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Unlucky Blue seeks forever home
Blue the lurcher has been overlooked by thousands of people.

Lurcher has been overlooked by over 3,000 potential owners

An RSPCA centre in Suffolk has launched an appeal to re-home one of its longest-standing residents.

Four-year old Blue first came into the centre’s care in May 2017 as his previous owner was not able to look after him. The lurcher was re-homed the following month, but sadly his owners struggled to handle him and he returned to the RSPCA in November.

Since November, RSPCA’s Suffolk East and Ipswich Branch has had more than 3,000 visitors through its doors. However, not one other person has expressed an interest in reserving Blue, and staff are baffled as to why this could be.

“If you want a dog to go and sit and have a cuddle with all the staff here go and sit with Blue. He is a real favourite for all of us - we absolutely adore him and just want to see him settle into a long term home,” said centre manager Zoe Barrett.

“I am a trained photographer and have taken pictures of Blue to try to help him find a home, he has been the cover photo on our Facebook page for months and has been advertised in our local media but still no one comes forward.”

She added: “We’ve tried to enlist the help of other animal centres so new people can see Blue but everywhere is so full that hasn’t worked either. He is a gorgeous dog I know there will be someone out there for him, there always is, but we just need that special person to come forward.”

Blue has a strong chase instinct, so would be best suited to an experienced lurcher owner. For more information visit https://ipswich-rspca.org.uk/dogs/blue-2/

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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.