Professor Emeritus DAVID MELLOR

Professor Emeritus David Mellor is one of the world's most influential animal welfare scientists and the developer of the internationally recognised Five Domains Model - a framework that has transformed how animal welfare is understood, assessed and improved across veterinary medicine, animal welfare, research and policy. A Professor Emeritus at Massey University and Foundation Director of the Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, his work has helped shift the focus of animal welfare beyond physical health to include animals' mental experiences and overall quality of life. Over a distinguished career spanning more than five decades, Professor Mellor has published more than 570 scholarly works and has made significant contributions to the welfare of companion animals, farm animals, horses and animals used in science. His pioneering contributions to animal welfare science have been recognised internationally, including receiving the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists' Animal Welfare Award.

Dr Susan Hazel

Dr Susan Hazel is a veterinarian, researcher and educator whose work focuses on improving the lives of companion animals and the people who care for them. Based at the University of Adelaide University’s School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences, she is an Associate Professor teaching animal behaviour, welfare and ethics across multiple degree programmes while leading research into the human–animal bond. Susan has supervised more than 40 PhD and Hons research projects and published over 90 scientific papers. Beyond academia, she is an active advocate for animal welfare, serving on the boards of the Dog & Cat Management Board of South Australia and RSPCA South Australia.

Professor Ngaio Beausoleil

Professor Ngaio Beausoleil is one of New Zealand's leading animal welfare scientists and an internationally recognised expert in animal welfare and conservation welfare. As Co-Director of the Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre at Massey University, her research explores how animals experience both positive and negative welfare, using behavioural and physiological science to better understand their needs. Her work has helped advance humane practices, including research into animal pain, welfare assessment and euthanasia, and she is a trusted contributor to animal welfare policy and scientific publications in New Zealand and internationally.

Dr Natalie Lloyd

Dr Natalie Lloyd is a veterinarian with a strong passion for feline welfare and companion animal medicine. A Massey University graduate, Natalie co-owned a Wellington veterinary clinic with her husband, that became the city’s first iCatCare-accredited Cat Friendly Clinic.

She served as President of the NZVA Companion Animal Veterinarian Branch from 2019–2023 and remains involved in leadership and standards work with both NZVA and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). She is also a member of the Feline Chapter of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists and an Affiliate of the iCatCare Veterinary Society. Natalie is currently Manager of Companion Animal Veterinary Operations at Zoetis New Zealand and lives in Wellington with her husband, two teenage children and their two cats, Boris and Hazel.

Dr Kat Littlewood

Dr Kat Littlewood is New Zealand's only Registered Veterinary Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics, and Law - a protected title awarded following formal assessment of advanced expertise and experience. Her PhD examined end-of-life decision-making for companion animals and critically evaluated quality of life assessment tools and their effectiveness for owners at home. She co-authored the 2020 update of the Five Domains Model with Emeritus Professor David Mellor, serves on the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, and is co-founder of AkoVet, where she runs specialist quality of life consultations for companion animal owners. 

Dr Christine Sumner

Dr Christine Sumner is a social scientist with interdisciplinary training in animal welfare science. She is a Senior Scientific Officer with SPCA and has led their advocacy on cat management for the last eight years. She has published original research on keeping cats at home and the legislation and policies in New Zealand that impact cat welfare. She works with diverse groups including members of Government, Local Councils, the Department of Conservation, the New Zealand Cat Management Group, and represents SPCA on international cat groups to advance humane and effective cat management that protects cat welfare and addresses the problems with cat overpopulation.

Dr Alison Vaughan

Dr Alison Vaughan is an applied animal behaviour and welfare scientist and a Senior Scientific Officer at SPCA. She holds a PhD in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare and has extensive practical experience assessing the welfare and behaviour of dogs across a range of settings, including commercial dog businesses, shelters and cruelty investigations. Her work has contributed to animal welfare policy and regulation development in New Zealand, including through engagement with government, local authorities and other sector stakeholders.

Alison has extensive experience in greyhound welfare and advocacy, having served for many years on Greyhound Racing New Zealand’s Health and Welfare Committee, an expert advisory group formed to advise on the health, safety and welfare of racing greyhounds. She leads SPCA’s work on greyhound welfare and has worked closely with government, the racing industry, the Greyhound Transition Agency, rehoming organisations and other stakeholders.

Professor Nik Taylor

Professor Nik Taylor is a sociologist whose research over the last two decades has focussed on human relationships with other animals. Nik is based at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha/the University of Canterbury in Ōtautahi, Aotearoa New Zealand, where she is one of the organising collective of the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre for Human Animal Studies. Her research interests lie in understanding links between violence to animals and humans, with a dual focus on recognising animals as victims in their own right - and on ways we can help animals and people trapped in violent relationships. She has published over 95 journal articles and book chapters, and 8 books including, Companion Animals and Domestic Violence: Rescuing Me, Rescuing You (with Heather Fraser, Palgrave 2019).