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Knitting Donkeys for Charity
Pat Whiting from Bristol made a special visit to the Sidmouth-based Donkey Sanctuary earlier this month to donate 44 knitted donkeys, beautifully crafted in all shapes and sizes, which the charity will now sell to raise funds for its worldwide work.

Pat and husband John were driven to Sidmouth by daughter Pauline, to hand over the mini herd of woolly donkeys and to spend the afternoon visiting their favourite residents. Pat’s knitted donkeys are so popular that one was sold as she was handing them over to our Fundraising Team!
 
Pat said “I have been knitting donkeys for the last three years; I fell in love with donkeys after being given an adoption donkey as a Christmas present and when I came to visit the Sanctuary, I thought these dear donkeys are adorable. When I heard I could help the donkeys by knitting them, I thought this was meant to be, as I have had five strokes and my doctor kept telling me to find something therapeutic to do. I don’t need to follow a pattern anymore because I have knitted 125 in total.”
 
Pat presented the donkeys to Ruth Burrough, from the Community Fundraising Department, Ruth said: “Pat has made a very kind gesture, and we are so grateful to her for taking the time to provide us with all these knitted donkeys, which we can sell and raise much needed funds to help donkeys around the world. Our work is funded entirely by donations, so we are always delighted to hear from new knitters, please do contact us if you would like us to send you a pattern.”
 
In these difficult economic times, the charity is not alone in feeling the financial squeeze and is affected by the increase in donkeys being relinquished into its care each month.  Any donation, no matter how small, is always gratefully received. For further information about The Donkey Sanctuary or if you would like a knitting pattern please call 01395 578222 or visit www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk
 

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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
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.