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Petition launched to ban import of young puppies
A petition to ban the import of young puppies has received more than 32,000 signatures.
Campaign follows death of puppy six days after being imported from Russia. 

A petition has been launched to ban the import of young puppies for sale in the UK.

The petition comes in the wake of the death of Love Island stars Molly Mae Hague and Tommy Fury’s puppy ‘Mr Chai’, who passed away just six days after being delivered from Russia.

The petition states: 'Plenty of dogs from UK breeders & rescues need homes. Transporting young pups long distances is often stressful, before being sold for ridiculous prices to unsuspecting dog-lovers. Government must adjust current laws, ban this unethical activity on welfare grounds & protect these poor animals ASAP.

'The recent tragic case of a puppy dying just six days after being delivered from Russia has exposed a completely legal but immoral route to market for pups bred hundreds of miles away & sold away from their mums. Who’s actually inspecting these breeders & transportation conditions? Selling imported pups like this is cruel & appears to contradict the Government’s own advice to always physically “see puppies interacting with their mothers in their place of birth” as with Lucy’s Law in England.'

The petition has received the backing of a host of celebrities including comedienne Ricky Gervais and Dragon's Den star Deborah Meaden. Lucy's Law campaigner Marc Abraham and TV vet Scott Miller have also lent their support to the campaign.

Scott wrote on Twitter: 'Unscrupulous UK breeders and third-party sellers of foreign puppies are taking advantage of COVID-19 by hiking up prices and selling sick and incredibly young puppies to unsuspecting owners. The lack of care for the welfare of these puppies is appalling.'

At the time of writing, the petition has received more than 32,000 signatures. If the petition receives more than 100,000 signatures it will be considered for debate in parliament.

To sign the petition, click here.

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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.