Last week Blue Peter put on a fabulous birthday party for Iggy, the guide dog puppy in training whose progress they've been following closely since the day she was born.

To celebrate her first birthday, Iggy was reunited with her brothers and sisters and had her paw marks created in cement in the Blue Peter garden.

A spokesperson from Guide Dogs said: "It is a true honour to be working side by side with Blue Peter again, 50 years after we first worked together. Guide dogs change the lives of more than 4,700 people across the UK on a daily basis and we are delighted to have the opportunity to show Blue Peter viewers how we make this happen."

The RCVS are reminding veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons that they have just over one week to put forward nominees for the annual VN Golden Jubilee Award.

The Award is given in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the profession, animal welfare and/or patient care and nominees can be veterinary nurses, veterinary surgeons or lay people. It was launched in 2011 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first RCVS veterinary nurse training course.

Nomination forms need to be submitted by 5pm on Friday, 24 April. For more information and to download a form, visit www.rcvs.org.uk/goldenjubilee

A team from Woodside Animal Centre in Leicester have begun a freezing Arctic trek that will see them braving temperatures as low as -30c.

The seven-strong team are taking on the challenge to raise as much money as possible towards funding the construction of an onsite veterinary facility, which will maintain the centre's ability to provide medical care for the thousands of animals that arrive at the centre each year.

They will be aiming to complete the journey from Tromso in Norway to Jukkasjarvi in Northern Sweden in just six days before returning back to the UK on Sunday April 5. To sponsor the challenge visit www.justgiving.com/arcticchal/ (Image:Studio 21)

'Act now or wild rhinos will be gone,' warns wildlife vet Dr Will Fowlds.

Dr Will Fowlds reports that a female rhino, her sub-adult calf and unborn full-term calf are the latest victims in a poaching crisis growing across southern Africa.

"Rhino are being killed for the supposed medicinal qualities of their horns, but they only consist of keratin," Dr Fowlds explains. "Rhino poaching has grown dramatically since the start of the century. If the international community doesn't pull together, and quickly, we face the real threat of no rhino left in the wild in only a few years."

Horse owners are being asked to help identify the most common equine diseases and health issues by taking part in this year's National Equine Health Survey (NEHS). Now in its fifth year, the survey helps to set benchmarks for equine health and disease in the UK.

Last year, data was gathered on more than 12,300 horses, ponies and donkeys, highlighting the rise in atypical myopathy cases. Findings also uncovered a lack of awareness among owners about the risk of encysted small red worm as well as an apparent increase in laminitis cases compared to previous years. To register, visit www.bluecross.org.uk/NEHS

Canine Partners is celebrating its 25th anniversary and so far has matched over 500 disabled people with assistance dogs. Entirely dependent on donations, the charity funds the training of puppies to perform tasks such as unloading the washing machine, undressing their owners, and even taking cash from ATM machines.

Maisy (pictured) is a female black labrador crossed with a golden retriever who's training with a volunteer puppy parent now means she can sit, stand, lie down and rollover when asked. The eight-month-old is learning to tug which means soon she will be able to remove clothes and open doors so she can be suitably matched with a person who has a physical disability.

The charity are currently on the search for volunteers to become puppy parents and take part in the early training of their dogs. For more information visit www.caninepartners.org.uk. Image(C) Pets Corner