partner balance their complementary strengths to grow the business. The con...

In this inspiring episode of Meet The Animal People, Chris Whatling sits down with Dr. Guy Sandelowsky MBA — veterinarian, entrepreneur, and founder of Omni , a groundbreaking pet food brand designed to tackle pet allergies and sensitivities. From growing up in Switzerland to navigating the challenges of vet school and clinical practice, Guy shares his journey of turning a passion for animal healt...

In this deeply moving and inspiring episode of Meet the Animal People , Chris Whatling sits down with vet, coach, entrepreneur, and all-round brilliant human, Dr Katie Ford. From her childhood in a working-class town in Huddersfield to becoming a celebrated voice on imposter syndrome and emotional wellbeing in the veterinary profession, Katie shares her personal and professional journey with hones...

Dan Makin – Pride, Purpose & the Power of Representation In this Pride Month special episode of Meet the Animal People , Chris Whatling speaks with Dan Makin, a small animal vet with over 22 years of experience and a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the veterinary profession. Dan opens up about his journey from being a bullied child to becoming a respected veterinary professional, r...

In this episode of Meet the Animal People , Chris is joined by the brilliantly charismatic Stuart Simons —a professional dog groomer, salon owner, actor, TV Consultant and co-founder of The Groomer Spotlight. Stuart opens up about his journey from acting to grooming, the overlap between creativity and animal care, and why he's so passionate about raising professional standards in the pet groo...

In this powerful episode of Meet the Animal People , Chris Whatling is joined by Lashonda Jafard – founder of Elevate , formerly the Black Pet Business Network – to discuss her inspiring personal journey and the trailblazing work she’s doing to make the pet industry more inclusive and representative. Lashonda shares how her childhood love for animals turned into a lifelong mission. From building O...

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 pi...

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 busin...

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 pr...

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 te...

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...