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New first aid course for pet owners
The course includes detailed veterinary advice to help owners deal calmly with emergency scenarios.
Busy Bees Education and Training has teamed up with Blue Cross to deliver vital education.

A first aid course for pet owners has been launched by Busy Bees Education and Training to help people learn how to keep their animals healthy and take positive action in an emergency.

The online course, developed in conjunction with Blue Cross veterinary experts, includes interactive games, video interviews and quizzes to help pet owners recount vital information in critical situations.

Its launch follows the publication of the 2021 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report, which sparked calls for new pet owners to seek support when it comes to looking after their animals. The report found that almost half of all pet owners who acquired their animals since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic were first-time pet owners. 

The course, designed for pet owners old and new, is split into three main sections:
 
  • Preventative health - a comprehensive guide to vaccinations, diet, and grooming. 
  • Hazards in the home, garden and on a walk – puppy Max and his human family explore potential everyday dangers in the household and outside world.
  • What to do in a pet emergency – detailed veterinary advice to help owners deal calmly with a wide range of life-threatening scenarios.
“Being a pet owner is a huge responsibility," commented Kim Lakin-Smith, course content writer from Busy Bees Education and Training. "Unlike humans, if our pet has a medical emergency that needs immediate attention, there’s no emergency services or ambulance to call on. 

"The responsibility to administer first aid in a calm, timely and effective manner lands on us. Preparing ourselves to respond to an emergency or, even better preventing one, is the best way we can help our beloved animal friends to enjoy long, healthy, and happy lives.”

The course takes one hour to complete and costs £17.50. For more information, visit busybeestraining.co.uk

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Free event for the global unowned cat community

News Story 1
 International Cat Care (ICatCare) has announced a free, virtual event dedicated to caring for unowned cats to explore new ideas and ways of working.

iCatConnect 2025 takes place on Wednesday, 12 November, and is open to everyone working and volunteering with unowned cats. It will include a line-up of 12 international cat welfare experts, who will consider the bigger picture of unowned cats and explore practical, effective, and inclusive solutions.

Following the session, attendees can put their questions to the experts and share their views. They will also hear frontline challenges and real-world case studies shared by contributors working in shelters, TNR, community cat programmes, and veterinary teams from around the world. 

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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.