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Organised animal fighting on the increase
"People are deliberately breeding, training and fighting animals for the sole purpose of inflicting suffering."
RSPCA reports increase of 33 per cent

Reports of organised animal fighting to the RSPCA have risen by a third in the past five years, despite dog and cockfighting being banned in the UK for 180 years.

The RSPCA say that in 2014 it received 594 calls to report incidents or information connected to organised animal fighting, compared to 449 it received in 2010 - an increase of almost 33 per cent.

The West Midlands emerged as the region with the most calls last year, followed by Greater London and Greater Manchester.

Chief inspector Ian Briggs, from the RSPCA's special operations unit which investigates organised animal crime, says that he is not surprised at the results.

“People look at me with amazement when I tell them about some of the things I’ve seen and heard of when it comes to dogfighting and cockfighting. Some people simply can’t believe it still happens, but it does and these new figures show that it is as much a problem now, if not more, than any other point in recent years.

“I’ve been investigating organised animal fighting for more than a decade and it still disgusts me, knowing that there are individuals who continue to take pleasure in watching animals brutally fight each other, often causing horrific and sometimes fatal injuries.

“RSPCA inspectors deal with countless instances of neglect caused by ignorance, but these cases are all about premeditated cruelty. People are deliberately breeding, training and fighting animals for the sole purpose of inflicting suffering.

“Hopefully one day organised animal fighting can truthfully be described as a thing of the past. Until then, we’ll keep investigating and try to bring about an end to such horrific levels of animal cruelty.”

Animal baiting and fighting was banned in England by the Cruelty to Animals Act in 1835. It is now covered by section eight of the Animal Welfare Act which makes it illegal to stage an animal fight, to take part in an animal fight, train animals for the purpose of fighting, to attend and/or publicise an animal fight, and to possess equipment designed to be used in connection with animal fighting.

Anybody with any information about animal fighting are urged to contact the RSPCA's 24 hour cruelty and advice line by calling 0300 1234 999.

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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.