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Charity coalition provides over a million meals to pets
The partnership has provided around 150 tonnes of pet food.
The Pet Food Partnership has been helping owners struggling with costs.

A coalition of charities has passed the milestone of providing one million meals for dogs and cats in Great Britain.

The Pet Food Partnership, made up of Battersea, Cats Protection, Dogs Trust, RSPCA and FareShare, was launched in late 2022 to help owners struggling with the cost of feeding their pets.

Since then, it has given out around 150 tonnes of pet food donated by pet food manufacturers.

The food has been distributed through FareShare’s network of more than 8,500 community groups and charities across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The cost of pet food has soared in the past year, with the prices of many products rising above inflation. According to The Grocer’s KVI tracker in July, the cost of own label cat food pouches had increased by 38 per cent on average, and own label dry dog food had become 14.7 per cent more expensive on average.

A spokesperson for the Pet Food Partnership said: “We know how important pets are to the people that love them, and that many owners would rather go hungry themselves than let their pet go without a meal. We believe no one should ever have to make that choice. That’s why we started this programme – to offer struggling owners a helping hand and fill pet food bowls across the UK.

“While reaching the million meals milestone is a great example of how effective working together can be, it is also a sad indicator of how many owners continue to struggle as a result of rising costs. From the dog owners up in Aberdeen, to the people with cats down in Plymouth, we’re here to help keep pets well-fed this winter.”

Image © Shutterstock

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.