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Charities unite to improve dog welfare and eliminate rabies
Rabies claims the lives of 60,000 people each year, 99 per cent of which are caused by dog bite transmission.

Dogs Trust has merged with Worldwide Veterinary Service and Mission Rabies.

Dogs Trust, Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), and Mission Rabies (MR) have merged, with an objective of improving dog welfare and eliminating rabies globally. The charities will collaborate on a number of initiatives and expand their international work in order to achieve their goals.

Dogs Trust has been working with WVS and MR for a number of years. All three charities will work collectively to implement a range of programmes, including spay/neuter, disaster response, veterinary training, and community outreach. 

As well as improving welfare standards for dogs and other animals across the world, the charities hope to make significant progress in the fight against rabies. Their aim is to eliminate the risk of human deaths due to dog bite transmissions, which is the cause of 99 per cent of all human rabies deaths.

Rabies is one of the deadliest zoonotic diseases in the world, and claims the lives of 60,000 people each year.

Dogs Trust CEO Owen Sharp said: "Working together will enable us to make a truly transformational difference to dog welfare and to save thousands of human lives as well. 

"In addition, it will significantly increase Dogs Trust’s international impact and establish it as the world's truly global dog charity, with an international footprint spanning five continents."

WVS is a UK based charity, established in 2003. It provides veterinary support and resources to animals and communities in need around the world. Each year it trains 1,000 veterinary surgeons on its surgical training courses, sends out one to two medical aid parcels to charities every day, and in 2022 it treated 64,000 animals.

Since it was established in 2013, MR has made significant progress towards combating rabies, with a focus on mass dog vaccination, education, and surveillance. So far, it has vaccinated over six million children and approximately 2.4 million dogs against rabies.

Luke Gamble, founder and CEO of MR and WVS said: "It’s tremendously exciting to have this opportunity to really power on the international work of Dogs Trust. WVS and MR have always had a brilliant partnership with Dogs Trust and to now become officially adopted as part of the family is fantastic! 

"We look forward to making a massive global impact, in terms of both rabies elimination and championing animal welfare in places that desperately need it."

Image (C) Dogs Trust, Worldwide Veterinary Service and Mission Rabies

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Webinar to explore history of KC breed registers

News Story 1
 A free webinar exploring the development of the Kennel Club's registration system and the evolution of closed breed registers has been announced.

Hosted by Dr Alison Skipper, veterinary and research advisor at the Kennel Club, the webinar will delve into the development of the registry and how the changing landscape of scientific knowledge has shaped breeding practices. It will also look at what this means for the future of pedigree dogs.

The session will culminate with a look at The Kennel Club's ongoing and future engagement in this area, with a chance for attendees to put forward their thoughts and questions for discussion.

This event takes place on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, 10 June at 7pm. To learn more, visit events.teams.microsoft.com  

Click here for more...
News Shorts
UK's BSE risk status downgraded

The WOAH has downgraded the UK's international risk status for BSE to 'negligible'.

Defra says that the UK's improved risk status recognises the reputation for having the highest standards for biosecurity. It adds that it demonstrates decades of rigorous animal control.

Outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, have previously resulted in bans on Britain's beef exports.

The UK's new status could lead to expanded trade and better confidence in British beef.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "WOAH's recognition of the UK as negligible risk for BSE is a significant milestone and is a testament to the UK's strong biosecurity measures and the hard work and vigilance of farmers and livestock keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.