19th August 2010
A story on the BBC website is warning against the potential threat of dog faeces in causing toxocariasis - a disease which can blind humans and even cause death. The article, 'Eye threat to Manchester toddler who fell in dog mess', includes a quote from a Manchester City Council spokesperson urging dog owners to clean up after their pet.
18th August 2010
Can businesses learn from the animal kingdom? This is the question explored in a video clip on the BBC website. Talking to Peter Miller, author of The Smart Swarm, BBC presenter Katty Kay examines how much can be gained from studying the teamwork behaviour of animals. See the clip here.
17th August 2010
Luke Gamble, vet and CEO of the Worldwide Veterinary Services, has featured in an article in The Sun. Entitled 'Vet travels world saving animals', the piece promotes the new series of his TV programme: Vet Adventures on Sky 1 (beginning again on Wednesday 25th August at 8pm). In the article, Luke talks about his various dealings with a constipated sloth, attaching prosthetic limbs to elephants and hiding from charging rhinos.
11th August 2010
Pete Wedderburn's latest blog on the Telegraph online is entitled 'Chinese circus animals: this barbaric cruelty must stop' and focuses on animal cruelty in Chinese circus acts.
5th August 2010
Following revelations that meat from the offspring of a cloned cow has been sold in the UK, the Telegraph has published an article online entitled 'Clones: is it safe to eat dairy or beef from a cloned cow?' where two experts give their opinion on this matter.
4th August 2010
According to recent media reports (including this one in the Daily Mail) "A highly-trained bomb-sniffing dog is being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan." Diagnosed by a military vet after displaying symptoms of PTSD on her return home, Gina, a German Shepherd, is now on the mend and has resumed some of her duties.
4th August 2010
Pete Wedderburn's latest blog published online on the Telegraph, focuses around the Panorama programme broadcast Monday 2 August. With the headline: 'Don't kill healthy dogs because of their thuggish previous owners. Microchip them instead', the blog focuses on ways to make dog owners wholly responsible for their pet. He suggests one answer can be to: " Forge an unbreakable link between owner and dog with a microchip."
3rd August 2010
Reports in the media (including this piece on the BBC) suggest that milk from a cloned cow's offspring is on sale in the UK, without approval from the Food Standards Agency. The BBC have also published another article online asking 'Is it safe to consume milk and meat from cloned cattle?'
26th July 2010
According to a recent article in The Sun (available to read here), the BBC are bringing back to life the classic drama 'All Creatures Great and Small'. The new show is rumoured to be called 'Young James' and will focus on how the young James Herriot came to learn his trade in Scotland.
26th July 2010
Pete Wedderburn has published his response to the Panorama programme (which aired on Thursday 22nd July). In this, he writes that he does "worry about the fact that such documentaries can give an overall impression that is unbalanced.The documentary team set out with a sensationalist agenda, and video footage was carefully gathered and crafted to fit that purpose." He highlights the fact that most vets are extremely trustworthy and ends with a piece of advice for pet-owners: "Find a vet that you instinctively like as a person. Ask questions. Talk to the support staff. If you're worried, ask to have a look behind the scenes. Believe your own perceptions. Don't be paranoid, and please, don't fall for the hype: don't stop trusting us all." Read his blog here.