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Government advisor slams inaction over animal welfare
Henry Dimbleby is a non-execuitve board member at Defra.
Henry Dimbleby warns animal welfare could be victim of ‘red tape bonfire’.

Amid mounting concerns that the UK government is deprioritising animal welfare legislation, a UK government advisor is set to warn Prime Minister Liz Truss not to “sacrifice animal welfare on a bonfire of red tape”.

Henry Dimbleby, who is a non-executive board member at Defra, will deliver the warning tonight (19 October) at the RSPCA’s inaugural Wilberforce Lecture in London. 

During his speech, Mr Dimbleby will express concern about the Kept Animals Bill, initially proposed by the previous leadership to ban the live transit of animals and the import of dogs with cropped ears. The bill also addresses the keeping of primates as pets. 

He will add: “This law has been in the making for literally decades. The cruel and unnecessary practice of live animal transport was rightly a manifesto commitment for this government, and it is one they must not renege on. We have a global reputation on animal welfare that has been hard-earned, it would be madness to trash it.”

Mr Dimbleby - who is also the author of the government's independent national food strategy - will stress that as our "understanding of animal sentience grows, it will become harder and harder to justify the relationship we have built with the animal kingdom” - further highlighting the need for government action.”

Echoing Mr Dimbleby's words, RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood warned that animal welfare could be forgotten by the new government.

“We’re deeply concerned that the UK is on the verge of a great animal abandonment scandal," he said. “With plans to ban the import of foie gras and fur already on the scrapheap, we’re growing increasingly concerned about the future of the Government’s Kept Animals Bill. 

“The Bill promised to do so much for animals - but recently, we've seen continued inaction and there's a real concern that the government is now failing to prioritise animals at all. “The consequences of this could be massive - and we share Henry Dimbleby’s concerns that, in her ideological pursuits, animal welfare could be forgotten by this new leadership.”

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."