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Battersea recieves a special delivery
Jess the Cat
Battersea Dogs and Cats home are searching for the owners of the stowaway cat.
Jess the cat delivered to Battersea by a surprised postman

A postman made an unexpected detour to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in Old Windsor after he found a stowaway cat in the back of his van.

The friendly two-year-old tortoiseshell jumped aboard during the postman’s morning round from Southampton to Langley, in Berkshire on Friday,  June 13.

Battersea is now searching for the owner of this mischievous moggy, who staff have named Jess after Postman Pat’s beloved feline passenger.

Tamara Willis, Battersea Old Windsor’s cat rehomer, said: “We have a lot of characters turning up at Battersea, but this week we had our very own Jess the cat.
 
“Jess probably came from a loving home, but sadly her curiosity must have got the better of her before she got into the van and started her 67-mile journey from Southampton to Berkshire.”
 
Jess’ story emphasises the need for owners to microchip their pets. Eight-five per cent of the 3,000 cats that arrive at Battersea do not have microchips, making it very difficult to reunite them with their owners.
 
Tamara continues: “[Jess’] long journey shows the importance of microchipping your pet as you never know how far they can travel from home.”
 

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.