Perceiving Animals and Ourselves
Abstract
A veterinary professional is a human who works to ensure the welfare of animals, even when those animals are abstract representations on a spreadsheet or in an organisational policy. However, we usually think of veterinary work as involving physical contact with real animals, where the human–animal medical encounter often entails physical effort, potential danger, sensory overload and moments of unpredictable crisis – for all parties. Whether it’s finding unexpected body fluids in one’s hair just before a first date or contracting zoonotic brucellosis, the veterinary sector confers embodied experiences that few other workplaces can match.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Veterinary Practice and Education Studies
Geographies of human-animal interactions
Posthumanist Ethics and Activism
Publication details
- Journal / source
- CRC Press eBooks
- Pages
- 23–66
- Publication date
- 3 March 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter