The Dachshund Breed Council have announced that their Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) DNA project is now underway.

Researchers at the Animal Health Trust (AHT) are first of all investigating the region on chromosome 12 that the Danish Group has previously associated with disc calcification. They will then investigate the whole genome if that seems appropriate, depending on the findings from the chromosome 12 study.

The team is currently in the process of selecting markers, which are variable points in the DNA, from chromosome 12 so that they can be used to distinguish between different dachshund chromosomes.

The Dachshund Breed Council say: "This is an in silico exercise at this stage, involving searching sequence databases for markers that are in the right place and that are likely to be variable (and therefore useful) in the dachshund."

The plan is to move the project from the computer and into the lab by the end of August. The first preliminary results will be available by the end of September.

As part of a kennel enrichment programme, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is calling for votes to win 50k to update its kennel sound systems.

The London and Old Windsor centres are currently undergoing renovation work to rebuild their oldest kennels. The resident canines desperately need new sound systems, as the current ones are old and crackly, and the radio signal cuts in and out.

Although the staff do all they can to provide a positive, relaxing and mentally stimulating environment, the centres are surrounded by noisy train lines and flight paths.

Click here to watch the video that Battersea has released, to illustrate why they urgently need your help.

Dedicated keepers at Edinburgh Zoo stepped in to hand-rear a pudu fawn called Scarlett after her mother sadly died when she was just two-and-a-half weeks old.

At first, Scarlett required round the clock bottle feeds, but keepers were encouraged to see her steadily gaining weight, and at four weeks old, she was successfully reintroduced to her dad Normski.

Hoofstock keeper Liah Etemad, said: "It has taken a lot of time and commitment from keepers... but we could not be happier to see little Scarlet thrive. She has done so well that visitors are able to see her with dad at our pudu enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo."

The RSPCA has released the latest rescue and cruelty figures in its Prosecution Annual Report, which illustrates a rise in the number of complaints that were investigated, but an overall decrease in the number of people convicted of animal cruelty.

Figures also show a continued escalation of the equine crisis highlighted by the charity two years ago, with nearly triple the number of equine cruelty cases in 2013 compared to 2011.

David Bowles, head of external affairs at the RSPCA, said:

"Whilst we are heartened that the numbers of people convicted of cruelty have decreased, the fact that we are investigating more and more complaints shows that there is still a culture of cruelty out there."

The WSAVA One Health Committee has launched its second three-year programme of work, which aims to highlight the role of small companion animals in One Health. Plans for the project were discussed in June during a two-day meeting at Duke Medical Centre in North Carolina.

One Health Committee chairman, Professor Michael Day from the University of Bristol, gave a public lecture at the meeting, entitled: "Cats, Dogs and Humans: One Medicine, One Health". He explains: "Holding this meeting at one of the major global human health centres was a major step forward in engaging with the human medical community - which remains one of the greatest One Health challenges."

As part of its mission to celebrate healthy, happy pets, NOAH is searching for the UK's smiliest pet. Pet owners across the country are being encouraged to enter photos of the pets grinning from ear to ear to be in with a chance of being crowned Britain's smiliest pet. The winner will enjoy a pet photo shoot with a professional photographer to capture their winning smile forever. The competition is part of NOAH's "I heart my pet" campaign which celebrates the love owners have for their animals and encourages them to think about their pet's health. To enter, visit www.pethealthinfo.org.uk and upload a photo or video of your smiley pet, with a paragraph about you and your pet. Competition closes on July 7.