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Big increase in number of guinea pigs abandoned
Marzipan was found left in a cage outside a church in Nottinghamshire.

RSPCA reports a rise of nearly 40 per cent this year.

The RSPCA has seen a big increase in the number of guinea pigs coming into its care this year. The charity has revealed that it rescued 237 guinea pigs up to the end of August, almost matching the total for the whole of 2022.

Compared to the same eight-month period in the previous year, this represents a 37 per cent increase.

Owing to the strain being put on the charity’s resources by the rise in people giving up their pets during the cost-of-living crisis, some of the rescued guinea pigs are being kept in private boarding facilities.

Among them are 12 guinea pigs that were found by a member of the public in a taped-up box outside a shop in Leicester in July. The 12 included pregnant females and babies.

RSPCA inspector Herchy Boal, who collected the guinea pigs, said: “It was heartbreaking and shocking to think so many guinea pigs were abandoned all at once. It’s likely that this was due to accidental pregnancies and the numbers of guineas just kept growing - but leaving them all in a box with no food or water was just unacceptable.”

Other guinea pigs rescued by the charity this year include Marzipan and Marmite, who were left in a cage outside a church in Woodthorpe, near Nottingham, and three male guinea pigs found in a box by a home, leisure and garden store in London that RSPCA staff have named Range, Wilko, and Dunelm.

The statistics have been released by the RSPCA to mark Guinea Pig Awareness Week, which is running from 25-29 September. As part of the campaign, a series of digital packs have been made available, including one to help educate owners.

A spokesperson for Guinea Pig Awareness Week said: “Given the growing number of guinea pigs in rescues and in need of loving homes, it is really important that we educate as many owners as possible so that these wonderful creatures can live the happy life they deserve.”

 

Images (C) RSPCA

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BEVA gives RVNs right to vote

News Story 1
 The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) is to allow its registered veterinary nurse (RVN) members the right to vote.

RVN members will now be able to take part in key decision-making processes and stand for BEVA council.

Marie Rippingale, chair of BEVA's Nurse Committee, said: "I am very proud to be a part of BEVA.

"This change will help to empower nurses to speak up and contribute, but more importantly, it will give them an opportunity to collaborate with other members of the equine veterinary profession to bring about change that is positive for all." 

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News Shorts
Farmer survey to reveal on-farm impact of bluetongue

A nationwide survey has been launched to better understand how the bluetongue virus is affecting UK farms.

Results will inform the support that farmers receive for bluetongue, as well as preparing the livestock industry for the future.

The short online survey is open to all livestock farmers, regardless of whether they've had a confirmed case of bluetongue on their farm. It asks how many animals have been affected, the severity of their clinical signs and how it has impacted farm business.

The survey takes five minutes to complete and is fully anonymous.

It is led by Fiona Lovatt, of Flock Health Limited, and the Ruminant Health & Welfare bluetongue working group, in collaboration with AHDB and the University of Nottingham.

Dr Lovatt says: "We need to find out what level of clinical signs farmers are seeing in their animals, whether they are experiencing mortality with BTV-3 cases, and what their appetite is to vaccinate in future for bluetongue serotype 3."

The survey can be found here.