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New dog boarding laws forcing business closure
The new Animal Welfare Regulations 2018 came into force on October 1.
Many home boarders have not been able to renew their licence

A petition calling for a review of the 2018 Animal Welfare Regulations has received more than 19,000 signatures.

Dog daycare centre owner Marie Worthington, who launched the campaign, says the new laws for licensed activities involving animals are ‘contradictory and unclear in many aspects and will force a large number of home businesses to close’.

She adds that while guidance notes have been issued for councils to use, ‘there are many grey areas open to interpretation.’

‘The guidance notes do not seem to cover all aspects of the regulations, and in other places seem to bear no relevance to the regulations,” she writes. ‘The guidance seems to be aimed at bigger day care centres and small home businesses will be forced to close. Some have already taken the decision to not apply for a new license at all’.

The new Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 came into force on October 1 with the aim of streamlining and modernising existing licensing controls. But with many licenses expiring on 31 December, it is reported that numerous home boarders in the UK have not been able to renew them.

Ms Worthington told The Telegraph that the new one room per dog rule penalised those with open plan houses and means that the business is determined by layout rather than space, experience or skill. She added that with each boarding dog being worth up to £7,000 a year, it could be “the difference between a small business being viable or not.”

Under the new regulations, garages, outbuildings and conservatories cannot be included as a room for a dog. This means that some home boarders have had no choice but to close down their business.

Responding, a Defra spokesperson said: “The licensing systems for businesses that work with animals have not been reformed for almost fifty years, and these changes simplify these into one system for licensees and local authorities, helping consumers to make better informed decisions and improving animal welfare even further.

“Designated rooms are an important part of this, ensuring dogs have their own space away from other animals if necessary when they are being looked after. We expect local authorities to work with the businesses in their area to implement these changes.” 

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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.