Dr Claire Brand

BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences, PhD Molecular Genetics
Research Technician in Canine Welfare Science

Department: Clinical Science and Services

Campus: Hawkshead

Research Centres: RVC Animal Welfare Science and Ethics

Claire helps to organise the different projects, supervise students, analyse data, contribute to writing up and present findings within the Companion Animal Research and Engagement (CARE) Collaboratory. Claire has worked on a variety of projects including Pandemic Puppies, the RESET trial (behavioural interventions for dogs with idiopathic epilepsy), assessment of behavioural changes in cats with idiopathic epilepsy, owner understanding of IVDD in Dachshunds and French Bulldogs and examination of the use of supplements in dogs with osteoarthritis. Claire is currently the main researcher on the Battersea funded Living with Dogs study.

Claire gained a PhD in Molecular Genetics from UCL in 2004, followed by employment at Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust as a Clinical Molecular Geneticist. Following a career break to have children, Claire completed a MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour at Edinburgh University and started working at RVC as a Research Technician in Canine Welfare Science on the Pandemic Puppies project in 2020.

Claire works within the Companion Animal Research and Engagement (CARE) Collaboratory which focuses upon companion animal health, behaviour and welfare.

For more information visit:

https://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/research-projects-and-opportunities/projects/rvc-pandemic-puppies-survey

https://www.rvc.ac.uk/research/projects/reset

 

[1] BELSHAW Z; BRAND CL; O'NEILL DG; PACKER RMA (2025) More than just one man and his dog: The many impacts of puppy acquisition on the mental health of families including children in the UK. PLoS ONE 20, e0331179.

[2] MERRITT BM; O'NEILL DG; BRAND CL; BELSHAW Z;  DALE FC;  PEGRAM CL; PACKER RMA (2025) Lasting lockdown love? Problem behaviour and pandemic and non-pandemic related risk factors influencing the owner-dog relationship in a UK cohort of dogs reaching early adulthood. PLoS ONE 20, e0316166.

[3] BRYSON GT; O'NEILL DG; BRAND CL; BELSHAW Z; PACKER RMA (2024) The doodle dilemma: How the physical health of ‘Designer-crossbreed’ Cockapoo, Labradoodle and Cavapoo dogs’ compares to their purebred progenitor breeds. PLoS ONE 19, e0306350.

[4] BRAND CL; O'NEILL DG; BELSHAW Z; DALE F; MERRITT BL; CLOVER KN; TAY M-XM; PEGRAM CL; PACKER RMA (2024) Early Life Experiences, Puppy-Purchasing Practices, and Owner Characteristics on Owner-Reported Problem Behaviours in a UK Pandemic Puppies Cohort. Animals 14, 336.

[5] PACKER RMA; BRAND CL;  BELSHAW Z; PEGRAM CL; DALE F; STEVENS KB; O'NEILL DG (2023) Is UK Puppy Purchasing Suffering a Long COVID Effect? Ongoing Negative Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic upon Puppy Purchase Motivations and Behaviours in 2021. Animals 13, 2186.

[6] BURNETT E; BRAND CL; O'NEILL DG; PEGRAM CL; BELSHAW Z; STEVENS KB; PACKER RMA (2022) How much is that doodle in the window? Exploring motivations and behaviours of UK owners acquiring designer crossbreed dogs (2019-2020). Canine Medicine and Genetics 9, 8.

[7] BRAND CL; O'NEILL DG; BELSHAW Z; PEGRAM CL; STEVENS KB; PACKER RMA (2022) Pandemic Puppies: Demographic characteristics, health and early life experiences of puppies acquired during the 2020 phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Animals 12, 629.

[8] PACKER RMA; BRAND CL; BELSHAW Z; PEGRAM CL; STEVENS KB; O'NEILL DG (2021) Characterising motivations and behaviours of UK owners who purchased puppies during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. Animals 11, 2500.

 

Claire helps supervise research projects for undergraduate and postgraduate students within the Companion Animal Research and Engagement (CARE) Collaboratory.

Claire has successfully completed the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Course at RVC.

Academic Member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors

Academic Member of the Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians

 

Top of page