Year: 2020

NPM urges pet owners to raise funds for welfare charities amid Covid-19 crisis

National Pet Month (NPM) is urging pet owners to take to social media to raise funds for welfare rescues and charities amid the Covid-19 pandemic. NPM has joined with the Association of Dogs and Cats Home (ADCH) to put out a “sobering” message calling for help. David Bowles, ADCH head…

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Ferplast announces production of face masks amid Covid-19 crisis

Pet product supplier Ferplast has converted part of its production to manufacturer PPE face masks amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The operation, which was promoted by general manager, Nicola Vaccari, has required the employees who are usually dedicated to the sewing of cushions for our pets, have been trained in the…

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Linnaeus expands mental health support

Linnaeus has announced that all employees will have access to mental health support through more than 100 mental health first aiders. The veterinary group, which is part of Mars Petcare, has more than 120 primary care and referral centre sites across the UK, all of which have been impacted by…

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Burns Pet Nutrition donates pet food to Hope Rescue amid Covid-19 crisis

Kidwell-based pet food company Burns Pet Nutrition has announced it has donated thousands of pounds worth of pet food to South Wales charity, Hope Rescue. The pet food company, which specialises in producing high quality dog food made up of all-natural ingredients, is providing the centre with three-months’ worth of…

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The aviation industry is now in very serious trouble

In a sign of just how distressed the aviation industry is, British Airways has announced plans to lay off 30% of its workforce, or about 12,000 employees, and says it expects it to take several years before passenger volumes return to 2019 levels. The chief executive, Alex Cruz, wrote to…

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PFMA notes ‘substantial rise’ in bird food sales

The Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA) revealed it has seen a “huge shift” in bird food sales in light of the ongoing pandemic.  PFMA members have seen bird food sales shift from stores to online in the last four weeks amid the nationwide lockdown, though warn that many retailers have…

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PIF issues guidance to dog groomers

The Pet Industry Federation (PIF) has recently issued its guidance for dog groomers in light of the ongoing pandemic.  It warned groomers that despite the ability of pet owners to visit pet shops or veterinary surgeries, journeys by car to grooming salons are not permissible during the nationwide lockdown.  However,…

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Dogs to be trained to detect Covid-19 in patients

Medical Detection Dogs has announced it will begin to intensively train six dogs in the hopes that they can detect the coronavirus strain in humans.   The charity believes the dogs could provide a “rapid, non-invasive” diagnosis of the virus. It is now working alongside the London School of Hygiene and…

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Power of probiotics

A trip down the chilled aisle of any supermarket these days shows there’s something brewing, or should that be fermenting? Kefirs, kombuchas and kimchis have been appearing on shelves nationwide fuelled by a growing interest in digestive health. Recent research by Mintel shows us that this interest is not simply…

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Bira welcomes 100% government-backed loans for small businesses

The British Retailers Association (Bira) has welcomed a new government scheme to offer 100% taxpayer-backed loans for the UK’s small businesses. Yesterday (27 April), Rishi Sunak announced the scheme would start next week offering firms loans of up to £50,000 within days of applying. To access the loans, which are…

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