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Council adopts scheme to tackle impulse buying
bearded dragon
EMODE classifies animals as Easy, Moderate, Difficult or Extreme, according to how challenging they are to keep.
Pet shops asked to supply EMODE leaflet to potential buyers

Brighton and Hove City Council has become the first in Britain to adopt a new scheme aimed at tackling impulse pet buying.

From January 1, 2015, pet shops in the area will be asked to provide an EMODE leaflet to anyone thinking of buying a pet.

EMODE is a tool created last year by a team of 18 vets, scientists and technicians. It aims to help potential pet owners make informed decisions by categorising animals as Easy, Moderate, Difficult or Extreme, depending on how challenging they are to keep.

The Animal Protection Agency (APA) is urging councils to take up the scheme to reduce impulse purchases. Exotic pets are often mistakenly marketed as being "easy to keep", leading to widespread animal welfare problems.

Brighton and Hove's Licensing Committee voted in the scheme at a meeting on November 20.

Stephanie Powell, committee chair and Green Party Councillor, said: "Impulse buying of pets, especially exotic animals, is the root cause of a whole raft of animal welfare and environmental problems.

"It was therefore very important for the Greens to ensure Brighton and Hove City Council genuinely tackle this issue by adopting the EMODE initiative. This is the first Council in Britain to do so and I hope many more follow our lead."

Welcoming the news, APA's director Elaine Toland, said: "As a Brighton-based organisation that helped to develop EMODE we are particularly proud that the initiative has been adopted on our doorstep and we are looking forward to pet shops taking this on.

"In my view, pet shops that hand out the EMODE leaflet signal their commitment to responsible pet selling and should inspire greater confidence in prospective purchasers.

"We are delighted that EMODE is rapidly gaining support and has also received the ‘thumbs up’ from UK central government."

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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.