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Labrador and kitten strike up unlikely friendship
Barney quickly took it upon himself to become chief ‘kitten sitter’ and takes his duties very seriously.

Barney becomes five-week-old kitten’s playmate

An unlikely friendship has been struck up at Battersea’s Dogs and Cats Home, where Barney, a labrador, has found a lifelong friend in Ava, a five-week-old kitten.

Barney’s owner Rachel Ab’dee said that “Barney adores Ava and can't wait to come into Battersea every morning so that he can see her.”

Ava was rushed to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home after being found in a London garden. Cold and just a few days old, things were looking bleak for Ava until she met Barney.

Now five weeks old, Ava is being looked after and hand-fed by vet nurse Megan Goldring. She spends much of her day in the Battersea clinic office, and it was here that she met Barney.

Barney quickly took it upon himself to become chief ‘kitten sitter’ and takes his duties very seriously. He snuggles up with Ava, plays with her and watches her every move. The inseparable pair even watch TV together during break time!

Just like Ava, Barney had a rough start to life. Born on a puppy farm, he ended up with owners who couldn’t cope with a lively puppy. They brought Barney into Battersea in 2014, where Rachel Ab’dee, Battersea’s head nurse, fell in love and adopted him.

“Barney has become her best friend and favourite playmate,” she said. “It’s wonderful to see them so happy together and to know that their most difficult days are behind them.”

Image (C) Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

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Strangles survey seeks views of horse owners

News Story 1
 With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.

The survey, which has been designed by Dechra, aims to raise awareness of Strangles and promote best practices to prevent its transmission. It includes questions about horse owners' experiences of strangles, together with preventative measures and vaccination.

Respondents to the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win two VIP tickets to Your Horse Live 2025. To access the survey, click here 

Click here for more...
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.