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Northern Ireland extend Welfare of Animals Act consultation
Caged puppies
The closing date for the consultation has been extended due to recent concerns raised in relation to dog breeding.

Review extended over dog breeding concerns

Concerns over dog breeding have prompted the Irish government to extend their consultation on the review of the Implementation of the Welfare of Animals Act 2011.

Announcing the extension, a spokesman from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) said: "In 2014 Minister O’Neill and Minister Ford initiated a review of the implementation of the Welfare of Animals Act 2011.

"As a first step in that review process, DARD conducted a series of evidence gathering stakeholder discussion sessions during the summer of 2014. The purpose of this targeted consultation was to take the views of those most closely involved with the issues.

"Stakeholders raised the issue of enforcement of breeding establishments and that issue is being addressed in the review as the Welfare of Animals (Dog Breeding Establishments and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2013 are made under this Act.

"Given the recent concerns raised in relation to dog breeding, the closing date for the consultation has been extended to the 21 May 2015 to provide additional time for people to provide their views."

The consultation document can be found on the DARD website. 

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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.