Animals and society in the nineteenth century Britain

Historian Dr Hilda Kean, former Dean of Ruskin College, Oxford, takes us back to nineteenth century Britain, as she discusses the landscape for animals around the enactment of Martin's Act 1822 (named after its sponsor, Richard Martin MP), the first national legislation intended specifically to make animal cruelty an offence. This episode contains references to animal cruelty, including cat skinning, that some people may find distressing.