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Pet names inspired by London Olympics

Sporting heroes influence 2013's top pet names list

The London 2012 Olympics have inspired pet owners when naming their pets, according to The Co-operative Pet Insurance's list of most popular pet names of 2013.

Seemingly influenced by Jessica Ennis and Ellie Symonds, the name "Jess" climbed 43 places to become the 33rd most popular dog name and "Ellie" moved up 17 places to 41st.

For cat owners, "Mo" and "Bradley" were popular new entries this year, taking after long-distance runner Mo Farrah and 2013 Sports Personality of the Year Bradley Wiggins.

The name George is currently in 16th place on the list of cat names, but experts believe it will become increasingly popular over the coming year, following the arrival of our new prince.

Lee Mooney, head of The Co-operative Pet Insurance, said “We have no doubt that the royal baby name, George, will appear in the top 10 next year."

Some more unusual names were also listed, including Jubilee, Princess Tinkerbell and Tramp – however the most popular dog and cat names reflect the same human baby trend for more old-fashioned, traditional names, such as Alfie, Charlie and Oscar.

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

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News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.