For some Australians, a day at the races is a tradition, a national pastime for people to have a punt and watch their favourite horse race along the track in hope of that big win.

But behind the celebratory air, is a dark side riddled with animal welfare issues.

From the oversupply of racehorses, questionable training techniques, the use of whips and the physical toll racing takes on the horses involved, it's an industry that is in urgent need of improvement.

The animal welfare science and the expectation of how we care for animals has moved considerably over the last two decades, as have the expectations of many in the community to do better for animals used in sport while the practice still continues.

Join our host Brian Daly along with Dr Suzie Fowler - Chief Science Officer at RSPCA Australia, and Dr Di Evans - Senior Scientific Officer at RSPCA Australia, to uncover the many layered issues of horseracing and what needs to change.

Growing awareness of animal welfare has led many caring Australians to actively seek more conscious choices with the products they buy. For some products this is easy, with clear labels on the packaging that identify higher-welfare practices.

But when it comes to dairy these labels are largely absent, making it nearly impossible for the average shopper to know if the cheese or milk they select is from a producer with good standards of welfare for their cows.

Join Dr Natalie Roadknight – Senior Scientific Officer at RSPCA Australia to delve into all things dairy, including how dairy production works, the impacts and welfare issues for dairy cows and calves and the questions caring individuals can ask producers to make better choices in the dairy aisle.

We know cat caregivers want to provide the very best life for their feline companions, so they are happy and healthy and live a long time. And we know that to give cats the best change at this, the RSPCA’s position is that cats should be kept at home.

But why is keeping cats at home important? And what does that look like?

How do we provide an environment at home that meets all a cats needs including enrichment and the ability to express natural cat behaviours while making them safe and comfortable?

Join Sarah Zito - Senior Scientific Officer at RSPCA Australia (and cat enthusiast!), to discuss these and many more cat related questions in this episode of RSPCA's Great and Small Talk.