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First guide dog puppy of 2020 is born
At 12-16 months old, the puppies will begin their official guide dog training and go on to become fully qualified guide dogs.

New pup will go on to help people living with sight loss

The charity Guide Dogs has announced that its first guide dog puppy of 2020 has been born. The male puppy remains unnamed as of yet, and is one of more than 1,200 new guide dog puppies expected to be born this year.

The yellow labradoodle puppy was born at 15.08pm on 2 January and is part of a litter of eight , all safely delivered at the home of a Guide Dogs volunteer in Hanbury, Warwickshire.

In roughly eight weeks, the puppies will be sent to the homes of other Guide Dogs volunteers, where they will grow and gain exposure to a variety of sights, sounds and environments in preparation for their future roles.

At 12-16 months old, the puppies will begin their official guide dog training and continue their journey to becoming fully qualified guide dogs.

Guide Dogs Brood supervisor, Tim Bloomfield, said: “Being a part of the journey of a guide dog is so rewarding. Knowing that these pups are coming into the world to make such a huge difference to the lives of people living with sight loss makes it an incredible experience to be a part of.

“There are many stages to ensuring a guide dog pup becomes a fully qualified, working guide dog and our supporters and volunteers are essential in making this happen.”

Image (c) Guide Dogs

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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.