Article
Weir SA, Kessler SE & Andrews CP (2026) Exploring Public Knowledge of Dog Law in the UK: Evidence of Poor Legal Knowledge in a Nationally Representative Sample. Animals 2026, 16 (10), Art. No.: 1463. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16101463
About me
I originally graduated from Ryerson University, Canada with a BComm (Hons) in International Business. After a career in technology consulting I undertook a MSc in Human Animal Interaction at the University of Stirling graduating with distinction in 2020.
I have submitted my PhD and completed my viva with the expectation to graduate in November 2026.
My supervisors are Dr Sharon Kessler and Dr Clare Andrews.
My PhD thesis used a multi-disciplinary approach to examine how dog law balances the interests of different stakeholders and the gaps between people’s perception of law and legal realities to gain insight into the extent to which law reflects the changing role of dogs.
I am interested in the complex and changing roles of dogs, improving dog welfare and balancing the interest and safety of dogs, humans and other non-human animal interests.
I have submitted my PhD and completed my viva with the expectation to graduate in November 2026.
Outputs (3)
Article
Weir SA, McDevitt L, Andrews C & Kessler SE (2025) The creation of a systematic framework to assess dog laws and their relationship to societal changes in the United Kingdom. Animals, 15 (5), Art. No.: 647. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15050647
Article
Weir S & Kessler SE (2022) The making of a (dog) movie star: The effect of the portrayal of dogs in movies on breed registrations in the United States. PLoS ONE, 17 (1), Art. No.: e0261916. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261916