Madeleine Forsyth has lived and worked in North Yorkshire all her life starting her veterinary career as a schoolgirl assisting James Herriot, the world's most famous vet. She subsequently worked as a veterinary surgeon in that Thirsk practice gaining experience in all aspects of mixed practice, dealing with all species, leaving to found her own mixed rural practice in Helmsley in 1983. She sold her surgery in 2002 only due to injury, but has not retired from clinical practice which she still carries out, although to a much lesser extent, and after re-training in law was called to the Bar in 2004. She is a non practising barrister. Madeleine has acted as an Expert Witness for more than 35 years and her experience covers an unusual range of comprehensive disciplines. She holds the Certificate of Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in Animal Welfare Science Ethics and Law, a forensic qualification designed to train experienced practitioners to recognise any compromise of animal welfare, make an objective assessment of the significance of that compromise, and describe it in terms acceptable to a Court.