Northern Ireland

Kennel Club welcomes government’s Brexit support for pets

The Kennel Club has welcomed the government’s commitment to addressing Brexit pet travel issues, supporting Westminster’s latest and pressing call to lift the barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Kennel Club expressed its praise over the action taken by Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove in writing to the…

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Irish FA teams up with Urban Pup on designer dog clothes

Urban Pup has announced that it will be partnering with the Irish Football Association (IFA) on a new line of Northern Ireland-branded clothes and accessories for dogs. The dog accessories company will produce designer clothes for dogs and has just signed up as the official licensed partner of the association.…

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Kennel Club supports inquiry into Brexit impact on animal welfare

The Kennel Club has welcomed news of an inquiry by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee into how new Brexit regulations will impact on animal welfare, disease control and the industry interests. The organisation has raised concerns about the last minute backtrack on pet travel rules between…

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Brexit negotiations lead to new EU pet passports

Pets travelling between Northern Ireland (NI) and Great Britain (GB) now require either a newly issued EU passport or an EU animal health certificate following the end of the Brexit transition period. While there were previously “no requirements” for pets travelling across the border, the result of Brexit negotiations on…

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Government outlines post-Brexit pet travel rules

Pet owners have been asked to check the latest government advice about travelling between the UK and EU with their pets after 1 January 2021.  The government said it has worked alongside the European Commission to ensure that pet travel can continue between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the EU…

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Chancellor extends furlough scheme to March

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that the furlough scheme will be extended until the end of March, amid increased measures for business support as the UK enters a four-week lockdown. Payments are set to remain at 80% of employee’s wages. It comes as the chancellor said that it was “right…

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Luxury pet business launches in Belfast

The owners of a new business selling luxury gifts for pets have opened in Belfast, after it saw online sales surge during lockdown. According to local blog Love Belfast, Murphy and Bailey’s first bricks-and-mortar store has been opened by business partners Karen Breene and Judith Scott, who launched the company…

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Gov to cover 66% of wages for firms forced to shut 

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that businesses forced to shut due to local restrictions will be eligible for a grant that pays two-thirds of staff salaries. The government will pay two-thirds, or 67%, of each employee’s salary, up to a maximum of £2,100 a month, if the business is forced…

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Bella & Duke reports ‘record’ subscription growth

Bella and Duke has been recognised as one of the fastest growing dog food brands in the UK, reporting a 163% month-on-month increase in subscriptions during the pandemic.  In addition, the Perthshire-based firm raised £3.5m at the start of 2020, and despite the pandemic, has seen “impressive growth” so far…

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Mackle Petfoods invests £5.7m amid ‘major’ expansion plans

Dungannon-based pet food manufacturer, Mackle Petfoods has invested £5.7m and created 31 new jobs in a major expansion plan to “double its turnover”. The SME is known across Europe for its Naturo range. To support this new project, Invest NI, which has an established relationship with the manufacturer, has offered…

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