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Dr John Bradshaw receives RSPCA Honour
Dr Bradshaw received the award at the RSPCA Honours in London, hosted by Alastair Stewart OBE.

Author and TV personality wins Animal Welfare Science Award

Animal welfare expert Dr John Bradshaw has been honoured with an Animal Welfare Science Award by the RSPCA.

The renowned scientist has spent much of his career studying the behaviour of dogs and cats and is passionate about sharing this information with pet owners. He has written several books, including the bestseller ‘In Defence of Dogs’, and has appeared in television documentaries 'The Secret Life of the Cat' and 'Cat Watch 2014'.

Dr Bradshaw received the award at the RSPCA Honours in London, hosted by Alastair Stewart OBE. The awards recognise and honour those who help to make the lives of animals better; through kindness, courage, determination and innovation.

RSPCA chief scientific officer Dr Julia Wrathall said: “This Honour is hugely well deserved by John. His work has been invaluable to the RSPCA, helping to inform our own understanding of and approach to various areas of animal welfare.

“John’s work now focuses on the extremely important task of making animal welfare science accessible to pet owners.

“This is greatly welcomed by the RSPCA as we believe that in order to care for animals properly it is vital to have an evidence-based understanding of their biology and behaviour. He is very inspirational and a true advocate for animals”.

Dr Bradshaw said: “I am delighted that this award recognises the importance of companion animal welfare science, which for many years was eclipsed by studies of other types of animal. It goes without saying that owners have their pets' best interests at heart, but science, and communication of that science, have a crucial part to play in explaining how their animals feel, and thus how best to care for them."

Image (C) Tom Mulvee/RSPCA

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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.