RSPCA campaigns for new cat RTA law

Kennel Club publishes analysis of data from its pedigree records. 

The registered pedigree dog population in the UK is on the decline, according to new research, raising concerns about the impacts on the supply of well-bred puppies.

Analysis by the Kennel Club also shows only a small percentage of pedigree dogs are used for breeding. While selective breeding helps potential owners make informed decisions about a dog’s temperament and care needs, it also reduces genetic diversity, and could pose challenges to sustainability.

Published in the journal Companion Animal Health and Genetics, the research is intended to address the growing issue of supplying healthy, well-bred puppies in the UK. 

Dr Joanna Ilska, genetics and research manager at The Kennel Club and author of the paper, commented: “The right tools need to be used to balance both selection for health and genetic diversity – especially where population sizes are low – and the smaller the gene pool gets the more challenging it will be to balance responsible breeding choices with keeping a sustainable population, unless the situation is managed carefully.

“This is the next vital step on that journey, which give breeds a fuller picture to inform future action, supported by evidence. There are a range of solutions; our aim now is to work with breeders and those committed to safeguarding the breeds they love, as there is no one size fits all answer.”

The research paper was developed based on a 30-year review of over 11 million dog registrations from The Kennel Club’s pedigree database, carried out as part of the organisation’s commitment to safeguarding the future of pedigree dogs. It is the first in a series of scientific articles, looking at trends in population sizes, the percentage of dogs used in breeding and their characteristics.  

Charlotte McNamara, head of health at The Kennel Club, said: “Pedigree dogs have many advantages because we know their ancestry and we can better predict the way that they will turn out. This helps us to know how big they will grow, their exercise needs and predict the health problems they might face, and which DNA tests or assessments breeders should make use of before breeding from their dogs.

“But it also means that they are more similar to each other genetically, and so we have to consider how breed populations are monitored and managed, as the lower the genetic diversity the greater the risk that new health conditions will begin to surface. This is true across all dogs bred selectively over generations, including the now popular ‘designer crossbreeds’, which have also been selectively bred for specific traits across a number of generations.

“We hope this new research, which has been conducted on a huge scale, will help to address the wider issue of the supply of well-bred, healthy puppies in the UK.”

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Rosie Godfrey is set to take on the gruelling Thames Challenge. 

The chair of BSAVA PetSavers is to embark on a walking challenge to raise vital research funds for the charity.

Rosie Godfrey, who heads up the BSAVA PetSavers management committee, is undertaking the Thames Challenge, which will see her walk 42 kilometres from Hampton Court Palace to the Millennium Bridge. 

Explaining why she wanted to take on the feat, Rosie said: “I love walking, but had not really walked much more over 10 miles in one go before, and so I wanted to set myself a challenge, as well as raise money for BSAVA PetSavers. 

“The charity is close to my heart and although small, is a vital funder of small animal clinical research in the UK.”

Rosie launched the ‘Chairs Challenge’ in 2024 for BSAVA PetSavers 50th year, walking the Malvern Hills alongside a team of PetSavers supporters. This year, she has set herself an even greater challenge of raising £1,000.

She has been training alongside her husband, BSAVA vice president David Godfrey, who hopes to join her for the walk.

Rose added: “For the first time in my life, I have become acquainted with the gym, its machinery and terminology. My lovely trainer Carla has helped a middle-aged, non-sporty woman feel comfortable and relatively competent in the gym, and I think my fitness is now in the rough ballpark for completing the Challenge. David and I walked over 21 miles last Saturday, so bring it on!”

The challenge takes place on Saturday, 26 April and, at the time of writing, Rosie and David have raised £715 of their £1,000 target. To donate and read all of Rosie’s training updates, visit justgiving.com/page/rosie-godfrey

Image (C) PetSavers

The plans mark a new step in efforts to eradicate the disease. 

People, animals and the environment are all set to benefit from a new blueprint designed to eradicate bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Northern Ireland.

The blueprint sets out key priorities and actions to be further developed to tackle the disease in Northern Ireland and identifies immediate measures where progress must be made across the three pillars of people, cattle and wildlife. 

It is the culmination of work by the TB partnership Steering Group (TBPSG), consisting of industry, veterinary and wildlife stakeholders, to explore proposals to eradicate the disease, as recommended in the chief veterinary officer’s review of bTB in NI.

Welcoming the blueprint, Brian Dooher, chief veterinary officer and chair of the TBPSG, said: “The blueprint marks a new step forward in our efforts to eradicate bTB here. It details the immediate actions which must now progress and also provides a roadmap of medium and longer-term areas where continued collaborative working between government and our stakeholders will be essential if we are to deliver the real change now required in our efforts to fight bTB.

“In the foreword, the TBPSG noted that the blueprint is founded on the principle that eradicating this disease requires a unified, multisectoral approach. It acknowledges where further engagement and assessment is needed and recognises that eradication will take time but provides the framework where eradication of bTB can now be realistically advanced.”

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister, Andrew Muir, added: “I warmly welcome the Bovine TB Blueprint for Eradication. This blueprint is the result of hard work, forward thinking and excellent collaboration by members of the TBPSG. 

“We cannot continue on the current path, change is required and this ambitious blueprint provides us with a clear and decisive way forward to finally setting Northern Ireland on the pathway to eradication.

“I would like to thank members for their extensive efforts in developing and agreeing the blueprint together, which helps identify the immediate priorities for action and the steps needed to put them in place. I have directed my officials to advance the necessary recommendations and decisions which we now need to progress as we set out on this journey together.” 

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Lions, meerkats and lemurs tuck into their favourite snacks. 

With the Easter holidays in full swing, keepers at ZSL London Zoo are treating their residents to “an assortment of seasonal surprises”, including an enormous papier-mâché egg for the young lions to investigate and enjoy.

While chocolate is not on the menu, the animals are enjoying a feast of some of their favourite snacks, specially prepared for the occasion. The Zoo’s endangered ring-tailed lemurs have been enjoying sweet potato cubes, hidden in a carefully handcrafted nest, woven from dried grapevines, twine and rope.

Elsewhere, the zoo’s meerkats, Frank, Penelope and Dracula, put their exploratory skills to the test by foraging inside another papier-mâché egg filled with mealworms. Lion cubs Mali, Syanii and Shanti, who turned one last month, have also been delighting visitors with their playful antics — pouncing and rolling around on a giant Easter egg, scented with perfumes and spices. 

Zoological operations manager, Dan Simmonds, said: “Easter is often a time for treats, and while there were no chocolate eggs in sight for the animals, our meerkats and ring-tailed lemurs enjoyed some of their favourites — mealworms and sweet potato.

“Our Asiatic lion cubs, who have just turned one, are at a crucial stage in their development, honing their natural exploratory and hunting instincts. Enrichment — like the enormous, scented Easter egg — plays an important role in this, helping to diversify their habitat and encouraging them to fully engage their strength and remarkably keen sense of smell.”

Image (C) ZSL London Zoo.

The charity is supporting Sheep Worrying Week.

The RSPCA is reminding pet owners to keep their dog on a lead around livestock as attacks on sheep continue across the UK.

The charity reports shocking incidents of sheep being injured or even killed by dogs which were off the lead, including a sheep badly injured in Burnley last March.

Holly Gower, RSPCA farm animal welfare expert for cattle, sheep and goats, said: “Whilst you might think there is no harm done if your dog momentarily chases livestock and comes back quickly without injuring them, being chased by a dog causes the animal stress and anxiety. 

“This can cause lots of problems for farmed animals - and even lead to pregnancy loss, which is particularly tragic. Sheep are most likely to be impacted by livestock worrying and as a prey species this can cause significant distress for them.” 

The plea from the RSPCA comes as the National Sheep Association (NSA) begins its annual sheep worrying by dogs awareness week (14- 20 April), and shares its annual survey on the scale and impact of the issue.

It reveals 87 per cent of farmer respondents experienced a dog attack on their flock in the last 12 months, most likely caused by the refusal of owners to keep their pet on a lead whilst walking in the countryside. 

Respondents to the survey also reported an average of four sheep deaths per year owing to sheep worrying by dogs. This is an increase from previous years and does not factor in the additional losses from miscarriage due to stress from attacks, the NSA said.

Interestingly, the survey also found that the majority of worrying incidents occur when dogs have escaped from a garden and their owners aren’t around.

NSA project manager, Nicola Noble, said: “Sheep worrying by dogs not only causes suffering to livestock but is also a real cause of stress and worry to farmers. Farmers have reported in this and previous surveys that their mental wellbeing has been compromised by the continued threat to their animals. 

“A high proportion (80%) of survey respondents also reported a negative experience when approaching dog owners to ask for their dog to be put on a lead with just under half receiving verbal and, in some cases, even physical abuse.”

Image (C) Shutterstock.

The popular songbird is in rapid decline.

Garden owners are being urged to share sightings of blackbirds in a bid to help scientists understand why they are in rapid decline.

It is hoped the Blackbirds in Gardens survey, organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), will reveal insights into how blackbirds use different types of gardens, and the impact of disease transmission on their population in the UK.

It comes as initial results from a pioneering survey, launched by the BTO in 2024, reveal a north-south divide in the decline of blackbirds. According to the results, blackbirds are faring better in the north, particularly north-west England, but continue to decline in London and, to a lesser extent the wider south east.

Scientists have attributed the decline of British blackbirds to the appearance of the Usutu virus, which was first detected in England in summer 2020. Originating from South Africa, the mosquito-borne virus has been linked to climate change and is spread by native UK mosquitoes during the warmer months. 

Hugh Hammer, a senior research ecologist with BTO, explained: “Blackbird numbers have been noted to be decreasing in Greater London for some time. However, from 2020 they started declining more strongly, which coincided with the detection of Usutu virus, which can be fatal for these familiar birds. 

“There is now evidence of a wider decline in Southern England, not seen in other UK regions. This survey seeks to understand why this change is happening and if it is linked to the spread of Usutu, by better understanding how Blackbirds use our gardens.”

The 2025 survey is being conducted in partnership with the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Zoological Society of London and the UK Health Security Agency.  

Dr Arran Folly, senior scientist with APHA and Vector-Borne RADAR project lead, said: “With Usutu virus now endemic in southeast England, outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases are expected to grow in the UK, especially as temperatures rise due to climate change. 

“Through our Vector-Borne RADAR project, we are working to gain a clearer picture of emerging mosquito-borne viruses. The insights from BTO's Blackbirds In Gardens survey will be essential for understanding how this virus might be impacting blackbird populations. I encourage all garden owners to get involved and help us track this virus.”

Anyone with access to a garden can now participate in the survey, which will remain open until September. To learn more, visit bto.org/blackbirds.

Image (C) Shutterstock.