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Jul- 2020 -

13 July

Coming together in the face of a pandemic

We are living in an unprecedented, unpredictable and challenging time. In the weeks since my last column, there has been a seismic shift in the way in which veterinary teams function and the range of services they are able to offer clients. The financial and emotional toll of the Covid-19…

10 July

Tips

Can Dogs Consume Human Medication: Our Guide to Your Furry Buddy’s Health

Paw-parents know the aches and pains of caring for a sick pet. When your canine buddies aren’t as hyper as usual, it’s tempting to bring their bounce and health back up by giving them the usual medications people take to treat our own symptoms. After all, letting your dog pop…

10 July

Trade Organisations

PFMA launches nutrition guide for kittens

In celebration of National Kitten Day (10 July), the PFMA has released a new factsheet featuring the guidance needed to ensure that kittens are given a healthy, balanced diet. According to the association, getting a cat’s diet right from kittenhood” helps way beyond the first few years of life”. The…

10 July

Coronavirus

Footfall decline eases amid ‘sluggish’ recovery

Footfall across the UK rose by 19% in June against the month prior, but was still down by 62.6% year-on-year, according to the latest figures from the BRC. In the first two weeks of the month, footfall decline averaged 77.1%, but this improved to 53.3% in the remaining three weeks…

10 July

Coronavirus

PIF urges government for clarity on VAT reductions

The Pet Industry Federation (PIF) has called on the government to include commercial kennels and catteries in the tourism businesses who will be able to pay lower rates of VAT from next week. The federation said businesses in the pet boarding sector (kennels and catteries) have experienced a huge drop…

10 July

Retailers

Usdaw ‘disappointed’ PM fails to back shop worker protection law

Retail trade union Usdaw has criticised the prime minister for failing to back a new law to protect shop workers from violence. The trade union has called for a firm commitment from the government to take all available actions to tackle the issue. The news comes as Usdaw revealed one…

10 July

Features

Coronavirus Diary: First Vet

How the pandemic changed has my day to day experience of working with pets? I work for FirstVet, a video-based veterinary consultation service that was first launched in the UK in April 2019. During the pandemic FirstVet has seen a marked increase in the demand for remote consults (in fact,…

9 July

Government & Legislation

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…