Andrew Knight BSc., BVMS, CertAW, MRCVS

Director, Animal Consultants International

~~~   Presentations   ~~~

As a veterinary student Andrew used legal action and media exposure to introduce Western Australia’s first humane veterinary surgical course. Instead of killing pigs with his classmates, Andrew sterilized dogs and cats from shelters, gaining far greater surgical experience. After graduation Andrew founded Animal Consultants International (www.AnimalConsultants.org), to increase the effectiveness of the animal protection movement worldwide through international skill-sharing. He became the President of Animals Count (www.AnimalsCount.org), a UK political party for the animals, in 2007. He has almost completed what may be the world’s first PhD critically assessing the contribution of animal experiments to human medical progress. During this process he has published numerous studies in biomedical journals demonstrating the poor human predictivity of animal experiments, three of which have received awards at international scientific conferences. Andrew travels widely, speaking on animal protection topics. His expertise includes vegan companion animal diets, animal experimentation, humane alternatives to harmful animal use in education, and vegan extreme sports, notably vegan dune tumbling and body surfing.

Presentations

1. Vegan companion animal diets


2. Animal experimentation under scrutiny: new studies yield disturbing results

3. ‘Learning without killing’: humane alternatives to harmful animal use in education

4. Humane teaching methods demonstrate efficacy in veterinary education

5. Strategies for ending animal experimentation


6. Animals Count: a UK a political party for the animals

7. Professional careers in animal activism

8. Advancing animal welfare standards within the veterinary profession


9. Extreme vegan sports

10. Andrew’s adventures
 

 

1. Vegan companion animal diets

The health hazards inherent in commercial meat-based companion animal diets are extensive and difficult to avoid, and can include slaughterhouse waste, supermarket rejects, restaurant grease, fish contaminants, endotoxins, mycotoxins, and toxic chemicals. Unsurprisingly, studies have identified kidney, liver, heart, neurologic, visual, neuromuscular and skin diseases, bleeding disorders, birth defects, immunocompromisation and infectious diseases associated with meat-based diets. There is no scientific reason why a diet comprised only of plant, mineral and synthetically-based ingredients cannot be formulated to meet all of the nutritional requirements of cats and dogs, and several commercially-available vegan diets claim to do so. Health benefits commonly observed include decreased skin parasites and improved coat condition, allergy control, weight and arthritis control, and improved vitality. Correct use of a complete and balanced nutritional supplement is essential, however, to avoid potentially severe health problems, particularly in cats, and monitoring of urinary pH is strongly advisable. These topics will be explored in greater detail and are described at www.vegepets.info.


 

 

2. Animal experimentation under scrutiny: new studies yield disturbing results

Justifications for invasive experiments on animals rely on claims that such research is essential for the advancement of biomedical knowledge, for the development of cures to human diseases, for evaluation of the toxicity of compounds to which humans are exposed, and for the training of future scientists and medical personnel. Systematic evaluations of the accuracy of such claims have, until recently, been rare. However, in recent years several very large-scale systematic reviews of the value of the data provided from invasive experiments on animals have been published in scientific and medical journals by the speaker and his colleagues, in the areas of fundamental biomedical research, human clinical applications, toxicity testing and biomedical education. The outcomes have been consistent: animal experiments have contributed data of far less worth than advocates would have us believe. Collectively these studies provide much of the most powerful evidence yet collected against animal experimentation. Three of them won awards at international scientific conferences from 2005-6. This presentation will summarise these new results. Full studies are available at www.AnimalExperiments.info.


 

3. ‘Learning without killing’: humane alternatives to harmful animal use in education

Life and health sciences education has traditionally involved the harmful use of animals, vast numbers of which have lost their lives in attempts to teach practical skills and demonstrate scientific principles which have, in most cases, been established for decades. However, at the start of the 21st century, many thousands of humane educational alternatives now exist. These include computer simulations, videos, plasticised specimens, ethically-sourced cadavers (obtained from animals that have died naturally, in accidents, or been euthanized for medical reasons), models, diagrams, self-experimentation, and supervised clinical experiences. This presentation will review the alternatives available and the reasons for their use, and will describe the amazing struggles waged by the author and other students worldwide who have been successful in introducing humane alternatives to harmful animal use in biomedical education. Further info: www.HumaneLearning.info, www.LearningWithoutKilling.info.


 

4. Humane teaching methods demonstrate efficacy in veterinary education

Animal use resulting in harm or death has historically played an integral role in veterinary education, in disciplines such as surgery, physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, pharmacology, and parasitology. However, the last decade has seen a rapid increase in the availability of non-harmful alternatives, such as computer simulations, high quality videos, ‘ethically-sourced cadavers’ such as those from animals euthanized for medical reasons, preserved specimens, models and surgical simulators, non-invasive self-experimentation and supervised clinical experiences. However, veterinary students seeking to use such methods often face strong opposition from faculty members, who usually cite concerns about their teaching efficacy. Consequently, this presentation reviews educational studies comparing learning outcomes of veterinary students generated by non-harmful teaching methods with those achieved by harmful animal use. Of eleven studies published from 1989 to 2006, nine assessed surgical training—historically the discipline involving greatest harmful animal use. 45.5% (5/11) demonstrated superior learning outcomes using more humane alternatives. 45.5% (5/11) demonstrated equivalent learning outcomes, and only one study (9.1%) demonstrated inferior learning outcomes using humane alternatives. Twenty nine additional studies in which comparison with harmful animal use did not occur illustrated other benefits of humane teaching methods in veterinary education, namely; time and cost savings, increased repeatability and flexibility of use, customization of the laboratory experience, more active learning, facilitation of autonomous and life-long learning, improved attitudes towards computers and alternatives to animal use, and increased employer perception of computer literacy. The results indicate that veterinary educators can best serve their students and animals, while minimizing financial and time burdens upon their faculties, by introducing well-designed teaching methods not reliant upon harmful animal use. Further info: www.HumaneLearning.info.


 

5. Strategies for ending animal experimentation
 

The increasingly militant tactics of grassroots animal rights activists that have made headlines in recent years include protracted protests, home demonstrations, staff harassment, laboratory raids, animal rescues, property destruction including vandalism and arson, threatening behaviour and even grave robbing. Yet are these the most intelligent and productive strategies for ending animal experimentation? While some undoubtedly increase opposition to animal experimentation, others seem to be achieving the opposite effect, at least in the UK and US. As long as governments, scientists and the public believe animal experimentation remains essential to the advancement of human health, it is destined to continue, through direct government intervention where considered necessary, or translocations to developing countries in which animal protection is minimal. Truly ending animal experimentation requires awareness by governments, ethics committee members, scientists and the public of the poor human clinical and toxicological predictivity and utility of animal experiments, and of their burdensome cost:benefit ratio when compared to other means of protecting and advancing human health. A range of strategies to advance these goals could be employed by scientific, economic, student and public activists. Such intelligent, strategic activism would significantly speed up the abolition of animal experimentation, yet is rarely pursued by the animal protection movement as a whole. The abolition of animal experimentation is likely to take a very long time at best, without such fundamental changes in strategy.

6. Animals Count: a UK a political party for the animals

In 2006, the Dutch political party for the animals (Partij Voor de Dieren, http://www.partijvoordedieren.nl/content/view/129) achieved a world first. Two MPs were elected to Dutch national parliament, which was followed in 2007 by the election of nine representatives at provisional level and one senator. Although political parties for the animal exist in France, Germany, Spain and Canada, this was the first time any such party had achieved electoral success. Jasmijn de Boo, a member of the successful Dutch campaign, established the UK equivalent Animals Count (www.AnimalsCount.org) in 2006 on the basis that broad concern for animals is a mainstream priority in many countries, including the UK, which is poorly reflected in the policies of most political parties. More people share their lives with companion animals, after all, than care about sports. This is the story of Animals Count, delivered by its President, Dr Andrew Knight.

7. Professional careers in animal activism

Based on over a decade of international experience, the speaker, who is an animal rights veterinarian, will describe the benefits and pitfalls of working for animal protection organisations. Qualifications sorely needed by the movement include medicine, nutrition/dietetics, veterinary medicine, law, education, and supporting specialisations, such as graphic/web design and fundraising/marketing. The advantages of acquiring a professional qualification and career include increased expertise and credibility when campaigning on issues, vastly increased funds for campaigning, the ability to be one’s own boss and to choose one’s own campaigns, and increased ability to travel internationally as required (including well-earned rest breaks in exotic locations, which may well be required often). These topics, including several suitable exotic locations, will be reviewed.


 

8. Advancing animal welfare standards within the veterinary profession

Veterinarians are widely considered to be experts on animal welfare. However, our survey of the positions of five of the world’s leading veterinary associations on five important animal use practices revealed that their positions frequently lagged behind those of the general public. These practices were the close confinement of laying hens in ‘battery cages,’ of pregnant sows in gestation crates, of veal calves in small crates, the cosmetic tail-docking of dogs, and the use of animals in scientific research and education.

To further examine the attitudes of veterinarians towards animal welfare, we ascertained the positions of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) on a broad range of practices commonly considered to result in poor welfare. With a veterinary membership in excess of 72,000 by 2005—the largest of any veterinary association—and claiming to act as “a collective voice for its membership and for the profession,” the AVMA is ideally suited to this purpose. While the AVMA did not support all practices resulting in poor welfare, it did support a substantial number of them, in some cases contrary to strong scientific evidence.

Such poor positions of veterinarians on animal welfare issues are largely attributable to deficiencies in veterinary education. Although humane alternatives are being introduced, harmful animal use in surgical and preclinical training remains common in veterinary courses worldwide, and although animal welfare and bioethics courses are also being introduced, these remain minimal in most veterinary curricula. Additional causes may include deficiencies in the selection of veterinary students, and misrepresentation of the opinions of veterinarians by their professional associations.

Solutions could include consideration of animal welfare awareness and critical reasoning ability during the selection of veterinary students, increased bioethics and critical reasoning training during veterinary education, continuing education credits for veterinarians who participate in such post-graduate training, the replacement of remaining harmful animal use in veterinary education with humane alternatives, and the encouragement of more active involvement of veterinarians in their professional associations.


 

9. Extreme vegan sports

Vegetarians are usually fitter than meat-eaters, with vegans being fittest of all. In fact, they are so extremely fit that the Extreme Vegan Sporting Association (www.ExtremeVeganSports.org) was created to cater for their extreme sporting needs. This extremely popular presentation graphically illustrates extreme vegan sports such as mountaineering, long-distance cycling, rogaining, spelunking, naked jogging, cliff-diving and yodeling. Special highlights include the first world vegan dune tumbling championships, held at the 10th international vegan festival, Denmark, in 2006.


 

10. Andrew’s adventures

Ever since he was born in Singapore, amateur adventurer and animal activist Andrew Knight has been wandering the globe. At the age of 17 his wanderings took him to South America, the Galapagos Islands, and all around New Zealand (by thumb). Unable to kick the travel bug, he camped under a tree in the back garden when he arrived home in Sydney, but was soon off again, around most of Australia, once again by thumb. Andrew has hitchhiked over 30,000 kms and, having traveled from Perth to Sydney (5,000 km) for $2, believes that money should prove a barrier to no-one.

Veterinary school resulted in 5 years of enforced semi-stability, but Andrew still managed to get to Belgium for a humane education conference, and explored ancient castles in the mountainous countryside. When Andrew finally escaped with his degrees in 2001 the plan was to settle down and get on with life and his animal activism. But the fickle winds of fate just kept blowing. The pursuit of gorgeous women and animal activism have continued to lure Andrew around the world.

Despite his best efforts, Andrew just can't seem to stop traveling. At some point he bought a decent digital camera, and created the travel photo website www.AndrewsAdventures.info. Come join Andrew for an entertaining photographic tour of his unplanned adventures in some of the world’s most wonderful places.