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New star rating system for animal businesses
The new regulations will also see a ban on licensed sellers from dealing in puppies and kittens under the age of eight week.

Animal welfare regulations 2018 come into effect

A new “star rating” system for dog breeders, pet shops and others came into effect on Monday (1 October) under new government regulations set to strengthen animal welfare in England.

The system aims to help buyers find the best breeders and assist local authorities in regulating businesses that deal with animals, such as through more welfare inspections and shorter licences. The legislation rates business out of five on welfare and other grounds and applies to:

    •    those selling animals as pets
    •    businesses that hire out horses
    •    businesses that provide or arrange boarding
    •    those keeping or training animals for exhibition.

The initiative is one of a series of measures that have come into effect under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. These will ensure breeders must show puppies alongside their mother before a sale is made and will tighten regulations so that puppy sales are completed in the presence of the new owner – preventing online sales where prospective buyers have not seen the animal first.

The new regulations will also see a ban on licensed sellers from dealing in puppies and kitten under the age of eight weeks and the better regulation of adverts, ensuring licensed sellers of all pets include their license number, country of origin and country of residence.

Animal Welfare minister David Rutley said: “These regulations will end mistreatment and malpractice of puppies and crack down on unscrupulous breeders so pet owners will have no doubt their new dogs have had the right start in life.

“The licensing systems for businesses that work with animals have not been reformed for almost fifty years. The changes in place from today simplify these into one system for local authorities, help consumers to make better-informed decisions and will further improve animal welfare."

He continued: “These changes form part of our efforts to ensure we have the highest animal welfare standards in the world. This includes making CCTV cameras mandatory in all slaughterhouses as well as our plans to increase prison sentences from six months to five years for animal abusers.”

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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.