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New campaign urges public not to buy pets on impulse
Luna was sold illegally online when she was just six weeks old and suffering from sarcoptic mange.
Pets bought online ending up in rescue centres, charity warns 

Mayhew animal welfare charity has launched a Christmas campaign to raise awareness of the number of pets ending up in rescue centres after being bought online.

Through its ‘I am NOT an Impulse Buy’ campaign, the charity is urging potential owners to be responsible and consider adopting from a rescue centre who can provide advice.

The charity recently helped a tiny six-week-old puppy that was illegally sold through a buy and sell website. The seller arranged to hand over the Jack Russell pup, named Luna, in a car park but as soon as her owners got her home they noticed she was constantly scratching and had severe diarrhoea.

After taking her to the local veterinary surgery, however, Luna’s new owners could not afford diagnostic tests so the puppy was taken to Mayhew.

Vets at the charity’s community vet clinic diagnosed Luna with the highly contagious skin disease, sarcoptic mange, which is zoonotic. Luna was treated with a topical drug to kill the mites and antibiotics for a secondary bacterial skin infection. She has since been neutered, vaccinated and rehomed.

Mayhew has collaborated with Ravensbourne University on its campaign video.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."