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St Bernard man raises charity funds
Image: Bernie of Wagging Tails
Man dressed as dog runs two marathons

Jim Suswain, of Wagging Tails home dog boarding, has raised funds for Hounds for Heroes by running two marathons in 15 days.

He completed the marathons dressed as a St Bernard.

The choice of outfit represented the Wagging Tails mascot, Bernie. Dressed as Bernie, Jim was able to collect more than £130 in change for Hounds for Heroes as he ran.

Combined, Jim ran 26.2 miles and faced rain, wind, sleet and snow conditions over the course of both marathons.

Hounds for Heroes thanked Wagging Tails and "Bernie" for all their efforts via their Twitter page.

It read: "All of the Hounds for Heroes team are truly proud and humbled by your efforts to raise not only funds but awareness too!"

Jim commented: "It was hard work and the Reading run was really tough. The dog head got soaked and I couldn't see where I was going towards the end.

"The crowd support was brilliant and kept me going. Thank you to everyone who cheered me on and put money in the tin."

Hounds for Heroes is a charity that provides those injured or disabled in the forces with a specially-trained assistance dog. Wagging Tails says it will continue supporting the charity throughout 2013.

To donate to the cause, visit the Wagging Tails Just Giving page, or the Hounds for Heroes website.

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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.

 

Click here for more...
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.