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Tackling animal disease in Wales
Welsh Government announces its priorities

The Welsh Government's Animal Health and Welfare Strategy (AHWS) steering group has announced its animal disease priorities for 2012/2013.

The priorities are: bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD), Johne's disease and liver fluke in cattle; Johne's disease, lameness, mastitis, BVD and liver fluke in dairy and; sheep scab, liver fluke, lameness and lambing losses in sheep.

Owing to its magnitude, Bovine tuberculosis is being treated as a separate issue.

The list of priorities will be used to develop and implement proposals for tackling each issue in Wales.

The steering group, which is made up of 17 industry members, has said it also hopes to promote the importance of good farm biosecurity, in order to cost-cut, and will imbed this in all of its animal health and welfare work.

Peredur Hughes, group chairman, said: "We have a challenging time ahead as we continue our work on these very important priorities."

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here

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News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.