Emma graduated from Bristol university in 1996. After 12 years in clinical practice she worked as a clinical nutrition advisor for seven years. Emma was a trustee of the Animal Welfare Foundation for six years and sat as their representative on the BVA Ethics and Welfare group for two years. She has written nine books on pet animal welfare and pedigree health problems and spoken at numerous conferences on different animal welfare subjects, the main ones being the health issues associated with extreme conformation and the ethics of showing. She is a patron of the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF), a patron of Dogs Trust, a trustee of the Dog Breeding Reform Group (DBRG) and has worked with many other animal welfare charities. In 2017 she founded the initiative Vets Against Brachycephalism which now represents vets, nurses and veterinary and welfare organisations from 67 countries around the world. In 2021 Emma was awarded a Fellowship of the RCVS for meritorious contributions to the profession in the field of animal welfare.