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Badger Trust launches legal challenge against culling
gavel
The Badger Trust CEO says Defra's decision to continue culling without independent monitoring is "unlawful".
Charity challenges the decision to continue badger culling in 2014

The Badger Trust has launched a legal challenge against Defra's decision to continue culling badgers in Somerset and Gloucestershire this year.

An application for judicial review has been made to the High Court, challenging the legality of continuing the culls.

The trust says Defra's secretary of state Owen Paterson "unlawfully" failed to put in place an independent expert panel (IEP) to assess the safety, effectiveness and humaneness of culling in 2014.

Pilot culls were carried out in Somerset and Gloucestershire last year to find out whether badger culling could safely and effectively reduce the incidence of bovine TB.

Both areas failed to remove the target of 70 per cent of the badger population, and an IEP found the culls failed on both humaneness and effectiveness.

MPs recently voted against a roll-out of the culls to other areas of the country. However, culling in Somerset and Gloucestershire is set to continue this summer.

Badger Trust CEO Dominic Dyer said: "Owen Paterson made a clear commitment to Parliament and wider public that an independent panel would oversee and evaluate the pilot culls and report back to the Government prior to any decision being taken on the policy being rolled out more widely.

"It is not acceptable for the Defra secretary of state to now push aside the concerns of both the IEP and the BVA, by moving ahead with a further badger cull in Gloucestershire and Somerset this summer without any independent monitoring in place."

Mr Dyer adds that a roll-out of the culls to other areas without independent monitoring "is in our view illegal and will lead to huge public and political anger."

He is calling on the BVA and members of the 2013 pilot cull IEP to support the trust's legal challenge.

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Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

Click here for more...
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BVA urges 'continued vigilance' over bluetongue

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has urged vigilance following a concerning rise in Bluetongue (BTV) cases in sheep and cattle.

In a recent statement, the BVA noted that members are reporting more severe clinical signs and higher mortality rates than in previous years.

'We know that farm vets are working hard to support farmers and animals affected by this outbreak, during what is an extremely difficult time for all involved,' they stated. 'Continued vigilance to identify disease early is vital and vaccination remains the best way of protecting animals from this disease.'