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Cat caught smuggling tools into prison
Brazilian prisoners train cat to deliver items

A cat with jailbreak items strapped to its body has been caught by guards at a prison in Brazil.

Alagoas Prison guards caught the cat as it wandered into the facility's prison yard. It was covered in duct tape that carried a mobile phone, earphone, memory card, batteries, a phone charger, a saw and a drill.

The agent that first found the cat smuggling the items commented: "We were very surprised by this new tactic of prisoners."

At present, all 263 inmates at the prison are suspects, as no one knows who is behind the plot to smuggle in the contraband items.

Officials believe the cat has been trained to deliver to the prison repeatedly as it had been seen going in and out of the grounds numerous times before the arrest.

But the prison's representatives say it will be hard to discover who is responsible since the cat does not speak.

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

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News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.