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Invictus Games medallist rehomes 100 hens to help injured veterans
AJ Pingram will use the chickens to provide therapy to ex-servicemen at his farm.

Chickens will help people living with serious mental health conditions

An injured veteran who won gold in the Invictus Games has re-homed 100 hens from the British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) that were destined for slaughter.

AJ Pingram, who served as a marine engineer in the Royal Navy, will use the chickens to provide therapy to fellow ex-servicemen at his Care Farm near Snowdonia. His Farm is open to anyone with disabilities, hidden and visual, and is already home to cats, turkeys, alpacas and ducks.

The farm's aim is to help ex-servicemen find new careers or hobbies to aid their physical and mental recovery. AJ is already familiar with looking after chickens because they helped him with his rehabilitation after leaving the Navy.

“Having the chickens meant I had to go outside and look after them even when I didn’t want to look after myself,” he said. “Their lives mattered to me, so I would go outside to feed and clean them and collect the eggs.

“Then they started to recognise me and come running to say hello and see what food I had. I would sit and they would get on my lap and go to sleep; it was lovely and so calming.”

AJ, who is a Help for Heroes Ambassador, heard about the British Hen Welfare Trust through Facebook and decided to contact them. The hens he re-homed had been laying eggs in cages for the past 18 months and were heading for slaughter.

Visitors to his farm can work with the animals or relax, without the pressures of the outside world. Injured veterans interact with the animals, enjoy the fresh air and develop outdoor skills such as farming and tree surgery.

The concept of hens as therapy has been long-championed by the BHWT. Supporters of the charity say that chickens have helped them through a variety of mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety and grief.

Founder of the charity Jane Howorth MBE, said: “I’m thrilled that our hens will be doing so much good in such a wonderful, caring environment. AJ has given these hens a new lease of life and in turn, they can help change the lives of the injured veterans visiting the care farm. A real happy ending for all involved.”

Image (C) BHWT

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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.