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Guinea pig awareness week postponed
This years' GPAW will take place from 26 - 30 September.

New dates have been announced.

The organisers of Guinea Pig Awareness Week (GPAW) have declared new dates for the campaign, following the announcement that Queen Elizabeth II's funeral will take place on Monday 19 September, when the campaign was originally due to start.

As a mark of respect to the Queen and her family, GPAW has been postponed to the following week, starting Monday 26 September.

Charlotte Varley, communications manager for Burgess Pet Care, who organises GPAW, explained: “Given this time of national sorrow following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, as a show of respect we felt it appropriate to postpone the launch of GPAW until 26 September.

“We’re delighted that some vets’ practices have already downloaded their digital GPAW packs and are getting behind this year’s important campaign. 

“With GPAW less than two weeks away, we’d love to see even more practices helping us to throw the spotlight on these adorable creatures and their specific welfare needs, including their housing, through our national campaign dedicated to improving guinea pigs’ lives.

“GPAW is a fantastic opportunity to educate owners about how they can give their guinea pigs the best possible care, and to highlight the responsibility that comes with ownership.”

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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
Germany livestock import ban lifted

The UK government has amended its ban on the import of livestock, meat and dairy products from Germany.

Defra said the decision follows 'rigorous technical assessment' of the measures applied and the current situation. "If the situation changes, we will not hesitate to take necessary action in response to the FMD outbreaks in the European Union to protect our domestic biosecurity," it said.

The ban was implemented in January following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) near Berlin. Personal imports of meat, milk and dairy products will remain in place at a country level.