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Ban the sale of pets in shops, urges charity
Marc Abraham with Winnie
Marc Abraham with ex-Blue Cross dog Winnie, outside the charity's Victoria animal hospital.

Blue Cross supports the campaign of celebrity vet Marc Abraham

Animal charity the Blue Cross is supporting a campaign to ban the sale of puppies and kittens in pet shops.

In a bid to tackle the puppy farming industry, TV vet and Pup Aid founder Marc Abraham last year launched an e-petition, campaigning for a ban on the sale of puppies and kittens unless their mothers are present.

As the petition received more than 100,000 signatures, the issue will now be debated in Parliament on September 4.

Blue Cross recently welcomed Marc to its Victoria animal hospital. The charity believes selling puppies and kittens in pet shops leads to impulse buying and compromises animal welfare.

Many of these pets have been bred irresponsibly and taken away from their mothers too young, leading to life-threatening health problems.

The charity, which cares for around 40,000 animals each year, says it often takes in pets that have been bought on impulse.

Rachel Cunningham, the charity's public affairs manager, said Marc's Pup Aid campaign has “captured the public imagination” and is helping to promote responsible pet ownership.

“We are also pleased that these issues are to be discussed in Parliament and we will be working closely with MPs to ensure a full and wide ranging debate,” she added.

Marc commented: “It’s fantastic to have the support of Blue Cross. Calls on the Government to review existing legislation to ensure that prospective owners should always see the puppy or kitten with its mother, and to ban the sale of puppies and kittens from retail centres or puppy supermarkets, would be a really positive step in the right direction for animal welfare in the UK."

Image courtesy of Blue Cross.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.