The deadline for applications for the £100m Zoo Animals Fund, which opened for applications on 3 August 2020, has been extended until 28 May 2021.
The fund provides funding for zoos and aquariums which need additional support in caring for their animals following a drop in income caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Zoos and aquariums which are facing severe financial difficulties as a result of the pandemic can apply for government grants of up to £730,000 to pay for animal welfare related costs and essential maintenance.
Animal Welfare Minister Lord Goldsmith said:
I recognise that this has been an extremely tough time for the sector, and I would like to extend my thanks to all of those who have worked so hard in recent months to maintain animal welfare. We remain committed to ensuring the sector can deliver the best possible care for its animals.
Cat microchipping consultation launched
From:
23 December 2020
Compulsory microchipping for cats could be introduced as early as next year, helping to reunite thousands of cat owners with lost or stolen pets.
An eight-week public consultation on the proposal to make it mandatory for pet owners to microchip their cats has launched today (23 December) and will seek views from vets, owners and members of the public as part of a renewed effort to further raise the UK’s world-leading animal welfare standards. An earlier call for evidence showed 99% support for microchipping.
The process of microchipping involves the painless insertion of a chip, generally around the size of a grain of rice, under the skin of a pet. The microchip has a unique serial number which can be read by a scanner. When an animal strays or is lost, scanning the microchip means the registered owner can be identified on a database and the pet can quickly be reunited with them.
Cat owners face £500 fine unless they microchip their pets under plans to make it compulsory
Just over 70 per cent of pet cats are currently estimated to be microchipped, compared to more than 90 per cent of dogs
23 December 2020 • 12:01am
Plans set out in a consultation launching today would bring laws around cat microchipping in England in line with current rules for dogs
Credit: Carlos G. Lopez /Moment RF
Cat owners face a £500 fine unless they chip their pets under Government plans, as over a quarter remain untracked.
Plans set out in a consultation launching today would bring laws around cat microchipping in England in line with current rules for dogs.
People in England could be banned from keeping monkeys as pets under new Government proposals. Up to 5,000 primates are believed to kept as pets in the UK outside of licensed zoos, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said. The group of wild mammals, which include lemurs, monkeys and apes, are highly intelligent, require open spaces, varied diets, warmth and social contact. Dorset-based animal sanctuary Monkey World said it had taken in more than 100 primates from the UK pet trade, with 78 rescued in the past 10 years and more than 100 on its waiting list. Monkey World director Dr Alison Cronin said: “Current laws are not protecting the monkeys from abuse or neglect, as they arrive at the park malnourished, with rickets, mobility problems and psychologically damaged as a result of living in solitary confinement, inside people’s houses.