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BEVA celebrates vet talent with 2024 awards
Phillippa Pritchard received the 2024 Nurse Empowerment Award.
Roger Smith and Olympic gold medallist Sally Gunnell presented the awards ceremony.

The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has honoured achievements in the equine veterinary sector at an awards ceremony during its 2024 congress.

The ceremony saw BEVA president Roger Smith present the accolades alongside Olympic gold medallist Sally Gunnell, who also gave the congress’ opening address.

This year’s BEVA Equine Welfare Award, sponsored by the Blue Cross, was awarded to Jan Rogers. The prestigious award recognised her work at the Horse Trust, where she champions funded research work that is directly applicable to the wellbeing of horses.

In 2022, this saw the launch of the Horse Trust’s Weigh to Win project. The project aims to raise awareness of body condition in show horses by educating horse owners and rewarding healthy equine body condition with a special rosette.

The Horse Trust runs events throughout showing season, providing guidance to owners, riders and producers at the events and through online webinars.

BEVA’s Nurse Empowerment Award was first awarded last year and is designed to highlight team members who champion the role of equine nurses.

The winner of the 2024 Nurse Empowerment Award is Phillippa Pritchard. With over 20 years experience promoting clinical excellence among equine veterinary nurses, Ms Pritchard continues to support nursing teams, supervise trainees and teach within the equine hospital.

Her recent research, published in Vet Record, explored horse owners’ perceptions of registered veterinary nurses (RVNs). It is credited with driving significant change for RVNs, including the introduction of unaccompanied RVN visits.

The BEVA Richard Hartley Clinical Award recognised the work of Francesco Comino, for research exploring tension relieving techniques when closing traumatic equine wounds.

The Peter Rossdale Equine Veterinary Journal Open Award highlighted research produced by Brooke Boger. Meanwhile the new Peter Rossdale EVE Literary Award went to Camilla Lydiksen, who led research analysing the effect antibiotics had on dental sinusitis after a dental extraction.

BEVA will continue assessing clinical research entries for the Sam Hignett Award through a series of Clinical Research Sessions. The winner of the award will be announced after BEVA Congress.

Image © BEVA

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here

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News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.