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Funeral home launches ‘Pet Cards’ scheme
The 'pet card' holds details about who medics can contact if the owner is taken ill.
Cards to give pet owners peace of mind

Pet owners are being urged to carry new ‘pet cards’ to ensure their domestic companions are never left alone.

The wallet-sized cards, produced by Co-op Funeral Care, hold details about who medics can contact if the owner falls ill or gets injured and ensures any pets are looked after.

The concept is the brainchild of Co-op funeral arranger, Bridgette Perks, who became mindful that many of her clients were worried about what would happen to their pets if they didn’t come home.

“When speaking to members of the local community, I came to realise that I wasn’t the only one who’d ever considered who would look after my pet if anything ever happened to me,” she said.

"As such, I thought the ‘Pet Card’ was the perfect solution to put minds at rest and I’m thrilled that they’re being distributed nationwide."

Helen Chandler, head of funeral operations for Co-op Funeralcare, added: ”At Co-op Funeralcare, we always support our colleagues in any way we can so when we heard about Bridgette’s great idea there was no doubt that we wanted to roll it out in our Funeral homes across the UK.

"We’re always keen to find new ways to support the local community and the introduction of ‘Pet Cards’ will hopefully offer piece of mind to those who need it."

The complimentary cards are now available in Co-op Funeral homes across the UK. 

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.