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Government urged to ‘give snakes some space’
“Snakes often get a raw deal in society and are generally misunderstood, mis-sold and mistreated by the pet industry" - Elaine Todd, APA.

Vets call on Defra to reinstate rule on minimum housing requirements

An ad-hoc group of veterinary surgeons and biologists are calling on the government to reinstate a rule that allows captive snakes to stretch out in their enclosures.

The call comes as new Animal Welfare licensing regulations come into force, which cover the sale of pet snakes. The legislation was put together with input from stakeholders who agreed that snakes should be kept in containers at least the length of their bodies.

But while the provision had been included in the draft guidelines for almost a year, animal welfare campaigners say Defra pulled the regulation at the last second, ‘on the basis of one protest from a veterinary clinic closely associated with the pet trade’.

In a press release, the Animal Protection Agency (APA) said the action ‘followed somewhat ‘pally’ correspondence between Defra officials and the pet business correspondent who provided minimal, unscientific and gravely flawed opinion, which Defra accepted without proper consultation or any verification.’

The ad hoc scientific group includes leading veterinary and biological experts on snake welfare, who argue that the scientific evidence contradicts the comments provided to Defra by the pet business owner.

"Despite there being no formal requirement to favour business over animal welfare in this context, Defra's so-called ‘Animal Welfare' division seems to be trying to swindle snakes out of the space they need - just to keep the pet industry happy,” said Elaine Todd, biologist and director of the APA.

“Snakes often get a raw deal in society and are generally misunderstood, mis-sold and mistreated by the pet industry. For example, snakes are commonly kept (stored) by breeders and hobbyists in minimalistic ‘racks' (plastic drawers) with keepers stating that if they eat and breed well they must be "thriving".

“Their ‘need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns' as stipulated in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the many recognised physical and stress-related diseases associated with keeping snakes in such enclosures are conveniently side-stepped for the sake of convenient stocking.”

She continued: “No one would accept cats or dogs being confined in enclosures just large enough to stretch out in - and yet the UK government is trying to deny snakes even this basic need. As the newly formed ad hoc scientific group states, it is "scientifically and morally unacceptable that snakes should remain the only animal group prevented by flawed evidence and policy from fully stretching their bodies in captivity".

Responding to the APA’s comments, a Defra spokesperson said the current standards on snake welfare remain in effect to protect the animals involved. It added that there is also still a provision in place that means if an animal for sale is kept for a period of more than three months, it must be moved to an enclosure size which fits bets practice for keeping that animal

“We are proud to have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world, including for snakes and other reptiles,” said Defra, “While the issue of snake enclosure was raised during our extensive consultation with stakeholders, there is insufficient evidence to support introducing further rules.”

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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.