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Up to 50,000 horses 'disappeared' during scandal
horses
Horses started to disappear in 2008 during the financial meltdown and it is "probable" they ended up in the food chain.
Food fraud expert makes alarming revelation

As many as 50,000 horses across Europe are said to have 'disappeared' and most likely ended up in the food chain during the 2013 horse meat scandal.

The claims were made by food fraud expert Professor Chris Elliott at a recent conference at the Doncaster Racecourse.

Prof Elliott led the investigation into the 2013 horse meat scandal, where beef products were found to contain horse meat. His report was published in 2014.

Now, he is warning that the UK could face a similar scandal unless the authorities and police take action.

Speaking at the 2015 Fighting Food Fraud conference, Prof Elliot said horses started to disappear in 2008 during the financial meltdown and it is "probable" they ended up in the food chain.

Horse & Hound quotes him as saying: "2013 was a wake up call for the UK. With organised gangs becoming attracted into food fraud, we must act now to prevent public health threats.

"The idea that 50,000 horses could just disappear may seem incredible to some, but the scale at which some of these gangs can operate is huge."

Whilst he said that establishing a national food crime unit is a "good first step", a collaborative approach is needed to improve the tracking and auditing of the food supply chain.

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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.