LSE iQ podcast: Should animals have rights?

Starting with a dog called Pip, the latest episode of the LSE iQ podcast explores one of the biggest ethical questions of our time. What do we really owe animals — and is the law keeping up with the science?

From the pets we love to the animals we rarely see, our relationship with non-human life is full of contradictions. In this episode, we explore what it really means to protect animals and whether welfare is enough, or if rights are the way forward.

Beginning with a simple question inspired by my own dog, Pip, this episode moves from the personal to the global. Through conversations with experts, including Jeff Sebo, Jonathan Birch, Jo-Anne McArthur, and Carrie Friese, we examine how ideas about sentience, law, and ethics are shaping the future of animal protection.