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Armed forces veterans provide enrichment for rescued donkeys
The whirligig is important to satisfy the donkeys' behavioural needs.
Volunteers built bespoke whirligig frames for The Donkey Sanctuary.

A group of veterans from the Armed Forces Community Support Hub in Devon have been supporting enrichment activities for donkeys at Sidmouth’s Donkey Sanctuary.

For over a year, the volunteers have been supporting the charity with maintenance work, including painting, yard maintenance and innovative storage solutions.

Their latest project has been a bespoke whirligig enrichment frame, built using recycled wood. The veterans also collected hazel from around the site and fixed it onto the structure.

The structure is already being explored by the residents at the Donkey Sanctuary’s Donkey Assisted Activities centre.

As donkeys are naturally curious, enrichment structures such as whirligigs are important to satisfy their behavioural needs. This gives them opportunities to interact with their environment, make decisions and remain mentally active.

In return, the Donkey Sanctuary invite the volunteers to spend their afternoons with the donkeys.

The Donkey Sanctuary says that spending time with the donkeys has proven therapeutic for the veterans’ wellbeing. It says that the members have found peace and increased mental wellness through their time with the donkeys.

John, an Armed Forces veteran and member of the Armed Forces Community Support Hub, said: “There is a comradeship between the Hub members, where we all feel we can be ourselves. I like spending time with the donkeys which brings me a sense of calm that often evades me in everyday life."

Sarah Worth, research officer at the Donkey Sanctuary, said:  “It was great fun to work with such a fantastic group of people. They were keen to get stuck into a building project, worked together well and solved problems as a team.

“The best part was how on board they all were about donkey enrichment and how these devices can help us to provide the donkeys with browse in a new and interesting way.”

Image © The Donkey Sanctuary

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BEVA gives RVNs right to vote

News Story 1
 The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) is to allow its registered veterinary nurse (RVN) members the right to vote.

RVN members will now be able to take part in key decision-making processes and stand for BEVA council.

Marie Rippingale, chair of BEVA's Nurse Committee, said: "I am very proud to be a part of BEVA.

"This change will help to empower nurses to speak up and contribute, but more importantly, it will give them an opportunity to collaborate with other members of the equine veterinary profession to bring about change that is positive for all." 

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News Shorts
Farmer survey to reveal on-farm impact of bluetongue

A nationwide survey has been launched to better understand how the bluetongue virus is affecting UK farms.

Results will inform the support that farmers receive for bluetongue, as well as preparing the livestock industry for the future.

The short online survey is open to all livestock farmers, regardless of whether they've had a confirmed case of bluetongue on their farm. It asks how many animals have been affected, the severity of their clinical signs and how it has impacted farm business.

The survey takes five minutes to complete and is fully anonymous.

It is led by Fiona Lovatt, of Flock Health Limited, and the Ruminant Health & Welfare bluetongue working group, in collaboration with AHDB and the University of Nottingham.

Dr Lovatt says: "We need to find out what level of clinical signs farmers are seeing in their animals, whether they are experiencing mortality with BTV-3 cases, and what their appetite is to vaccinate in future for bluetongue serotype 3."

The survey can be found here.