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Independent veterinary practices unite against IVC legal threats
IVC has extended the compliance deadline until the 31st December 2025.
Practice managers have received legal letters for using the phrase ‘Pet Health Club’

More than 150 veterinary professionals have joined forces against legal threats from IVC Evidensia over the use of the term ‘pet health club’.

Earlier this year, IVC sent out letters to a number of independent veterinary practices, claiming trademarks on two ‘Pet Health Club’ logos and the phrase ‘Pet Health Club’ — maintaining that it has been used as a trading name since 2015.

Since then, IVC has sent follow-up letters to a number of practices to offer a stay of execution and extended the compliance deadline until the 31st December 2025. The collective cost to rebrand so many ‘Pet Health Clubs’ is estimated to be between £250,000 and £350,000.

In response, a support group named ‘We are Spartacus’ was set up to unite all the affected practices, as well as the wider veterinary community. The group has since appointed an intellectual property lawyer to provide specialist advice on whether the term could be protected with a word mark.

Group member Alex Green of Broadway Vets said that while IVC has extended its compliance deadline, the group is still concerned with how the organisation has gone about contacting veterinary practices. He urged those who have not yet come forward to show their support for ‘We are Spartacus’.

“We’re also keen to hear from those that received initial letters and haven’t yet had a follow-up offering a stay of execution until the end of the year,” he said. “Whilst we’re delighted that IVC has extended their deadline, it does not resolve the fact that their threats are unacceptable when every practice in the country provides animal, or ‘pet’, healthcare, or ‘health’, in a community-based service, or ‘club’.

“They don’t need to fight or worry about this on their own and we’re stronger as a collective, especially when it comes to pooling resources and expertise. We’ve already appointed a specialist IP lawyer to advise us, and the view is that given the extensive prior use of ‘Pet Health Club,’ it would be crazy to allow this to escalate to court when it can be amicably resolved.”

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Free CPD announced for BVNA members

News Story 1
 Zoetis is to present a CPD event for free to members of the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA).

Led by veterinary consultant Ruth Moxon, the one-hour online session is designed to help veterinary nurses discuss parasiticide options with clients. It will advise on structuring recommendations, factors for product choice and moving away from 'selling'.

'How do you recommend parasite treatments to your clients?' will be presented on Tuesday, 20 May at 7.30pm. It is free for BVNA members, with £15.00 tickets for non-members.

Veterinary nurses can email cpd@bvna.co.uk to book their place. 

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News Shorts
DAERA to reduce BVD 'grace period'

DAERA has reminded herd keepers of an upcoming reduction to the 'grace period' to avoid BVD herd restrictions.

From 1 May 2025, herd keepers will have seven days to cull any BVD positive or inconclusive animals to avoid restrictions being applied to their herd.

It follows legislation introduced on 1 February, as DAERA introduces herd movement restrictions through a phased approach. Herd keepers originally had 28 days to cull BVD positive or inconclusive animals.

DAERA says that, providing herd keepers use the seven-day grace period, no herds should be restricted within the first year of these measures.

Additional measures, which will target herds with animals over 30 days old that haven't been tested for BVD, will be introduced from 1 June 2025.

More information is available on the DAERA website.