Alison spent over thirty years in small animal general practice. Deeply involved in pedigree dog health work, in 2022 she obtained a Wellcome Trust funded PhD in the history of breed-related disease in dogs. She is currently running a charity-funded research project at the Royal Veterinary College, investigating UK canine health research funding. Alison is co-founder of Veterinary Humanities UK, a network that applies humanities and social science insights to veterinary issues. She profoundly believes that contextualised communication and care, where professionals aim for genuinely tailored and shared decision making with animal caregivers, are foundational to successful veterinary work.