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Owner remortgages house to find champion dog
Woman offers 10,000 pound reward to help find stolen show dog

A distraught dog owner has remortgaged her house to allow her to offer a record £10,000 reward for the return of her champion dog. It is believed to be the largest reward ever offered for a missing pet, with a previous record of £5,000.

The four-year-old German short-haired pointer named Angel was stolen last month from a car park, while her owner Dawn Maw was walking her and her three other dogs. As she helped one of them into her car, the driver of a white transit van reportedly took the dog and put her in the back of his vehicle before speeding off. Police have so far been unable to trace the culprit.

Angel is one of only two show and working champions of her breed in the country, and it is suspected that this is why she was targeted. She has been microchipped and spayed but, unusually, her tail has not been docked. Mrs Maw said: "I worry that whoever has taken her might have now docked her to make her less noticeable."

At the cost of £3,000 Mrs Maw distributed 35,000 business cards and put up 15,000 posters. She has even hired a pet detective agency to find the dog, who has won five champion titles at dog shows. A Facebook page has led to thousands of supporters donating £3,000 towards the reward to help find Angel. Mrs Maw has now taken out an extra £7,000 on the mortgage of her house, making the total reward £10,000.

Mrs Maw has said she has no misgivings about stumping up the five-figure reward. After initially offering £3,000 with no positive leads, she said: "I am desperate to get my dog back and I thought the best and quickest way to do this was to remortgage the house to make the reward fee £10,000." The reward is for the dog's safe return or for information that leads directly to her, Dawn says.

Colin Butcher of The Pet Detectives agency who has been hired by Mrs Maw said: "We use a system to find animals involving investigating subjects and gathering evidence or eliminating them, and we are investigating two lines of enquiry in relation to this dog." 

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

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.