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Charities vaccinate pets as rabies spreads in Ukraine
Image: Person holding cat that has been vaccinated
There were more than a thousand rabies cases in Ukraine last year.
New scheme aims to vaccinate 7,000 animals.

A coalition of animal welfare organisations are vaccinating pets in Ukraine against rabies as outbreaks in the country increase.

More than 1,500 animals have been vaccinated as part of the Save Paws project, out of a planned total of 7,000.

The number of rabies cases in Ukraine has grown since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country. The causes include a 60 per cent increase in the number of stray animals and the ongoing fighting making it harder to implement rabies prevention measures.

In 2023, 1,222 cases of animals with rabies were recorded in Ukraine, 2.3 times the amount seen in 2022. The highest number of cases have been in the Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Kharkiv, Ternopil, and Vinnytsia regions.

As part of the Save Paws project, animals are also being vaccinated against other infectious diseases and microchipped. Priority is being given to the pets of internally displaced Ukrainians.

The scheme, which was launched in May 2024, is a collaboration between the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Save Pets of Ukraine, and U-Hearts.

The Ukrainian government is also working to reduce the spread of rabies and improve pet identification. It has launched the Unified State Register of Pets, a nationwide database which will allow for real-time monitoring of vaccinations and help reunite lost pets with their owners.

Anastasia Ivanychenko, project co-ordinator at Save Pets of Ukraine, said: “Preventing the spread of infectious diseases is a complex and important task for us. The rabies problem in Ukraine only seems irrelevant. Increasingly, veterinarians and pet owners from east to west are encountering it.”

Image © U-Hearts

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Webinar to explore AMR in vet dentistry

News Story 1
 The WSAVA has invited veterinary professionals to a webinar on responsible antibiotic usage in dentistry.

On 19 November 2025, at 1am, Dr J Scott Weese and Dr Brooke Niemiec will share the latest advice for antimicrobial use. They will present research on oral bacterology, and explain how attendees can choose appropriate antibiotics.

The session will cover pre-, intra- and post-operative guidelines, with recommendations for various pathologies.

The webinar is designed to support veterinary professionals to make informed decisions and tackle antimicrobial resistance.

Attendees can register here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue reaches Wales for first time in 2025

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has revealed that bluetongue has been confirmed in Wales for the first time in 2025.

In their latest statistics, APHA records a total of 109 cases of BTV-3 or BTV-8 in Great Britain in the 2025-2026 vector season.

The total number of BTV-3 cases in Great Britain this season is 107. This includes 103 cases within the England restricted zone and four cases in Wales.

There has also been two cases of BTV-8, which were both in Cornwall.

As a result of the cases in Wales, a Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) is enforced in Monmouthshire. Animals can move freely under general license within the England Restricted Zone, however animals with suspected bluetongue must stay on their holding.

All premises testing positive for blue tongue can be viewed on this map.