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Battersea to run virtual dog skills classes
The four-week Skills for All course costs £55.
Classes to teach owners new tricks for mental stimulation.

A new virtual training class for dogs has been launched by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to teach owners skills and techniques to keep their dogs stimulated.

Named 'Skills for All', the sessions will be delivered live and online by the charity's behaviourists to teach dog owners beneficial new tricks for their pet to learn, such as backwards walking, leg weaves and high fives.

The four-week skills course is geared towards dogs aged six months and over, and will be held with no more than six dogs per training session, so each participant will receive plenty of personalised guidance. 

“Lockdown showed just how special the bond between pet and owner can be,” said Rob Bays, Battersea's canine behaviourist and training manager. 

“As we spend more time out of our houses in the summer months, our classes offer owners the chance to spend much-valued quality at-home time with their dogs, strengthening those existing relationships whilst teaching them fun tricks that the whole family can get involved in.

“One of the great things about running these classes virtually is that we’re able to teach dogs fun and mentally stimulating tricks within their familiar home environment, free of any potential distractions and with the support of our expert behaviour team.”

The next Skills for All sessions will begin on 18 July and 27 July, and three classes will be held on each day. Any interested dog owners can find more information, register interest or book a place on a session on the Battersea website.

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Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

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Bluetongue RZ extended across Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced an extension to a Bluetongue Restricted Zone that is in place in south-west Scotland.

From 3 October, the Restricted Zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland. The Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) says this is in response to further disease spread, as well as simplify trading conditions ahead of the autumn.

Since the whole country will share a disease status, it will no longer be necessary to have a movement license to move susceptible livestock around the country. Restrictions on germinal products remain.

As of 1 October 2026, there were 1,979 cases of BTV-3 in England, 389 cases in Wales and 40 cases in Scotland.