Hello and welcome to the February/March edition of PetFocus magazine.

The number of pets in rescue centres has sadly grown in recent times. A combination of the cost-of-living crisis, a boom in pet ownership during the pandemic, and the actions of unscrupulous breeders has meant that charities are seeing more and more pets being given up.

But despite the large number in need of rehoming, many people still choose to buy one rather than adopt. In this issue, vet Sarah Elliott explains why it’s a good idea to buck the trend and give a cat from a rescue centre a fresh start.

As the days begin to get brighter, it can be great to get out in the countryside. We look at how to prevent livestock worrying when walking a dog on farmland, so that you and your four-legged friend can safely enjoy seeing the first signs of spring start to emerge.

Elsewhere in this issue, we have great advice from behaviourist Danielle Beck on how to support a traumatised dog and help them to feel safe. We also speak with Scott Norman RVN about what it’s like providing out-of-hours care as a night nurse at a veterinary practice.

There might be a lot of pets in need of a helping hand, but thankfully there’s so many people out there willing to do what they can.

Best Wishes

The PetFocus team


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