Additional bluetongue vaccine

A further batch of Bovilis BTV8 vaccine has now been cleared for delivery.  As a result, Defra has announced that the Bluetongue Protection Zones will be extended and merged from Monday 12 May.

Find out more about the JAB campaign, bluetongue and the vaccination programme, including the situation in Scotland .

Can people afford animal welfare in food production?

This year's BVA Animal Welfare Foundation 2008 Discussion Forum will be tackling this and other issues such as electric shock collars on 20 May.  Find out more

VETS.TV is launched

VETS.TV, a pilot for an online television site aimed at veterinary surgeons, has been launched by the BVA.

Programmes cover

• CPD sessions
• Practice issues
• Veterinary information of broad general interest

All members are encouraged to visit the new website and give their feedback via the online questionnaire.

VETS.TV

New veterinary jobs website is launched

The recruitment pages of The Veterinary Record website have been redesigned to improve the services available to those seeking jobs and those hoping to fill vacancies.

New features include

• improved search facility
• a facility allowing jobseekers to receive e-mail alerts about jobs that match their requirements
• the ability for employers to submit advertisements online

The website is free to view and can be accessed at www.vetrecordjobs.com

FMD - Lessons Learned

Dr Iain Anderson was asked to conduct a review into the Government's response to FMD last year , including looking at how well lessons from 2001 have been implemented and whether there are any new lessons.

Anderson report  laid before Parliament on 11 March 2008

BVA submission to the review - November 2007

Defra's response  to the March 2008 report

Free CPD for Young Vet Network members

Working with the Animal Health Trust, we have agreed a programme of free equine CPD exclusively for BVA members up to 8 years qualified - our Young Vet Network members.  Read more

Cattle TB

House of Commons Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Select Committee report on Badgers and Cattle TB: The Final Report of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB.  Read more

The BVA initial response

The report , along with written and oral evidence

Dangerous Dogs

The BVA, through its membership of the Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group (DDASG), supports the introduction of a new 'Control of Dogs Act' to better protect the public against dogs dangerously out of control without compromising any individual dog's welfare. 

The basis of new legislation should be the introduction of a legal duty of care on the person in whose charge a dog is to ensure that it is not dangerously out of control, whether outside or inside the home.

Future ‘Dangerous Dogs’ Legislation  - DDASG objectives

BVA position on dangerous dogs

Hazardous Waste

BVA continues to work with the Environment Agency to produce workable guidelines on the classification and segregation of waste.  We submitted our draft proposals and a lengthy response has been received.  There are several areas where significant clarification is required before matters can be taken forward.  Urgent talks will be held with senior Environment Agency officials in early September and we will present our case.  Until such time, it would be unwise for us to publish any draft guidance which as yet has not been accepted by the Environment Agency but we assure our members that the matter is recognised to be extremely important and we will continue to negotiate as swiftly as we can in pursuing a reasonable and workable solution to the many challenges that the new Regulations present to veterinary practices.

In the meantime members can view BVA’s interim guidance .

Please note files in .pdf format require Adobe Acrobat Reader. Please download your free copy now