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RSPCA rescues cat from chimney
It was discovered that Murphy had reached the roof through a small hole in the loft space.
The kitten became stuck after spending 48 hours on roof.

A kitten has been rescued by the RSPCA and a specialist fire crew after becoming trapped inside a chimney.

The rescue team were called out after four month old Murphy was seen on a 25 foot high roof in Bradford, having been missing for more than two days.

The RSPCA was joined by the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to help retrieve Murphy, however their attempts were disrupted when the nervous cat jumped down a nearby chimney.

This meant that a tactical team which deals with animal rescues had to be called out.

The specialised group, based at Cleckheaton Fire Station, were forced to drill a hole in the wall that lead into the chimney breast in their attempts to locate her.

Once they had cut a hole big enough, one of the officers was able to reach in to grab the cat and get her out.

It was discovered that Murphy had reached the roof through a small hole in the loft space, from where she could not be reached and refused to return.

She has now been safely reunited with her owners, uninjured but covered in grime from the chimney.

Aleesha Haddlesey, an RSPCA animal rescue officer that was on the scene, said: “We couldn’t access the roof from inside the property as the loft was too small. We also tried contacting the landlord of the neighbouring property to open a skylight on the roof, from which we called out to her, but that was to no avail.

“She panicked and ran down the chimney and when the fire officers tried to reach her using a grasper plus a reach and rescue pole, they found she had dropped too far down to get to.

“Fortunately, the fire and rescue service has a specialist team who were able to use their expertise to access the chimney.”

Image © RSPCA

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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...
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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.