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Unlucky Blue seeks forever home
Blue the lurcher has been overlooked by thousands of people.

Lurcher has been overlooked by over 3,000 potential owners

An RSPCA centre in Suffolk has launched an appeal to re-home one of its longest-standing residents.

Four-year old Blue first came into the centre’s care in May 2017 as his previous owner was not able to look after him. The lurcher was re-homed the following month, but sadly his owners struggled to handle him and he returned to the RSPCA in November.

Since November, RSPCA’s Suffolk East and Ipswich Branch has had more than 3,000 visitors through its doors. However, not one other person has expressed an interest in reserving Blue, and staff are baffled as to why this could be.

“If you want a dog to go and sit and have a cuddle with all the staff here go and sit with Blue. He is a real favourite for all of us - we absolutely adore him and just want to see him settle into a long term home,” said centre manager Zoe Barrett.

“I am a trained photographer and have taken pictures of Blue to try to help him find a home, he has been the cover photo on our Facebook page for months and has been advertised in our local media but still no one comes forward.”

She added: “We’ve tried to enlist the help of other animal centres so new people can see Blue but everywhere is so full that hasn’t worked either. He is a gorgeous dog I know there will be someone out there for him, there always is, but we just need that special person to come forward.”

Blue has a strong chase instinct, so would be best suited to an experienced lurcher owner. For more information visit https://ipswich-rspca.org.uk/dogs/blue-2/

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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.

 

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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.