A pair of healthy donkeys have been rescued from slaughter by The Donkey Sanctuary after the abattoir alerted the charity and asked for their help. It is the first time a slaughterhouse has ever appealed to The Donkey Sanctuary for help.

The owners did not want the donkeys, named Jack and Sam, because they wanted to use their land for other things. After the tip off, they agreed to relinquish their animals into The Donkey Sanctuary's care, where they now have a home for life.

Donkey welfare advisor Tamlin Watson said that she was thankful the abattoir called The Donkey Sanctuary for help. She added: "It's sad the owners didn't want them and just wanted to get rid of them but we're very grateful to the abattoir for contacting us rather than destroying such fit and healthy animals with so much life ahead of them and so much love to give.

"They're very sweet and gentle and could make great family pets in the future through our foster scheme."

A new website called Find a Pet (www.findapet.org.uk) has launched in the UK to help match rescue pets with their ideal owners. Animal welfare journalist and presenter Serena Cowdy created the site to tackle the serious problem of pets being irresponsibly bred and sold online like household goods. Find a Pet allows people to search for pets by type, breed, location, age, sex and temperament. For example, potential owners can search for a dog that is good with children, an indoor rabbit or a friendly lap cat. Celebrity vet and Pup Aid founder Marc Abraham has welcomed the new site, calling it "a brilliant new resource" to tackle puppy farming and the thousands of unwanted and neglected pets in the UK. "I support it wholeheartedly," he said.

Veterinary students and nurses have just a few days left to apply for the PetSavers 40th Anniversary Awards. To celebrate 40 years of funding veterinary research, the charity is offering 5,000 to each of the UK's vet schools to fund undergraduate projects. A further 5,000 will be available for registered veterinary nurses or undergrad students. Applications close on Friday, August 1. Veterinary students should apply through their university. Each university can submit five applications for consideration. Nurses can apply directly to the BSAVA. Awards will be announced in December this year and projects must be completed and written up by December 2015. See www.petsavers.org.uk for further information.

ZSL London Zoo are celebrating the arrival of a black-capped squirrel monkey baby, which was born in the middle of the night, just under three weeks ago. Zoo keepers discovered the tiny bundle clinging tightly on to its mum during their morning rounds.

The baby monkey, which measures just three inches tall, was born after a six-month gestation period in the zoo's Meet the Monkey's exhibit.

Zookeeper Andrea Dempsey said: "Squirrel monkeys have an approximate gestation period of five to six months, and we'd been closely monitoring mum throughout her pregnancy - we knew she was due to give birth as her bump was huge!"

Threatened in their native South American homes of Bolivia, Peru and Brazil, the black-capped squirrel monkey's status in the wild is threatened from use in biomedical research and as pets, bait and food.

The Dog Rescue Federation is asking local authorities to adopt a consistent approach towards dealing with stray dogs and is urging them to be more proactive in tackling irresponsible dog breeding and ownership.

The Federation made the recommendation in a report it has published after conducting a national survey of local authority dog wardens, which 96 per cent of councils in the UK took part in.

The report has been presented to Rob Flello MP, who is a soon to be appointed as chair of an all party group in parliament dealing with dog issues.

The survey findings have also been sent to all local authorities in the UK, DEFRA, MP's, the Local Government Association, the National Dog Wardens' Association, the Dogs Trust and other interested animal welfare organisations and professional bodies.

The report can be viewed at www.dogrescuefederation.org

The British Horse Racing Authority has announced that today's fixture at Hamilton Park will showcase the track's support for the high standards of horse welfare in British Racing using the raceway theme of 'The Horse Comes First'.

'The Horse Comes First' is an industry-wide backed initiative aimed at both promoting and increasing awareness of racing's commitment to horse welfare. At Hamilton Park there will be a range of activities and demonstrations designed to entertain as well as inform racegoers about the level of care the sport provides for its horses, both during and after their racing careers.

Paul Bittar, Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority, said:

"We very much welcome Hamilton Park's support for The Horse Comes First. One of the key aims of the initiative is to promote British Racing's commitment to upholding the highest standards of welfare throughout the year. The raceday will provide a great platform from which to educate and engage racegoers on the subject."