Wednesday, 31 December 2025, 20:52

Jul- 2020 -

9 July

West Midlands man arrested on suspicion of £495,000 furlough fraud

A West Midlands man has been arrested as part of an HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigation into a suspected £495,000 Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) fraud. HMRC officers executed a search warrant yesterday (8 July 2020) in the Solihull area and arrested the 57-year-old. This is the first arrest…

9 July

Coronavirus

PetsPyjamas launches campaign for hospitality sector

PetsPyjamas is calling on dog owners to help generate £2bn for the hospitality industry by taking holidays in the UK this year. The pet travel company said that the amount could be generated if 10% of the UK’s 9.9 million dog owners took a regional holiday in 2020. In light…

9 July

Retailers

Bira ‘disappointed’ mini-budget does ‘not help indie retailers’

The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has expressed its “disappointment” that Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s mini-budget does not “directly help retail business owners”. Sunak announced a raft of further measures to support the recovery of the economy following the coronavirus lockdown, in Parliament yesterday (8 July). Features of the budget included…

9 July

Charities

Mark Beazley appointed Kennel Club CEO

The Kennel Club has announced the appointment of Mark Beazley as chief executive. Beazley succeeds Rosemary Smart who stepped down in April after 18 years in the role. He joins The Kennel Club from animal welfare charity, Cats Protection, where he has held the post of director of operations for…

9 July

Technology

Tractive unveils new feature

Tractive has announced the launch of a new activity monitoring feature, allowing pet owners to ensure that their pets stay fit, as well as safe. The group, which specialises in GPS tracking for cats and dogs, said the new feature allows pet owners to “follow their cat or dog’s every…

8 July

Economy

Chancellor unveils new £9bn retention scheme

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a new scheme to pay companies £1,000 bonus per employee for those they keep on until January on part pay. Sunak said if employers bring back all nine million people who have been furloughed, this will be a “£9bn policy to retain people in work”.…

8 July

Charities

Battersea issues advice on post-lockdown routines

Animal charity Battersea has issued advice on separation anxiety and post-lockdown routines. The charity said with coronavirus restrictions slowly being lifted, owners may have to start leaving their pets home alone as they return to work, it has issued advice to make the transition as “smooth as possible” for the…

8 July

Economy

Government to crack down on violence against shopworkers

The government has vowed to crack down on violence and abuse against shopworkers. In a statement, yesterday the Home Office said it will work with National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) on a best practice guide to support staff in reporting these crimes, strengthening and making full use of existing…

8 July

Charities

RSPCA braces for abandonment spike

The RSPCA has said it is “bracing” itself for a spate of abandoned animal cases over the summer. An abandonment peak is “typically” seen in the summer, the RSPCA said, with 16,519 animals reported abandoned between June and August of last year, accounting for 30% of all cases. However, the…

8 July

Manufacturers

VMA crowns product of the year

The Veterinary Marketing Association (VMA) has awarded New Product of the Year 2019 to Galliprant from Elanco Animal Health. The award is normally announced at the VMA Annual Awards event. However, in light of the ongoing pandemic, the next formal event will take place on 19 March 2021. The annual…