A hedgehog friendly garden has been been selected for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society, the People's Trust for Endangered Species, and award-winning garden designer Tracy Foster are behind the summer garden, called Hedgehog Street, that will be at the show in July.

Hedgehog populations in the UK have plummeted by more than a third in the last ten years. One of the factors contributing to this is tidy, fenced-in gardens preventing them from finding shelter, food and mates.

One of the simplest steps gardeners can take to help hedgehogs is to team up with their neighbours to make a small hole in shared boundaries so that the creatures can roam freely.

Have you been qualified and working in practice for less than five years? If so, we would like to hear from you on how you adapted from vet school to working in practice and how you coped with managing difficult client situations, difficult clinical decisions and how you cope with the emotional issues of euthanasia - not just the clients but your own.

Email us on editor@mrcvs.co.uk

It is 23 years since Brighton's dolphinarium closed and its last two dolphins were released back into the wild. Marking the occasion, the world's largest whale-saving event begins in the town today.

During the event, which runs from today until March 16, a life-sized orca will tour Sussex and Surrey before being released into the sea, to promote the issues surrounding whales and dolphins kept in captivity.

The festival will be attended by co-founder of the Born Free Foundation Virginia McKenna OBE, as well as the charity's president Will Travers OBE, who are calling for an end to the keeping of whales and dolphins in captivity.

Captivity spokesperson for Born Free, Daniel Turner, said: "Brighton's emblem is the dolphin and where better to speak out for their greater protection. I know the people of Brighton will join us in calling for a dolphinaria-free world."

A new DNA test has been released to screen for hereditary footpad hyperkeratosis in Irish terriers and the Kromfohrlnder.

In affected dogs, the condition causes thickening and hardening of the footpads from an early age due to abnormal proliferation of epidermal cells. Fissures and cracks can appear, resulting in pain and reduced mobility for the dog.

The DNA test, called HFH-A , screens for type A hereditary footpad hyperkeratosis. It is being offered by Antagene.

According to the company, around 11 per cent of Irish terriers in Europe are carriers of the genetic mutation for hyperkeratosis.

China's leading Olympic equestrian Alex Hua Tian, has become a patron of the international horse charity World Horse Welfare.

World Horse Welfare announced the launch of its new patron scheme at a year of the horse event in Mayfair.

Other charity patrons include TV racing presenter Emma Spencer, polo player Amy Guy, and managing director of Cheltenham racecourse Ian Renton.

The year event featured a fund-raising auction hosted by TV presenter Zoe Hardman, which raised 10,000 for World Horse Welfare.

Image by Henry Bucklow/www.lazy-photography.co.uk

A new DNA testing scheme has been approved for collie eye anomaly (CEA/CH) in bearded collies. The move comes after a consultation between breed clubs and the Kennel Club.

Tests will be carried out by Optigen, who will send future test certificate results directly to the Kennel Club. The latest test results will then be added to the dog's registration details and published in the next Breed Records Supplement.

CEA is an inherited condition found in a number of breeds. It causes an abnormality at the back of the eye with varying levels of severity. In severe cases it can lead to blindness, while mildly affected dogs may have normal sight.