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Rescued Dancing Bears Aided by Dorset Vets
Rescued bear, Uske.
The Worldwide Veterinary Service has come to the aid of Serbian dancing bears.

The small Dorset-based charity, the Worldwide Veterinary Service, is helping to treat abused dancing bears in Serbia. Three of its volunteers travelled to Serbia to treat five bears at a sanctuary close to the Danube.

Making bears perform is illegal in Serbia and anyone found keeping and abusing wild bears faces prosecution, yet the practice continues.

The bears often have smashed teeth to make them 'safer' to handle, and pierced lips - and sometimes jaws - in order to attach ropes which are then tugged, inflicting pain and making the bears move in a way resembling dancing.

The only sanctuary in the country for brown bears is a small temporary centre in the back garden of Pavel Pasko, who runs the Arka charity alongside his wife.

Mr Pasko explained: "Our bears don't have experts to treat them in Serbia. We didn't know who to ask for help, but then we remembered Worldwide Veterinary Service so we called them and they responded."

The charity was set up by renowned vet, Luke Gamble, and is run with volunteer help. It aims to aid organisations around the world with medicines, equipment and treatment.

Luke Gamble said: "We go absolutely anywhere that needs help. We go all over the world. Because we are very small, we're very flexible and nearly everything we get goes straight out."

He added that the Serbian charity was "fantastic" and "championing the plight of dancing bears is a really worthwhile thing to do." 

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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.