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Scottish SPCA receives health and safety fine
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Middlebank Wildlife Centre has not been used to house animals since 2012.
Society failed to follow duties on housing wild birds

The Scottish SPCA has been fined £5,000 after pleading guilty to a single charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

The organisation told Dunfermline Sheriff Court that it failed to follow some of its duties associated with the housing of wild birds at Middlebank Wildlife Centre in Dunfermline. The Centre closed in 2012.

“This is the first time that the Society has had criminal proceedings taken against it for failing to comply with its duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act,” explained a Scottish SPCA spokesperson.

“We would like to reassure our staff, supporters and stakeholders that all professional advice and recommendations in relation to risks associated with housing wild birds have been acted upon.”

Once a farm building, Middlebank Wildlife Centre has not been used to house animals since 2012. Through public donations, the Scottish SPCA created a state-of-the-art national wildlife research centre at Fishcross in Clackmannanshire.

“We are indebted to the generosity of the public for their assistance in funding the project, and its continued 700,000 per annum operating costs,” the organisation said.

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Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

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Bluetongue RZ extended across Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced an extension to a Bluetongue Restricted Zone that is in place in south-west Scotland.

From 3 October, the Restricted Zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland. The Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) says this is in response to further disease spread, as well as simplify trading conditions ahead of the autumn.

Since the whole country will share a disease status, it will no longer be necessary to have a movement license to move susceptible livestock around the country. Restrictions on germinal products remain.

As of 1 October 2026, there were 1,979 cases of BTV-3 in England, 389 cases in Wales and 40 cases in Scotland.