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Animal Welfare Act 'can be difficult to enforce', vets say
chihuahua
MPs proposed that dog microchip scanning could be made compulsory for vets.

BVA and BSAVA call for secondary legislation

While the Animal Welfare Act has been described as an "excellent piece of umbrella legislation", vets from the BVA and BSAVA have called for secondary legislation to make it easier to enforce.

The calls were made during a session in the House of Commons this week. MPs from the Efra Committee questioned John Chitty, vice president of the BSAVA and Heather Bacon, member of the BVA's Ethics and Welfare Group.

MPs proposed that dog microchip scanning could be made compulsory for vets, or that the contact details on the chip could be re-registered on an annual basis. The aim is to reduce the percentage of owners who fail to update their dog's microchip when it changes hands or when the owner moves house.

But being too heavy handed could have unintended consequences, Ms Bacon warned.

To continue reading, log in to VetCommunity.com: http://vetcommunity.com/vs/animal-welfare-act-can-be-difficult-to-enforce-vets-say/

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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. 

Click here for more...
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.