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Zoetis chief medical officer advocates for the profession
Dr McFarland has dedicated his career to advocating for the health and well-being of animals.

Dr Mike McFarland launches documentary series to mark World Veterinary Day. 

A vet is on a mission to raise awareness of the ways veterinary professionals can improve the world by advancing animal care.

Speaking ahead of World Veterinary Day (30 April), Dr Mike McFarland, global chief medical offer at Zoetis, highlighted the opportunity to recognise the growing importance of veterinary professionals and their pivotal role in protecting public health. 

“When people think of their veterinarian, they think of that person as the caretaker of their animal’s health. But the stakes are much higher than that,” he said. “Veterinarians play a critical role in providing for your animal’s health, your family’s health, your community’s health and our global public health.” 

A veterinary surgeon for more than 35 years, Dr McFarland has dedicated his career to advocating for the health and well-being of animals and the veterinary professionals who care for them. 

He helped lead Zoetis emergency responses to the Louisiana floods, Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, and other major crises. He is also the co-creator and executive sponsor of the Zoetis K-9 Courage Programme, which helps retired military and police dogs with annual health care costs at veterinary clinics. 

To honour the importance of veterinary professionals, Zoetis has launched a new minidocumentary series called FutureBound.

The series will follow Dr McFarland as he visits veterinary experts to showcase impactful stories of veterinary care transformation, the influence of the human-animal bond on animal care, and its positive effect on the health and well-being of animals and those who care for them. 

The first of the two videos are available at zoetis.com/drmike

Image (C) Zoetis.

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Voting opens for BEVA Council

News Story 1
 Eligible members of BEVA will be able to vote for their Council team until Monday, 17 August 2026. Members will have received an election email on 17 July.

There are five candidates standing for four available places on Council. They are:

  • Alexandre Triguino
  • Angela Jones
  • Beth Bryant
  • Holly Rees
  • Hugh Somerville
Full profiles for each candidate can be found on the BEVA website

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Government releases latest bluetongue statistics

APHA has confirmed the number of bluetongue cases that have been logged in the UK since 1 July 2026.

The total number of BTV-3 cases, as of 6 August, is 187. This includes 183 cases in England and four cases in Wales.

There have been no recorded cases in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The location of premises in Great Britain where at least one animal has tested positive by PCR for BTV-3, BTV-8 or BTV-12 is available on the bluetongue case map. All livestock keepers in Great Britain are urged to familiarise themselves with nation-specific bluetongue control policies.

Bluetongue virus is a notifiable disease. It is a legal requirement that any suspicions, even if livestock has been vaccinated, are reported immediately.