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Missing cat found at animal rescue conference
The owners feared they would never see their cat again.
Attendees used microchip to track down owner.

A missing cat has been found after wandering into the Association of Dog and Cat Homes conference and plonking himself down on an attendee from Cats Protection.

Beni Benstead, manager of Cats Protection’s Tyneside Adoption Centre, was sat down during a break in proceedings when the black and white cat decided to sit on her lap.

Staff at the Telford International Centre informed Beni and the other attendees that the cat had been seen around the venue for some time. Sallie Conroy, rehoming supervisor at Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary in Bury, fetched a microchip scanner to see if they could find out who the cat belonged to.

Fortunately, the cat was microchipped and they managed to get in touch with the owner.

The cat’s owner, Sian Tawn, was very glad to hear that her cat had been found. Sammy had gone missing earlier in the year when his owners were moving house. Their previous home had been just a seven-minute drive from the conference centre.

Already on her way to work, Sian popped by to pick up her much-missed cat and bring him home. Despite hoping for the best, she hadn’t expected to see him again.

Sian said: “It was amazing to get the call to say he had been found and was alive. I immediately brought him home and after a quick explore of his new home, and seeing the cats he was brought up with, he went upstairs to be with my husband and just slept non-stop.”

Speaking after the reunion, Beni said: “It was a team effort to get this lovely cat back to his owner. It really was a stroke of luck for him to wander up to a group of cat lovers who immediately sprung into action to try and get him back home. Sian was so excited to see Sammy, and we look forward to hearing how he settles back in with his family.”

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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.