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Dick Vet students help homeless people and their pets
The donations will provide homeless people and their pets with essentials for the winter months.
Volunteers collected donations from staff and students.

Students at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies have supported homeless people and their pets with their annual charity initiative.

The Dick Vet Bag Appeal (DVBA) saw volunteers collect donations of clothing, toiletries and kitchen equipment from staff and students on the university’s Easter Bush Campus.

They also collected pet care items, including blankets, toys and food, to help homeless people who are caring for pets.

The donations will provide homeless and vulnerably housed people and their pets with much needed essentials during the winter months. Volunteers worked with local charities and student-run charity All4Paws to distribute the donations to those in need.

The DVBA has previously asked donors to contribute a bag filled with essentials, based on the list provided by the group. However, this year’s approach allowed staff and students to donate individual items, instead of a full bag.

The volunteers then collated these items into bags, which charities and hostels could pass on to service users.

The DVBA found that this new, targeted approach resulted in more donations than in previous years.

The initiative was first established in 2016, by former Dick Vet student and current staff member Dr Jamie-Leigh Thompson. It is now run by a small group of veterinary student volunteers, who have seen first-hand how donations are received.

The DVBA’s organising committee is looking for new student volunteers from Easter Bush Campus, who can help with the initiative in future years. Those interested can visit their Facebook page.

Alice Brazier, a veterinary medicine and surgery student and DVBA committee member, said: “We are delighted to be able to help those most need in this way. Asking each hostel what items they needed the most, and then being able to send them those items, was incredibly satisfying.

“Huge thanks to those who donated to the Dick Vet Bag Appeal this year. Every item makes a huge difference to those who receive them.”

Image © Shutterstock

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
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Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "WOAH's recognition of the UK as negligible risk for BSE is a significant milestone and is a testament to the UK's strong biosecurity measures and the hard work and vigilance of farmers and livestock keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.