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Government urged to take action as ear cropping petition crosses 100,000 milestone
"In recent years, vets and animal welfare charities have seen a dramatic increase in the number of dogs with cropped ears." Daniella Dos Santos.

Supporters encouraged to “keep the pressure on decision makers.”

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and The FOAL Group are calling on the government to take immediate legislative action on ear cropping, after a joint petition from the two groups surpassed 100,000 signatures.

The petition reached the 100,000 signatures milestone in less than two months after its launch. The Petitions Committee considers all petitions that have crossed the 100,000 mark for debate in parliament.

Defra responded to the petition last month, expressing its commitment to working with the #CutTheCrop and #FlopNotCrop campaign to close all legal loopholes that allow ear cropping to continue.

Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts has also tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament, calling on the Government to ban the importation of dogs with cropped ears.

BVA senior vice president Daniella Dos Santos said: “We hope to see legislation on this issue soon. With less than a month to go to the Queen’s Speech, all eyes will now be on the government to see if it has taken note of how passionately people feel about calling time on this barbaric trend.”

FOAL Group co-founder Jordan Shelley reminded supporters that the petition – which has been backed by members of the Veterinary Animal Welfare Coalition – doesn't close until 24 August.

He added: “We urge everyone to keep the pressure on decision makers by continuing to push for further signatures and use this time as an opportunity to further educate the public about the barbaric practice of ear cropping. Together we can stop the awful rise in the number of ear-cropped dogs in the UK.”

The petition, ‘Stop the rising number of ear-cropped dogs in the UK’, and the Government’s written response to it, can be viewed here.

 

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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 

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News Shorts
Vivienne Mackinnon elected BVA Scottish Branch President

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has elected Vivienne Mackinnon as its new BVA Scottish Branch president.

Dr Mackinnon has over 30 years of experience in veterinary care, encompassing both small animal and mixed practice. She has worked in practices in Scotland, England, New Zealand and Australia, before joining APHA to work in frontline disease control.

In her speech, Dr Mackinnon reflected on the changes in Scotland's veterinary industry and highlighted her commitment to veterinary education.

Dr Mackinnon said: "I look forward to working with colleagues across the veterinary professions to improve animal health and welfare in the country and support veterinary workplaces."