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Team Badger in talks
Cull opposers mobilise support at meeting

Campaigners from Team Badger are set to meet on Saturday, April 22 to speak against the badger cull plans.

Among those speaking at the event, which will be held at Somerset's Taunton Conference Centre, will be rockstar and RSPCA vice-president Brian May.

Other speakers include Gavin Grant, RSPCA chief executive, Joe Duckworth, chief executive of League Against Cruel Sports and Steve Jones, a retired dairy farmer who led the "Not in this farm's name" campaign.

The meeting is planned to mobilise support in opposition of the impending pilot badger cull, due to begin in Gloucestershire and Somerset within eight weeks.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has organised the cull in an effort to help eradicate the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB).

However, opposition surrounds both scientific and welfare reasons, according to the RSCPA.

While the charity says it sympathises with farmers who are dealing with the devastating disease, it believes a cull will do little to help eradicate bTB in cattle – and could even make it worse.

RSPCA is therefore willing to work with the farming community to "deliver more effective alternatives".

"We urge anyone who wants to help save the badger and help cattle to join us at this meeting," said Mr Grant.

"As plans stand, thousands of badgers will die – virtually eliminating them from large areas of the countryside. Yet the problems of bTB will not be solved."

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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
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."