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Thriving in clinical veterinary practice : a strengths-based, qualitative investigation of thriving in clinical veterinarians in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Science at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2025-11-21) Cantley, Charlotte Emily Louise
Veterinarians play an important role in society, contributing to animal health, public health, and environmental sustainability. However, there is growing international concern about the well-being and workforce stability of veterinarians, particularly those working in clinical practice. Much of the existing research has focused on the negative impact of veterinary work on well-being, emphasising that veterinarians experience high levels of psychological distress and burnout. However, there is a lack of understanding of what enables veterinarians not only to cope in clinical practice but also to thrive and enjoy fulfilling careers. This research employed a qualitative approach, grounded in positive psychology, to explore the factors that help veterinarians thrive in clinical practice. Using in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this research investigated the lived experiences of clinical veterinarians in Aotearoa New Zealand, to identify the factors that contribute to a fulfilling and sustainable career. Participants across the three studies represented veterinarians from a wide range of clinical practice types, including companion animal, production animal, equine, and mixed practice. They included late-career veterinarians (n = 19), new and recent graduates (n = 22), and mid-late career veterinarians who were not practice owners or senior managers (n = 29). Reflexive thematic analysis was utilised to identify key themes from the data. Three final key concepts emerged as critical to thriving in veterinary clinical practice: positive leadership, a psychologically safe clinic culture, and a strong sense of purpose and meaning in work, referred to as the “3Ps” of thriving. For early-career veterinarians, positive mentorship in a psychologically safe environment was crucial for developing confidence, self-efficacy, and a professional identity suitable for general practice. Mid- and late-career veterinarians who experienced positive leadership and a healthy, safe workplace culture reported an evolving sense of purpose that included providing care to patients and expanded to encompass mentoring and supporting others in the profession, as well as philanthropic work and community commitment. These veterinarians expressed high levels of engagement and were often motivated by fostering thriving in others. The attitudes and behaviours of clinic managers were noted as particularly important. Thus, a thriving veterinary career can be considered an odyssey — a long, transformative journey shaped by challenges, growth, and continuous learning. It reflects an evolving sense of purpose, making the role of a clinical veterinarian far more than just a job. Based on these findings, a practical framework of evidence-based recommendations was designed to foster thriving throughout a veterinarian’s career. These recommendations target three levels of influence: the individual, the clinic, and the broader veterinary profession, and may help address the ongoing issues of recruitment and retention in veterinary practice. This research provides valuable insights into the benefits of pursuing a clinical career, contributing to the growing body of literature on positive well-being in the veterinary field. It highlights the importance of leadership and psychological safety — topics that have received relatively little attention in veterinary contexts — and shows how they enable veterinarians to find purpose and meaning in their work. Importantly, the research highlights that fostering thriving is a collective responsibility, shared between veterinary businesses, individual veterinarians, and the profession as a whole.
Population dynamics and anthropogenic threats to New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) in New Zealand : a thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Veterinary Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa New Zealand
(Massey University, 2025) Hall, Alasdair
New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri; ‘NZFS’) are New Zealand’s most encountered pinniped. However, substantial gaps exist in the knowledge of their abundance and distribution. This study provides NZFS abundance and distribution data for Kaikōura and Banks Peninsula and investigates anthropogenic risks in both locations. Additionally, the thesis undertakes the first nationwide NZFS abundance estimate in ca. 50 years. The Kaikōura population study was the first since the 2016 earthquake. Kaikōura’s NZFS population has grown and spread post-earthquake, with an upper population estimate of 21,560 – 28,327 NZFS in the 2022/23 breeding season. However, pup production at Ōhau Point, the most impacted colony, has not grown, and breeding distribution has changed significantly. Following earthquake damage, State Highway 1 (SH1), which runs close to NZFS colonies, was reconstructed. This study detected an almost fivefold increase in the annual number of NZFS recorded on SH1 from 2012 – 2022, compared to 1996 – 2005. Ten statistically significant NZFS incident clusters were located, representing 89% of the incidents. Cluster location shifted following post-earthquake road reconstruction. Monthly NZFS incident numbers were significantly positively associated with traffic and windspeed, and significantly negatively associated with temperature and rainfall. Road-abutting NZFS breeding explained most of the spatial variation in NZFS incidents. An abundance estimate of 13,147 – 17,675 NZFS was calculated for Banks Peninsula in 2023/24, and 25 previously unrecorded colonies were assessed. This study considered response strategies for an oil spill impacting Banks Peninsula’s NZFS, as the region is classified as ‘high risk’ for such incidents. Priority response strategies include preventing oil from reaching colonies, and hazing individuals away from waterborne slicks. From the most recently available count data, a minimum nationwide population estimate of 131,338 – 168,269 NZFS was calculated. Using recent counts and stage-structured population modelling, a more reliable estimate of 181,646 – 239,473 NZFS was calculated, a substantial increase on the most cited nationwide abundance figure, 100,000 NZFS. This thesis’ population findings provide useful baselines and highlight the need for improved NZFS population monitoring. This is particularly important due to the changing human-NZFS relationship, evidenced by the Kaikōura road reconstruction and the risk of oil spills in Banks Peninsula.
Workplace attitudes and responsibilities regarding euthanasia practices within Australasian zoos and aquariums : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Veterinary Science at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2024) Clarke, Alison S.
Euthanasia of a diverse range of species is carried out regularly in Australasian zoos, however little is known about zoo employee attitudes on the use of euthanasia within Australasian zoos, the types of euthanasia performed and the range of personnel involved. I carried out a survey of staff in zoos across Australia and New Zealand and used quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse the responses. Widely variable employee support was documented for both lethal and non-lethal animal management strategies, with polarizing attitudes expressed toward the use of euthanasia for “otherwise healthy” animals. Non-lethal methods (e.g. reproductive control) to avoid creation of surplus young were emphatically supported, and were preferred over lethal methods that focused on managing resultant individuals. The underlying justification for the use of euthanasia was critically important to attitudes held by employees, suggesting many zoo professionals will apply moral judgements at the individual animal-level, with euthanasia performed for geriatric animals shown to be a well-accepted and common practice. We documented a broad variety of personnel involved in the euthanasia decision-making process within zoos, and identified divergence in attitudes held across individual employees and major employee groups (i.e. ‘management’, ‘animal care’, and ‘veterinary services’). Variation in euthanasia use and attitudes was identified across different workplace settings, and geographic influences were revealed with a broadly heterogenous set of attitudes identified for Australasia. This work calls for more open and transparent considerations around animal euthanasia, with recognition of the cultural differences that may exist, and the risks that euthanasia practices create for the experiences of those caring for animals, to the animals themselves, and to the maintenance of zoos’ social licence.
Development of a theoretical approach for investigating the occurrence of boredom in animals : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Science at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2024-12-27) Heslop, Morgan Victoria
Many domestic and captive wild animals across the globe are kept under highly constrained conditions, and there has been a growing concern that boredom might represent a major source of welfare compromise for these animals. To understand how significant an impact animal boredom represents, there is first a need to improve understanding of what boredom is and how it can be recognised. The aim of this thesis is to systematically examine the concept of boredom and how it can be recognised in animals kept under human management. This investigation begins by reviewing current knowledge of boredom in humans, culminating in the presentation of a framework that demonstrates the relationships between the environmental antecedents, cognitive and physiological correlates, social and cultural features and behavioural outcomes of self-reported boredom. In humans, boredom is a temporally fluid emotion that is thought to function as a goal-switching signal, occurring when there is a mismatch between the availability of cognitive resources and environmental demands on those resources. The specific cognitive and behavioural changes associated with boredom are expected to change over time, but the pattern of these changes is not yet well characterised in humans, making it challenging to determine when to look for expected responses in animals. The framework is then used to identify which aspects of boredom are measurable and manipulable to systematically investigate boredom in animals. While various correlates are theoretically measurable, the most promising measures of boredom are behavioural; three behavioural strategies are expected to occur in response to boredom, characterised as goal-switching, goal-perseverance, and non-goal-related behaviour. Manipulations to increase the likelihood of boredom-related behavioural outcomes involve altering either the availability of the subject’s cognitive resources or the environmental demand, to produce a mismatch. A novel model is introduced to describe the predicted relationships between the expected behavioural pattern and the availability of cognitive resources relative to environmental demand, as well as perceived meaning of the current activity or task and the animal’s judgement of control during boredom. The model predicts that when there is a resource-demand mismatch, or when an activity/task is low in meaning, boredom will prompt behaviours that aim to either change goals or regulate cognitive resources and demand to support persevering towards the current goal. In situations where the subject does not judge adequate control to successfully alleviate boredom through these strategies, the model predicts the occurrence of non-goal-related behaviours. The model is used to investigate how existing research on environmental conditions and ‘enrichment’ (mainly through increased complexity) contributes to our understanding of boredom in animals. One important knowledge gap is understanding how a lack of change over time (i.e. monotony) is perceived as an antecedent to boredom in animals. The way monotony, so defined, may occur in the lives of animals is further explored. Although monotony is recognised as an antecedent of boredom in humans, it may not lead to boredom in all animals. The evolutionary background of a species is predicted to influence whether monotony is aversive to members of that species, and different types of monotony may be aversive to, or preferred by, different animals. Consideration of the key features of monotony led to the development of an experimental paradigm for investigating the behavioural outcomes of task-related monotony in rats, with a view to observing whether the predicted strategies associated with boredom occur during monotony in a species that is expected to find such conditions aversive. The planned experiment could only be completed with a single animal, and the data recorded could not be fully analysed within the timeframe of this PhD. Nonetheless, the paradigm provides a potential method for investigating how monotony is perceived by animals and identifying any associated welfare impacts. To date, there is a small amount of focussed evidence that animals in restrictive environments exhibit attempts to switch goals when opportunities are made available. However, most studies only report collapsed data such as the overall duration of different behaviours, precluding the recognition of behavioural patterns that indicate the occurrence of boredom according to the model developed here. Understanding these behaviours requires continuous monitoring to observe wider behavioural patterns over time. The model presented supports the systematic investigation of boredom in animals by generating predictions about the expected behavioural outcomes in situations with different features, which can be further examined and tested in future research. The exploration of boredom presented here contributes to a growing area of animal welfare science. The recognition and alleviation of boredom are both important and it is hoped that this work will contribute to a strong foundation that will support and provide rigour to future studies.
Assessing the welfare of pasture-based dairy cows of New Zealand and transhumance chauris of Nepal : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Science at Massey University, Runenga Porehuroa, University of New Zealand, School of Veterinary Science, Manawatu
(Massey University, 2024-06-14) Sapkota, Sujan
There is no industry-recognized welfare assessment protocol for pasture-based dairy cows of New Zealand. Also, the welfare assessment in yak/chauri raised under the transhumance system is at the preliminary stage. So, there is a strong necessity of a pastured-based welfare assessment protocol for pasture-based dairy cows in New Zealand and transhumance yak/chauri in Nepal. The aim of the research studies presented in this thesis were to develop a practical and time-limited welfare assessment protocol suitable to pasture-based dairy farms, and transhumance yak chauri focused on a single visit around milking. During the process, 84 different welfare measures were collected from six protocols and 4 welfare studies which were screened and trialed in two pasture-based farms to finalise 32 welfare measures including 5 additional measures specific to New Zealand. These measures were tested on 23 different dairy farms from the Waikato and Manawatu. All the measures were feasible except for the measure related to water availability and behavior. Testing of the repeatability and reliability should be performed for all the selected measures on more number of farms before taking this protocol for commercial use. Also, we further did subsampling-based locomotion scoring on five different pasture-based dairy farms to know if they could predict herd level prevalence. The findings were that there was a significant association between the order in which cows were milked and their susceptibility to lameness. However, the percentage of lame cows within the sub-sampled group was not uniform and was significantly influenced by the farm and the timing of the visit. For our yak/chauri protocol, 31 potential welfare measures were submitted to 120 Nepalese experts for evaluation identifying 13 measures, plus a new one (hematology) was deemed useful. The resulting protocol was tested in five chauri herds in northern Nepal, encompassing animal-based evaluations, mastitis and parasite sampling, and hematology. The protocol was found to be feasible and offers a valuable starting point for yak/chauri welfare assessment.
From lodgement to cover: a qualitative inquiry into the steps and factors that lead to cover decision for a leptospirosis claim in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Veterinary Studies, Massey University, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2019) Uy, Abbie Stephanie S.
Leptospirosis is an occupational hazard for people working with animals, and while occupationally-acquired leptospirosis is a compensable condition, the mechanics of the compensation process are not well understood by patients. In addition, much of the crucial decisions affecting the claim outcome are made by treatment providers and insurance claim assessors largely outside of the patient’s purview. This lack of understanding adds to the disease burden experienced by patients. This study was therefore designed to improve the understanding of the compensation process for leptospirosis, by first establishing what are the bases of a claim, and second, investigating how treatment providers and insurance claim assessors evaluate a case or claim. A qualitative approach was utilised in this study. Government reports and publications were analysed in order to determine the formal procedure and requirements of the process, while interviews with treatment providers and insurance claim assessors revealed how the actual process plays out in real life. The results showed that a claim is assessed against two main requirements: having a confirmed diagnosis and having an appropriate exposure. A claim must have sufficient information to support both of these requirements. The criteria for the exposure are set in legislation, but the diagnostic criteria may vary depending on which case definition is used. The results from the study showed that the assessment may be affected by factors like physician experience, laboratory test preference, and patient and employer compliance.
Exploring the experiences and expectations of allied veterinary professionals in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2022) Palleson-Putt, Patrice
Since the start of the 19th century veterinary nurses have played an increasingly pivotal role within the veterinary healthcare team. Veterinary nurses, and all allied veterinary professionals, are considered an essential component to any veterinary team today. Veterinary Technology is an emerging profession affording graduates a broad curriculum typically at bachelor-level, and a wider clinical skillset than traditional vocational veterinary nursing programmes. Massey University launched its Bachelor of Veterinary Technology (BVetTech) programme in 2009, and it ran successfully until 2021 when the programme closed. One of the key drivers for undertaking this research was to investigate the experiences of graduates of the BVetTech programme, and their contributions to the veterinary industry. The purpose of this research was to: 1) Explore the experiences of Veterinary Technology graduates in the workplace 2) Investigate the contributions graduates make to the veterinary and allied animal health industries. Whilst there is considerable literature surrounding veterinary nurses in clinical practice in the New Zealand context (Gates et al., 2021; Harvey & Cameron, 2019; Kimber & Gardner, 2016), there is a paucity of literature encompassing veterinary technologists and their experiences in the workplace. This research is the first qualitative study of the BVetTech graduates from Massey University and explores their employment experiences in depth. The study sample group comprised 15 graduates of the programme, employed in both veterinary clinical practice and allied animal health fields. This case study utilised semi-structured interviews to explore their experiences of employment, their expectations of the role, their perceptions of the BVetTech programme, and the challenges they have faced in the industry. These findings affirm comparative literature for allied veterinary professionals in clinical practice, within which BVetTech graduates are a small cohort. This research highlights the need for greater qualification recognition and utilisation of AVPs in the workplace. It also highlights the importance of professional identity and the pivotal role that BVetTech graduates can, and could more extensively, play in addressing veterinary workloads and staff shortages.
Assessment of positive emotion in horses : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Science at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2022) Stratton, Rachael Bridget
Objective, non-invasive indicators of the subjective experience of positive emotion are required to support assessment and improvement of animal welfare. Emotion is unique to the individual and indicators of emotion are indirect. The aim of this thesis was to ascertain if body and facial behaviours and physiological parameters reflected the emotional experiences of horses. Following review of the theoretical and experimental literature, three experiments were conducted, and an alternative emotional arousal-valence framework was proposed. Based on the preferences of individual horses, the relative arousal level and emotional valence induced by four stimuli (wither grooming, motionless person, intermittent spray, and being left alone) were ordered. Behavioural and physiological parameters were then measured during exposure to each stimuli. The indicators of contrasting affective experiences in horses were found to be heart rate, heart rate variability, eye temperature, and behaviours involving legs, neck, tail, ears, eyes, eyebrows, mouth, chin, and nares. Several behaviours differed across all three arousal levels or valence levels. Positive emotional valence was indicated by a decreased rate of neck very low, left ear forward, left or right ear back, blink, angled eyebrow, nares flared, nares neutral, and/or an increased rate of chin wobble, small eye aperture, or oral investigation behaviours. Higher arousal was indicated by an increased rate of neck very high, tail swishing, or higher odds of contracted lips, and/or a decreased rate of right ear forward or to the side behaviours. Reduction from 16 to six parameters may be possible. The findings may be used to aid interpretation of horse emotional experience and in the assessment and improvement of horse welfare. The research approach and framework described in this research may be suitable for future research in horses and other species.
New Zealand petrel translocation diets : an assessment of three Procellariiformes diets : grey faced petrel (Pterodroma macroptera gouldi; kuia), Chatham petrel (Pterodroma axillaris; ranguru) and fluttering shearwater (Puffinus gavia; pakahā) : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Veterinary Science in Wildlife Health at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2021) Jensen, Micah Anna
In New Zealand, a pureed diet of Brunswick tinned sardines™ in soya oil (S/Soy) has been widely fed to Procellariiformes chicks during translocations. The diet provides high fledging rates, however, when fed for longer periods diseases have occurred that may be related to malnutrition and may impact fledgling survival at sea. The effect of dietary oils was compared in feeding trials by substituting soya oil with fish oil during chick translocations of two burrow nesting petrel species. Fish oil supplemented diets were fed to 30 of 76 grey-faced petrel chicks (Pterodroma macroptera gouldi; kuia) (GFP) combined with a Mazuri fish analogue® (M/Fish), and to 20 of 74 fluttering shearwater chicks (Puffinus gavia; pakahā) (FS) fed a puree of Brunswick tinned sardines™ in spring water (S/Fish). Changes in red blood cell (RBC) phospholipid fatty acid composition, fledging parameters, and necropsy results were compared over the 3-week translocation period as well as return rates thereafter. Fledging parameters were similar between the diet groups, with GFP chicks that were fed the S/Soy diet fledging at significantly higher weights. Deaths due to visceral gout occurred in GFP chicks irrespective of the diet fed. Feeding fish oil improved fledging RBC phospholipid fatty acid ratios to levels that resemble wild seabird diets, with significantly higher docosahexaenoic acid C22:6n3 (DHA) and arachidonic acid C20:4n6 (ARAC); fatty acids that are important for cellular communication as eicosanoids and are vital for immune responses in birds. In contrast, chicks fed soya oil had significantly higher proportions of linoleic acid C18:2n6 (LIN) resulting in RBC membranes that were filled with plant-based 18-carbon fatty acids, which may not be metabolizable in some obligate piscivorous seabirds. DHA levels were significantly decreased which could have a deleterious effect on chick maturation. Until the exact nutritional requirements of seabirds are known a prudent diet would include fish oils that are already present in wild marine-based diets. Return rates of FS nine years later have not shown any difference in effect from the oil-fed. The three species of petrel were investigated to represent three, distinctly different foraging strategies: GFP as long-distance foragers, FS as short-distance daily feeders and Chatham petrel (Pterodroma axillaris; ranguru) (CP) as an endangered species that are long-distance foragers, yet have a restricted range during the chick-rearing season. The nutrient composition and fatty acid components of proventricular samples for each species were analysed and compared to three different translocation dietary groups (S/Soy, M/Fish and S/Fish). The effect of sampling methods on nutrient analysis was compared between proventricular flushing (PVF) and spontaneous regurgitation (REG). Results showed that GFP diets were highly variable in nutritional composition and the sampling method had a significant effect on results, with REG samples demonstrating higher fat content. Ash content was highly variable in all species, particularly samples collected by PVF, and increased the variation reported in proximate analysis results. Yet, irrespective of the sampling method used, the differences between all species were widely apparent. Species with a short-foraging strategy (FS) show higher protein and lower fat content compared with those with long-foraging strategies (GFP and CP). The fatty acid proportions of PVF samples were not greatly affected by sampling methods but showed diversity when compared between species and translocation dietary groups. The artificial diet S/Soy had significantly higher proportions of LIN and alpha-linolenic acid C18:3n3 (ALIN) than any other group, setting it apart distinctly from all other wild diets as well as artificial diets supplemented with fish oil. DHA and ARAC were lower in the soya oil diet than in both the fish oil supplemented diets and in the GFP wild diet. Oleic acid C18:1n9 (OLE) and palmitic acid C16:0 (PAL) were the predominant fatty acids in wild diets and showed species-specific differences. No artificial diet provided sufficient nervonic acid C24:1n9 (NERV) to reach levels in wild diets, with tinned sardines in fish oil being the closest alternative. The CP wild diet was uniquely high in NERV and its n-9 precursors (OLE, eicosenoic acid C20:1n9 and erucic acid C22:1n9), with markedly low DHA, docosapentaenoic acid C22:5n3 (DPA), eicosapentaenoic acid C20:5n3 (EPA), and ARAC levels in comparison to other species, wild diets, and translocation dietary groups. Translocation diets based on tinned sardines with supplemented fish oil showed closest similarity to the wild diets of all species studied. Given the dietary importance of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for the health and development of chicks, a prudent diet would include supplementation with DHA, ARAC and NERV fortified oils. The volume and proportion of fat-fed in the diet needs further investigation, with careful consideration of the sampling methods used to determine normal fat levels within the diet.
The veterinarian’s role in end-of-life management of animals : an exploration of veterinary training and the perspectives of New Zealand cat owners : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Science at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2021) Littlewood, Katherine
Domestic cats are living longer and more of them are living with chronic conditions. It is up to the owner(s) to make the decision about when, and how, to end the life of their cat. Owners may find such end-of-life decisions difficult, as they are influenced by many factors relating to their cat and to themselves. Owners often involve their veterinarian in the decision-making process; therefore, it is essential that veterinarians understand the role they play in end-of-life management of animals. To ensure veterinarians are effectively supporting owners to make end-of-life decisions, there is also a need to know how veterinary students are taught relevant topics and skills. The central question this research aimed to answer was: 'what is the veterinarian's role in end-of-life management of older and chronically ill cats in New Zealand?' Study 1 investigated how aspects of end-of-life management – technical euthanasia skills, end-of-life decision-making, and grief management – were taught to Australasian veterinary students. Study 2 then explored the role veterinarians play in end-of-life management from the perspective of owners of older and chronically ill cats, as well as how those owners made the decision to end their cat’s life. Study 1 demonstrated some gaps that, if filled, could improve veterinary training in end-of-life management of animals. Technical aspects of euthanasia were not taught consistently for companion animals and this needs to be improved to ensure new graduates meet client expectations – that is, they are as competent as my cat owner participants assumed. There also appeared to be gaps in teaching end-of-life decision-making relative to what was important to cat owners. Owners expected their veterinarian to be the professional or ‘expert’ when it came to knowledge of animal health and welfare, but not all veterinary students were taught how to assess animal welfare or quality of life in the context of end-of-life decisions. In contrast, teaching of grief-related topics left only a few gaps to fill. Grief management teaching best reflected many of the features my cat owner participants wanted from their veterinarian, and particularly the human-centred themes taught to students. Most of this grief management teaching was performed by student counsellors and psychologists in earlier (preclinical) years. This means these human-centred themes may not have been explicitly linked to the decision-making process, and, more importantly, to the veterinarian’s role in end-of-life management. Without explicit alignment, veterinary students may be left thinking that veterinarians have only a limited role, or even no role at all, in managing their clients’ emotions and that this should be left to trained professionals. However, my cat owner participants emphasised the important role their veterinarian had played in the end-of-life process, suggesting that training, in New Zealand at least, is effective in this regard. Significant methodological developments in this research include designing and conducting in-depth interviews using social science methodology, in addition to the analysis and interpretation of qualitative data. Future studies should compare owner and veterinary perceptions of the same euthanasia event to obtain a detailed picture of the veterinarian’s role in end-of-life management of animals.

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