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Funeral home launches ‘Pet Cards’ scheme
The 'pet card' holds details about who medics can contact if the owner is taken ill.
Cards to give pet owners peace of mind

Pet owners are being urged to carry new ‘pet cards’ to ensure their domestic companions are never left alone.

The wallet-sized cards, produced by Co-op Funeral Care, hold details about who medics can contact if the owner falls ill or gets injured and ensures any pets are looked after.

The concept is the brainchild of Co-op funeral arranger, Bridgette Perks, who became mindful that many of her clients were worried about what would happen to their pets if they didn’t come home.

“When speaking to members of the local community, I came to realise that I wasn’t the only one who’d ever considered who would look after my pet if anything ever happened to me,” she said.

"As such, I thought the ‘Pet Card’ was the perfect solution to put minds at rest and I’m thrilled that they’re being distributed nationwide."

Helen Chandler, head of funeral operations for Co-op Funeralcare, added: ”At Co-op Funeralcare, we always support our colleagues in any way we can so when we heard about Bridgette’s great idea there was no doubt that we wanted to roll it out in our Funeral homes across the UK.

"We’re always keen to find new ways to support the local community and the introduction of ‘Pet Cards’ will hopefully offer piece of mind to those who need it."

The complimentary cards are now available in Co-op Funeral homes across the UK. 

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.