Part one: ‘Normalising the Abnormal – how and why humans engineered conformational disease into pets’

How and why did physical traits rejected by nature as malformations become accepted, rewarded, and even celebrated in our companion animals? This session explores the unintended consequences of a century of selective breeding for extreme body shapes, shifting breed standards and breed popularity, and the normalisation of resultant chronic health compromise in dogs and cats. Drawing on international data and real-world examples, Dan will challenge attendees to rethink what humanity should consider “normal” in modern pets.

Part two: ‘And How We Fix It – practical pathways for resolving the extreme conformation crisis to create healthier pets’

Where do ‘we’ go from here: as society, pet owners, veterinary professionals, breeders, breed organisations, academia, you? This session focuses on realistic, evidence-based solutions to move away from extreme conformation in future generations of companion animals. The Innate Health Concept will be introduced as a revolutionary new way to explain how physical malformation has been classified as healthy until now. Topics covered will range from veterinary advocacy, owner education, and policy change to raising public awareness of what is extreme conformation and then to new tools to assist owners to choose innately healthy animals and help breeders with good breeding decisions. Dan will explore how veterinary professionals, breeders, and wider welfare-focused organisations can work together effectively to drive meaningful and sustainable change towards a day when no animal suffers unnecessarily due to humanity’s desire to own extreme pets. And in the discussion section, you can share your views and commitments.

Prof Dan O'Neill - Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology, RVC MVB BSc(hons) GPCert(SAP) GPCert(FelP) GPCert(Derm) GPCert(B&PS) PGCertVetEd FHEA MSc(VetEpi) PhD FRCVS

Harnessing 22 years in general veterinary practice and 15 years in academia, Dan combines real-world general practice experience with the latest cutting-edge population science. With 200 peer-reviewed papers, Dan co-leads the RVC VetCompass™ Programme. He has co-authored the books ‘Breed Predispositions to Disease in Dogs and Cats’ and ‘Health and Welfare of Brachycephalic (Flat-faced) Companion Animals’. He is a founding member of Brachycephalic Working Group, Legal Advisory Group on Extreme Conformation in Dogs and International Collaborative on Extreme Conformation in Dogs. Dan has created the theory of Innate Health that underpins the new Innate Health Assessment (IHA) in dogs. Dan is also part of the Veterinary Humanities that created the Contextualised Care concept for veterinary practice. His recent awards include an RCVS Fellowship (2018), BSAVA Blaine Award for Advancement of Small Animal Science (2019), KCCT International Canine Health Award (2021), APDAWG ‘Phillippa Robinson Dog Welfare Award’ (2024) and RCVS Impact Award (2025). His ethos is that without good data, we are each left to construct our own imaginary views of the world.