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Webinars announced on young people and animal abuse
The webinars will be free to attend.
The sessions will be hosted by the Scottish SPCA.

The Scottish SPCA has announced that it will host a pair of free webinars on the subject of children, young people and animal abuse.

Gilly Mendes Ferreira, the Scottish SPCA’s director of innovation and strategic relations, and Joanne M. Williams, professor of applied development psychology at the University of Edinburgh, will lead the sessions.

They will look at the subject of animal abuse by children and young people, and what to do when confronted by such a situation. There will also be the opportunity for participants to share their own thoughts and experiences, as well as ask questions.

The webinars will be held on:
  • Wednesday, 26 April: 10am-11am
  • Wednesday, 3 May: 7pm-8pm
The two experts recently collaborated on a book on the subject: Understanding Animal Abuse and How to Intervene with Children and Young People: A Practical Guide for Professionals Working with People and Animals.

Speaking to mark the publication of the book, Ms Ferreira said: “In recent years, we have established a worrying trend in young people being more exposed to animal abuse. This, combined with new research showing the devastating long-term impact such experiences can have, mean intervening to prevent abuse and educating people on animal welfare is critically important.”

Tickets for the free webinars can be booked online.

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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.