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WWII pigeon who saved aircrew honoured with statue
Winkie's actions helped save the lives of four RAF servicemen.
Winkie saved the lives of an aircrew stranded in the North Sea.

A new statue has been unveiled in Dundee to honour a carrier pigeon who saved the lives of four RAF servicemen in the Second World War.

Winkie helped rescuers locate the crew of a downed plane in the North Sea, for which she became one of the first recipients of the Dickin Medal.

The new bronze sculpture was unveiled on Thursday, 9 November, after a campaign by a local Cubs pack for the bird to be commemorated.

Winkie was on board an RAF bomber that was returning from a mission in Norway on 23 February 1942. Damaged by enemy fire, the plane crashed into the sea.

Like other British planes during the war, a carrier pigeon was kept on board to aid communication when radio could not be used. After the plane crashed, Winkie was sent out by the stranded crew.

Despite being covered in oil, and hampered by bad weather, she managed to fly more than 120 miles to return to her owner George Ross in the Broughty Ferry suburb of Dundee.

Ross alerted the RAF who were able to use information about weather conditions and Winkie’s flight to calculate the location of the downed plane and launch a rescue operation.

The four members of the crew were successfully rescued.

A year later, Winkie was awarded one of the first ever PDSA Dickin Medals, which had been created to honour animals serving in the armed forces.

Councillor Steven Rome said: “It is fitting that Dundee’s latest piece of public art commemorates a special Broughty Ferry heroine – Winkie the pigeon.

“The tale of her exploits has inspired new generations over the decades and I would like to thank the 49th Cubs for playing an important role in securing this statue.

“It will help to ensure that the story of Winkie will never be forgotten.

“I am also pleased that relatives of George Ross have been able to attend this poignant event to unveil the statue, which is fittingly close to Remembrance Sunday.”

Image © Dundee City Council

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Antibiotic Amnesty survey opens

News Story 1
 The Responsible Use of Medicines Alliance - Companion Animal and Equine (RUMA - CA&E) has launched a survey which seeks to measure the success of this year's Antibiotic Amnesty campaign.

Its results will help the group to calculate how many unused or out-of-date antibiotics were returned as part of the campaign throughout November. Practices are also asked how they engaged with clients to raise awareness of the issue.

Participating practices can enter a prize draw to win up to 100 in vouchers for taking part. Further prizes from BSAVA and Webinar Vet will be available for practices with the best input.

The survey takes a few minutes to complete and will be running throughout December. It can be accessed via this link

Click here for more...
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NSA survey investigates sheep worrying

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has launched its latest survey to better understand the severity of sheep worrying in the UK.

The survey will be open until Friday, 21 February 2025. UK sheep farmers are invited to share their experiences of sheep worrying by dogs and its impact on the industry.

NSA has been gathering information about sheep worrying for over 10 years as part of its campaign to raise awareness of incidents and produce new ways of educating the public.

Sheep worrying, often caused by dogs being loose near fields, can result in physical injury, miscarriage and death of animals affected.

The results of the survey will be shared with interested parties, including the UK press, before spring and ahead of lambing season next year.

For more information, or to complete the survey, visit NSA's website.