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RSPCA staff ‘sleep-in’ for cats
In 2014, the team decided to take part in a sleep-out in the car park.

Six fundraisers aim to raise £1,000 for felines in their care

RSPCA staff hope to raise £1,000 for cats in their care by spending a night in a cattery.

The ‘sleepover with a difference’ takes place at the RSPCA’s Ashford Garden Cattery on the 16th December and will see six volunteers spend a night in the centre’s cat pods.

Cattery assistant and fundraiser organiser, Becky Drake said: “In 2014 five of us decided to take part in a sleep-out in the car park to raise awareness of the huge number of cats living on the streets of England and Wales (pictured).

“This year, we decided we wanted to publicise the work that charities, such as the RSPCA, are doing to help the abandoned and injured cats.”

The challenge beings at 6pm, when each of the volunteers will bed down for the night in one of the branch’s cat pods. Accompanied by the centre's furry residents, the staff will spend a total of 12 hours in their pods, finishing at 6am the following day.

“Although these pods are better for the cats than the cold, challenging and sometimes dangerous conditions they face on the streets, being in a cattery isn’t ideal and our main aim is to help these cats find new, loving homes,” Becky added.

“We have some really friendly cats who absolutely love having company so I think they’ll really enjoy it”

The team are hoping to raise more than £1,000 to help pay for the cats in their care including food, veterinary treatment and general care costs.

To pledge your support, visit RSPCA Ashford Garden Cattery on Facebook, or send a cheque made payable to Ashford Garden Cattery (with ‘sleep-in’ on the reverse) to 34 Station Road, Ashford TN23 1PH.

Image (C) RSPCA

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.