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Past BVA president joins Animal Health and Welfare Board
Past BVA president James Russell is one of six new members that have been appointed to the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England.

James Russell has been appointed a non-executive director along with Battersea’s Peter Laurie.

Six new members have been appointed to the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England (AHWBE), including Peter Laurie, chief executive officer of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, and James Russell, former president of the BVA.

Biosecurity Minister Lord Benyon has appointed six non-executive directors to the board, who will take up their seats today (1 November 2021) for three years and will support the new Chair, Jonathan Statham. 

All appointments to the AHWBE are made solely based on merit, and political activity plays no role in the selection process. The appointments were made per the Ministerial Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Also joining the board will be Emma Slawinski, director of Advocacy and Policy at the RSPCA, Gwyn Jones, a current non-executive director of the AHWBE, John Reed, a small livestock farmer and a non-executive director of Avara Foods, and Charles Sercomb, a first-generation sheep farmer involved in a wide variety of work in agriculture.

“These appointments will bring a wealth of farming, veterinary and animal welfare experience to the vital work of the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England,” commented biosecurity Minister Lord Benyon.“The UK is a world leader in animal health, welfare and biosecurity and I look forward to working closely with the Board to further build our knowledge, research and resilience in this important area.”

The AHWBE was launched in 2011 to advise Defra ministers on all strategic health and welfare matters relating to kept animals in England. Its responsibilities include animal health and welfare policy, assessing the threat from animal diseases, and reviewing contingency plans for disease outbreaks.

Image (C) BVA/Flickr

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA announces 12th Edition of the Small Animal Formulary

The BSAVA has published an updated edition of its Small Animal Formulary, which includes new drug monographs and emergency drug doses for rabbits, rodents, birds and reptiles.

One of BSAVA's most trusted and widely used clinical resources, this 12th edition of the manual also includes seven new client information leaflets and information on drugs used for the management of urinary incontinence.

Part A of the Formulary, Canine and Feline, sees Fergus Allerton return as Editor-in-Chief, while Part B: Exotic Pets was edited by Joanna Hedley. For more information, visit the BSAVA website.