Ukrainian Animal Welfare Champion Receives Prestigious Naturewatch Foundation Award

Ukrainian animal welfare advocate Maryna Surkova has been honoured with a Naturewatch Foundation Challenge Coin for her work tackling animal cruelty and strengthening animal welfare laws.

A leading Ukrainian animal welfare advocate has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to protecting animals and strengthening animal welfare laws across Ukraine.

Maryna Surkova, President of the Association of Animal Protection Organisations of Ukraine (AZOU), has been awarded a prestigious Naturewatch Foundation Challenge Coin in recognition of her years of dedication to tackling animal cruelty and improving the lives of animals throughout the country.

The award was presented in Kyiv on 9 June 2026 by Naturewatch Foundation Campaign Manager Natalie Sorokpud during the annual Zoo-Conscious (Zoosvidomi) Forum. The event brought together animal welfare organisations, shelter representatives, veterinarians, businesses, policymakers and international partners to discuss the future of animal protection in Ukraine.

Maryna has become one of the country's most respected voices on animal welfare law and enforcement. Working closely with police forces, prosecutors and animal welfare organisations, she has helped ensure that cases involving animal cruelty are investigated properly and that offenders are held accountable for their actions.

Her work has also played a significant role in strengthening cooperation between animal welfare groups and law enforcement agencies, helping to ensure that legislation designed to protect animals is put into practice effectively.

As a longstanding partner of Naturewatch Foundation, Maryna has supported a range of initiatives aimed at improving animal welfare standards, including specialist police training programmes focused on investigating crimes against animals.

Speaking after receiving the award, Maryna told That's Pets: "Our organisations have worked together for many years, and during that time we have implemented a number of important initiatives to improve animal welfare in Ukraine, including training police officers to investigate crimes against animals and supporting local animal welfare organisations. It is especially meaningful to receive this recognition from colleagues who understand how challenging, yet important, this work is."

Sarah Carr, Chief Executive Officer of Naturewatch Foundation, praised Maryna's dedication and commitment.

"Naturewatch Foundation awards our Challenge Coin to celebrate the remarkable work of people working determinedly to improve animal welfare and tackle animal cruelty. My thanks to Maryna for her important work and unwavering commitment to animal welfare, and my congratulations on receiving one of our Challenge Coins."

Natalie Sorokpud added that Maryna's determination and professionalism have helped transform the way animal cruelty cases are viewed and investigated in Ukraine, creating lasting change that will benefit animals for generations to come

The Naturewatch Foundation Challenge Coin is one of the charity's highest honours. A maximum of just four awards are presented each year, recognising individuals whose efforts go above and beyond in advancing animal welfare and supporting the organisation's mission.

Maryna's award serves as a powerful reminder that dedicated individuals can make a real difference in the fight against animal cruelty, even in the most challenging circumstances.

https://www.naturewatch.org

World Veterinary Day: Celebrating the People Who Keep Our Pets Healthy

Every year, World Veterinary Day gives us the perfect excuse to pause, reflect, and say a huge thank you to the people who spend their working lives looking after the animals we love.

From emergency surgeries and routine vaccinations to reassuring worried pet owners who are convinced their cat is “definitely dying” because it refused breakfast once, veterinary professionals do far more than many people realise.

For pet owners across the UK, vets are often the unsung heroes of everyday life.

More Than Just Emergencies

Many people only think about the vet when something goes wrong. A limping dog, a poorly rabbit, a cat with a suspicious dislike of its litter tray—suddenly the local surgery becomes the most important place in town.

But veterinary care is about far more than emergencies.

Regular check-ups, vaccinations, parasite prevention, dental care, weight management, and early diagnosis all help pets live longer, healthier lives. Prevention is often far cheaper—and far less stressful—than treatment after a problem becomes serious.

That annual health check might seem routine, but it can spot hidden issues before they become major concerns.

Vets, Nurses and the Whole Team

World Veterinary Day is also a reminder that veterinary care is a team effort.

Veterinary nurses, reception staff, practice managers, lab teams, and support staff all play a vital role. They are the calm voices on the phone, the reassuring faces in the waiting room, and often the people handing over tissues when difficult decisions have to be made.

Anyone who has ever sat in a vet’s waiting room with a nervous dog, an angry cat, or a hamster in a shoebox knows just how valuable that kindness can be.

The Rising Cost Conversation

Let’s be honest, vet bills can be a shock.

Many owners are surprised by the cost of treatment, especially for emergencies or specialist care. Modern veterinary medicine now includes advanced imaging, specialist surgery, cancer treatment, physiotherapy, and long-term chronic care that would have been unimaginable a generation ago.

This is why pet insurance is increasingly worth serious consideration. It may not be the most exciting monthly payment, but when faced with a four-figure bill for an unexpected operation, it suddenly feels like a very sensible decision.

Being a Better Pet Owner

Supporting your vet also means being a responsible owner.

Keeping vaccinations up to date, maintaining a healthy diet, providing exercise, monitoring behaviour changes, and not relying entirely on “someone on Facebook said…” are all part of good pet care.

Google can be helpful. Your vet is better.

Usually.

A Thank You That Matters

Veterinary work can be emotionally demanding, physically exhausting, and often underappreciated. Yet vets and veterinary teams continue to show up every day because they care deeply about animal welfare.

So this World Veterinary Day, whether your pet is a pampered pug, a rescue cat, an opinionated parrot, or a rabbit who rules the household, take a moment to appreciate the people who help keep them healthy.

They deserve more than just gratitude.

Although perhaps fewer emergency appointments caused by dogs eating socks would also help.

Record 161 Rescues Apply as Grants Awarded to Tackle UK Pet Trade Crisis

Rescues in Oxfordshire, Manchester and Kent secure funding following unprecedented demand.

A record 161 animal rescue organisations applied for support from Naturewatch Foundation’s 2026 Pet Rescue Grant, highlighting the growing pressure facing charities dealing with the realities of the UK’s low-welfare and illegal pet trade.

Three organisations - The One Wish Dog Foundation (in Oxfordshire/Gloucestershire), Tiny Paws MCR (in Manchester), and The Neuter Project (in Kent) have now been awarded a share of £11,000 in funding to support urgent veterinary care, rehabilitation and rehoming.

The grant supports small organisations working directly with animals affected by the low-welfare and illegal pet trade, helping rescues to continue their vital work in a time of financial strain.

A lifeline for rescue dogs in crisis in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire

The One Wish Dog Foundation, a foster-based rescue operating across Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, has been awarded £6,000 to support four rescued dogs.

Founded in 2025, the charity has already taken in 36 dogs, many of them strays or urgent welfare cases. It also provides emergency foster placements for dogs whose owners are facing crisis situations, including homelessness and domestic abuse.

The funding will cover veterinary treatment for four dogs, including Tally, who requires leg surgery, and three abandoned cockapoos, Charlie, Bonnie and Ruby (pictured), believed to have been abandoned by a local puppy farm.

Founder of The One Wish Dog Foundation, Jenna Jones, told That's Pets: “For dogs like Bonnie, Ruby, Charlie and Tally, who endured fear, exploitation and neglect before arriving at One Wish, this funding is truly life-changing.”

The rescue will host a volunteer day on 25 April 2026 at Chipping Norton Town Hall for anyone interested in supporting its important work.

Supporting high-welfare rabbit rescue in Manchester

Tiny Paws MCR, a Manchester-based small animal rescue, has received £4,000 to support its Rabbit Refuge programme.

Since being founded in 2019, the organisation has focused on rescuing and rehabilitating rabbits and rodents, while promoting high welfare standards and responsible adoption across Greater Manchester.

The grant will help approximately 14 rabbits receive essential veterinary care, including neutering and vaccinations, before being rehomed into carefully vetted homes. The charity also provides adopters with lifelong support.

Founder, Suzi Wright, told That's Pets: “Thank you so much to Naturewatch Foundation for awarding us this amazing grant!”

Volunteer vets preventing unwanted litters in Kent

The Neuter Project, based in Kent, has been awarded a £1,000 mini-grant to support its volunteer-led veterinary work.

The initiative provides free neutering services to independent rescues and sanctuaries, helping to reduce unwanted litters and ease pressure on rescue centre funds.

To date, the project has neutered over 1,600 animals and supported around 50 rescues nationwide, saving them more than £250,000 in costs.

The funding will go towards essential consumables, enabling the team to continue offering free procedures that could help dozens of animals.

Founder, Angie Hamp, told us: “This means so much to us. The money is equivalent to around two months' running cost for us. To give you an idea of how far this will go £1,000 will neuter 50 cats, 10 to 20 dogs or around 30 rabbits and guinea pigs.”

Growing pressure on local rescues

Naturewatch Foundation received a record 161 expressions of interest for this year’s grant, reflecting the increasing strain on animal rescue organisations across the country. The campaigning charity is dedicated to ending animal cruelty and improving the lives of animals through education and advocacy.

By supporting local groups in Oxfordshire, Manchester and Kent, the charity aims to deliver meaningful impact within communities, while tackling the wider issue of the low-welfare pet trade through its national campaigning. Find out more at naturewatch.org.

Strong Cross-Party Support for “Purple Paw” Campaign to Protect Animals and People

National initiative invites people across the UK to share stories of the life-changing bond they share with their animals.

MPs from across the political spectrum came together in a powerful show of unity to support a new campaign highlighting the critical link between animal welfare and human safety.

The “Purple Paw” event, hosted by Cat Eccles MP, brought together MPs from four political parties alongside members of the House of Lords. The event also welcomed Alex Davies-Jones MP, Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, demonstrating growing government engagement with the issue.

The event marked the introduction of two key initiatives:

Purple Paw – a campaign celebrating the strength of the human–animal bond and raising awareness of its role in safeguarding

Act to Protect – a practical framework designed to help protect both people and animals by recognising the links between abuse, coercive control, and animal harm

Protect Animals Protect People

Purple Paw forms part of Naturewatch Foundation’s ‘Protect Animals, Protect People’ campaign, which highlights the link between animal abuse and domestic violence. With around 60% of UK households sharing their lives with a pet, ‘Purple Paw’ aims to spark a nationwide conversation about the value of the human–animal bond and why it deserves greater recognition and protection.

The newly launched Act to Protect report sets out practical cross-government recommendations to strengthen collaboration between animal welfare and safeguarding agencies, helping to ensure families and their pets are kept safe together.

Research shows threats or actual harm to pets are often used as a tool of coercive control in abusive households. Yet, animal welfare and human safeguarding systems operate separately.

Naturewatch Foundation is calling for stronger joined-up policy approaches that recognise the vital role pets play in family life, and the risks families may face when that bond is exploited.

The campaign is supported by patron Wendy Turner Webster, who has spoken about the comfort and stability her own animals have provided during challenging periods in her life.

A Campaign of Hope

By sharing uplifting stories of companionship and resilience, Purple Paw aims to demonstrate how caring for animals also supports human wellbeing, and how protecting pets ultimately helps protect people too.

Supporters who take part will receive a purple paw window or car decal to display in their communities, creating a visible symbol of solidarity and support for the human–animal bond across the country.

Mark Randell, Campaign Manager at Naturewatch Foundation, told That's Pets: “Animals are an integral part of our relationships, families and communities. The bond we share with them brings companionship, comfort and support, while helping people develop compassion and improving wellbeing. 

"I'd like to thank the MPs who attended our Purple Paw event, and invite those who were unable to join us to contact us to learn how they can support the 60% of households across the UK who share their lives with a pet.”

As stories and images are shared from across the UK, Naturewatch Foundation hopes Purple Paw will become a recognisable symbol of connection.

Members of the public can share their story and upload a photo here 

https://action.naturewatch.org/purple-paw-celebrate-human-animal-bond.

https://www.naturewatch.org

That's Food and Drink: Would You Feed Your Family 'Meat' That’s Only 4% M...

That's Food and Drink: Would You Feed Your Family 'Meat' That’s Only 4% M...: Stand in the pet food aisle for five minutes and you’ll see packets covered in pictures of juicy chicken, tender beef, and flaky salmon.  Th...

CMA Vet Report Fails Grieving Pet Owners by Ignoring What Pet Cremation Actually Means

The Association of Private Pet Cemeteries and Crematoria (APPCC) has welcomed the positive aspects of the Competition and Markets Authority's final report on veterinary services for household pets, while warning that the remedies remain incomplete unless they are accompanied by clearer service-definition standards for pet cremation.

The APPCC supports the report's emphasis on clearer consumer choice, greater transparency in ownership, and the requirement that veterinary practices inform pet owners that they may arrange directly with a crematorium. 

It also welcomes the requirement that cremation pricing be published and that owners receive clearer written information before making decisions.

However, the Association says that price transparency on its own is not enough if the market continues to treat very different services as interchangeable. In practice, what is sold as an individual or communal cremation can vary significantly between providers in terms of handling, storage, transportation, the cremation process itself, and the final destination of the ashes.

APPCC members work to a published consumer code that treats cremation as a complete bereavement service, not merely a disposal process. The Association says that, without stronger minimum definitions and disclosures across the sector, grieving owners may still believe they are comparing like with like when they are not.

Kevin Spurgeon, Director of the APPCC, told That's Pets: “Price transparency alone does not protect grieving pet owners, because price says nothing about the standard or nature of the service being provided. Services described in similar terms may differ greatly in collection times, handling, transport, cremation process and the final resting place of ashes. Those differences matter enormously to families, and they should be explained clearly before any decision is made.”

The Association is urging the CMA and policymakers to build on the final report by requiring clearer plain-English disclosures about how pets are handled, stored and transported; what individual cremation and communal cremation mean operationally; where communal ashes go; and whether a service is being sold as bereavement aftercare or, in substance, as a disposal service.

The APPCC says this would strengthen the CMA's consumer-protection aims, improve fair competition, and allow pet owners to make informed decisions at one of the most sensitive moments they face.

What APPCC is calling for

Clear operational definitions of individual cremation and communal cremation.

Written disclosure of handling, storage and transportation practices.

Transparency about the final destination of communal ashes.

Clear disclosure where a service is offered as bereavement aftercare and where it is, in substance, a disposal service.

Recognition of robust sector standards, including codes that cover dignity, care and consumer protection throughout the whole process.

https://appcc.org.uk

New Animal Rescue And Rehoming Centre In South East London

The Celia Hammond Animal Trust has embarked on a project to build a dedicated, and much-needed, rescue and rehoming centre adjacent to its existing veterinary clinic in Lewisham, South East London.

And on Saturday 11 April 2026 the charity will be holding a special Open Day in Lewisham for members of the public to learn more about the project and what it does.

“Please join us at 233-235 Lewisham Way, London, SE4 1UY, on the afternoon of 11 April 2026 for a guided tour of our existing veterinary clinic and learn about our plans for a new animal rescue and rehoming centre in nearby Friendly Street. You will also have the opportunity to meet some of our rescued cats,” Naomi Sheen, Trustee, told That's Pets. 

“Whether you're already a supporter of our charity or are interested in our work, this is a great opportunity to find out more about the Celia Hammond Animal Trust.”

Once operational, Celia Hammond Animal Trust’s new rescue and rehoming centre in Friendly Street will secure the future of the charity’s Lewisham hub for decades to come.

Ziggy and Ridley

The Open Day is a ticketed event with guided tours scheduled throughout the afternoon - admission is free and donations of cat food are welcomed. Tickets can be booked online at https://celiahammondanimaltrust-lewisham.eventbrite.co.uk.

Information on the Celia Hammond Animal Trust Rescue and Rehoming Centre Funding Appeal can be found at https://bit.ly/CHAT-rehoming-centre.

Founded in 1986, Celia Hammond Animal Trust is a UK charity which operates across London and the South East helping stray, abandoned, and unwanted animals, and provides essential low-cost veterinary care to pets belonging to low-income owners.

With veterinary clinics and rescue centres located in Canning Town and Lewisham (London), and an animal sanctuary and rehoming centre in Brede (East Sussex), Celia Hammond Animal Trust seeks homes for rescued animals in London, East and West Sussex, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, and Surrey.

• www.celiahammond.org

• @celiahammondanimaltrust

• Registered charity number 293787