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Wrexham third council to say 'pets aren't prizes'
Having pets as prizes encourages owners to take on pets spontaneously.

Discussions with RSPCA advance initiative to end ‘outdated practice’

Wrexham Council has become the third council in Wales to ban the giving of pets as prizes on its land. Action follows discussions with RSPCA Cymru and is another step in the organisation’s bid to instate a country-wide ban on the practice. Wrexham Council joins Caerphilly and Newport in enacting the policy.

The ban means that Wrexham council will not grant licences to anyone planning on giving pets as prizes, including in the town centre and at local fairs. This practice has been commonplace in many areas for decades and can be detrimental to the welfare of the animals being given away.

A total of 24 incidents in Wales were reported to the RSPCA’s emergency line between 2014 and 2018. 60 per cent of these calls were related to goldfish.

Lewis Clark, RSPCA public affairs adviser, said: “The RSPCA is absolutely delighted that Wrexham Council has become the third local authority in Wales to ban the giving of pets as prizes.

“Sadly, we know many pets won as prizes will die before getting back to their new homes, or shortly after. Ultimately, having animals as prizes like this actively encourages owners to take on pets in a spontaneous, ill-planned manner. This is an outdated practice that we need to see the back of in Wales.”

Amanda Davies, town centre, markets and events manager from Wrexham Council, adds: “We are more than happy to be part of this initiative by ensuring that no one who puts on any event on council owned land in the town centre gives away pets as prizes. 



“We’ve done this informally for some time and are very pleased that this is now a formal arrangement and part of our conditions of use. The practice is outdated and it’s not what visitors to the town centre want to see happening.”

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.