North West

UCLan opens new £40m veterinary school

The University of Central Lancashire has opened the UK’s eleventh school of veterinary medicine, aiming to diversify the profession and strengthen the regional workforce. The new facility, a £40m investment, is the first veterinary school in Lancashire and the second in the North West.  It has been designed to offer…

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Pet insurance premiums now exceed March 2024 levels

Pet insurance premiums were 1% higher in March 2025 than they were in March 2024, according to the Pet Insurance Pricing Index from Pearson Ham Group. Premiums rose by 0.6% in March 2025, marking a consistent month-on-month climb since November. Cat insurance premiums actually dipped slightly in March (-0.1%), yet…

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Pet care expert Katie Gwilt launches The Herbal Kat

UK-based holistic cat care expert Katie Gwilt has launched The Herbal Kat, a new range of five natural products designed to enrich cats at “different stages and challenges in their lives”. Gwilt, who also runs The Kat Lady, a mobile holistic cat grooming service which operates around the North West,…

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20% of consumers believe local pet stores ‘care more’ than big chains

Over one in five consumers believe that the workers in their local pet store care more than those in big chains, according to a survey from Johnson’s Veterinary Products. The survey of 1,000 pet owners, found that 28% of respondents believed their local pet store to be knowledgeable and trustworthy.…

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Retail accounts for 10% of UK administrations in 2022, study finds

The retail sector accounted for 10% of administrations in the first six months of the year – the third highest industry in the UK – according to analysis by full-service law firm Shakespeare Martineau. It found more than 620 businesses, 62 of which came from the retail industry, filed for…

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iPET Network wins animal welfare award

iPET Network has been named Animal Welfare Organisation of the Year for Manchester and North West England at the national Corporate Livewire awards. The company revived the award at a Covid-safe presentation at Nunsmere Hall in Cheshire.  iPET Network designs qualifications with the “welfare of the animal in mind”, and…

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Trouble ahead for retail vacancy rates, warns BRC

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Local Data Company has said the new BRC-LDC Vacancy Monitor has revealed that the rate of store vacancies increased to 12.2% in March. The monitor also reported a 0.3% decrease in vacancy rates in shopping centres to 14.1% compared with 14.4%. The South West and Wales…

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CVS to launch an advanced clinical services network

Veterinary services provider CVS is set to develop a network of peripatetic advanced practitioners, with an aim to improve its service offerings. CVS has appointed Ben Walton to the role of director of the advanced clinical services network (ACSN). Walton is an RCVS Specialist in Orthopaedics at Chestergates Veterinary Specialists,…

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Poppy’s Picnic reaches regional final at Entrepreneur Awards

Raw pet food specialist Poppy’s Picnic has made the South West regional finals of the NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards. The company has been nominated in the Entrepreneurs and Team of the Year category. The 2019 programme sees the Awards held in eight regions, Midlands, Wales, the South West, the…

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Tatty Head named finalist for Natwest Great British Entrepreneur Awards

Founder of Pet Brand Tatty Head, Felicity Cooper has been named as a Midlands finalist for the Natwest Great British Entrepreneur Awards (GBEA), within the Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year category. Tatty Head, which launched at Crufts 2019, is a new Pet Brand created by Cooper who had a vision…

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