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Conservation detection dog saving Britain’s hedgehogs
Henry is one of a group of conservation dogs from Conservation K9 Consultancy.

Springer spaniel Henry sniffs-out hedgehogs at risk of land development

A conservation detection dog is undergoing training to sniff-out nesting hedgehogs before their habitat is cleared for development.

Springer spaniel Henry is one of a group of conservation dogs from Conservation K9 Consultancy. Working with his trainers, Henry is learning to find hedgehogs in a range of different habitats and conditions, so they can be moved to safety.

The project is being led by Lucy Bearman-Brown, a senior lecturer in animal science at Hartpury University, in collaboration with the People’s Trust for Endangered Species and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.

Together with Henry’s trainer Louise Wilson, Lucy finds hedgehogs the traditional way with spotlights and marks them with a small radio tracking device. Henry then scours the area so that Lucy can monitor how effective he is at locating the hedgehogs.

Next, to see if modern technology can help with detection rates, Lucy searches the area herself using thermal imaging cameras. Both methods are being tested in the winter, when hedgehogs are hibernating, and the summer, when they are active, to show just how much of a 'super-dog' Henry is.


“As we suspected, Henry’s already been finding hedgehogs that I couldn’t locate using traditional methods – he is incredible!” she said.
“He is particularly good at finding hedgehogs hiding in thick undergrowth, much to the bemusement of Louise as she follows behind on the end of Henry’s lead.”

When Henry finds a hedgehog, he lets Louise know by sitting quietly nearby and looking at her. He then receives his reward, a game of fetch, away from the hedgehog.

“These early findings suggest we may soon have a new method that is more effective for finding hedgehogs at risk from land development, so we can move them out of harm’s way," Lucy continued. “The plan is that once this concept is proven, more dogs can be trained to help find hidden hedgehogs.

Image (C) Hartpury University.

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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.