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Unlucky Blue seeks forever home
Blue the lurcher has been overlooked by thousands of people.

Lurcher has been overlooked by over 3,000 potential owners

An RSPCA centre in Suffolk has launched an appeal to re-home one of its longest-standing residents.

Four-year old Blue first came into the centre’s care in May 2017 as his previous owner was not able to look after him. The lurcher was re-homed the following month, but sadly his owners struggled to handle him and he returned to the RSPCA in November.

Since November, RSPCA’s Suffolk East and Ipswich Branch has had more than 3,000 visitors through its doors. However, not one other person has expressed an interest in reserving Blue, and staff are baffled as to why this could be.

“If you want a dog to go and sit and have a cuddle with all the staff here go and sit with Blue. He is a real favourite for all of us - we absolutely adore him and just want to see him settle into a long term home,” said centre manager Zoe Barrett.

“I am a trained photographer and have taken pictures of Blue to try to help him find a home, he has been the cover photo on our Facebook page for months and has been advertised in our local media but still no one comes forward.”

She added: “We’ve tried to enlist the help of other animal centres so new people can see Blue but everywhere is so full that hasn’t worked either. He is a gorgeous dog I know there will be someone out there for him, there always is, but we just need that special person to come forward.”

Blue has a strong chase instinct, so would be best suited to an experienced lurcher owner. For more information visit https://ipswich-rspca.org.uk/dogs/blue-2/

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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.