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Young photographers invited to enter RSPCA competition
'Through the wild wood' by Brooke Haycock - commended in the 12-15 category in 2022.
Entries must be submitted by 15 August 2023.

The RSPCA has announced that its 2023 Young Photographer Awards is now open for entries.

There are ten categories in the competition:
  • Under 12 (taken with a camera)
  • 12–15 years (taken with a camera)
  • 16–18 years (taken with a camera)
  • Under 12 (taken on a mobile/device)
  • 12–15 years (taken on a mobile/device)
  • 16–18 years (taken on a mobile/device)
  • Pet Personalities
  • Pet Portraits
  • Small World
  • Portfolio
Entries will be judged by television presenter Chris Packham; wildlife photographer and presenter Rachel Bigsby; former competition winner-turned-professional photographer Catriona Parfitt; professional wildlife photographer and photographic guide Ellie Rothnie; and RSPCA photographers Andrew Forsyth and Emma Jacobs. 

The winners of each category, as well as the overall winner, will be revealed at an awards ceremony being held at the Tower of London in December 2023, hosted by Chris Packham.

Chris Packham said: “I am really excited about the launch of this year’s RSPCA Young Photographer Awards and I hope many young people will get outside and photograph their favourite animals or bugs for this fantastic competition. 

“As judges we’re never quite sure what we’ll see on judging day - and that is part of the beauty of this competition. We could see pictures of anything, from someone’s family dog, to a fox cub out in the wild or a bumble bee in mid-flight. 

“We find our young photographers always deliver. Being involved with this competition is one of the highlights of my year as I get so excited about the fact that kids are getting interested in animals and taking some great photos along the way.” 

The competition aims to be accessible to all, even those who don’t have access to a professional camera.

Andrew Forsyth said: “Every day young people are capturing great photos on their mobile devices, so it was really important for us to not exclude that creativity from the competition. We saw some great entries to the ‘Mobile Phone and Devices’ category last year - it really opens up the competition to such an exciting array of photography. We can’t wait to see what we get this year.”

Entries must be submitted before Tuesday, 15 August 2023. 

Image (C) Brooke Haycock / RSPCA Young Photographer Awards 2022

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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.