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Guide Dog pups enjoy Easter treat hunt
Puppy peeking through bunny ears
Six-week-old guide dog puppies have enjoyed an Easter treat hunt at the charity Guide Dogs’ National Breeding Centre in Leamington Spa.
New experiences help puppies prepare for their futures

Easter arrived early this week for 10 adorable puppies who went on an Easter treat hunt organised by Guide Dogs.

The six-week-old puppies are from a litter of 10 labradors - Albie, Pippin, Spencer, Ceecee, Maddie, Hermia, Pickle, Pastel, Sasha and Cathie.

Staff hid bits of kibble around a specially-decorated area to encourage the young pups to forage.

“Guide Dogs encourages its puppies to have as many different experiences as possible, so they’ll grow up to be confident guide dogs,” said a Guide Dogs spokesperson.

“While the spring-themed search was great fun, it also helped to prepare the pups for their futures as life-changing guide dogs.”

The hunt took place at the charity’s National Breeding Centre, Leamington Spa, which has the capacity to breed 1,500 puppies a year.

Founded in 1934, Guide Dogs gives people with sight loss a new start in life through guide dogs and other services.

The charity enables people that are blind or partially sighted to take a new path to freedom and independence after losing their sight.

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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.