The University of Melbourne Veterinary Clinic is conducting a post-mortem into the death of a Melbourne Cup racehorse. Racing Victoria (RV) Executive General Manager of Integrity Services, Jamie Stier, confirmed the euthanisation of Anthony Van Dyck after the horse sustained a fractured fetlock during the race held on November 3. […]
Vet ethics: Death on the racecourse
One of the notable animal welfare stories to hit the headlines in March was the temporary closing of the Santa Anita Park horse-racing track. The track in California’s Arcadia witnessed the death of over 20 horses in a ten-week period. Santa Anita Park featured in the popular movie Seabiscuit and […]
The ballooning problem of plastics
A growing awareness about the extent of plastic debris in the world’s oceans has prompted a number of studies into its impact on marine life. Graphic images of the stomach contents of dead turtles, fish, and seabirds have all suggested marine animals regularly ingest decaying bits of plastic, with lethal […]
Fish species failing to adapt to warming oceans
A research project associated with Sweden’s University of Gothenberg has found the impact from steadily rising ocean temperatures could prove fatal for some fish species. As well as the loss of biodiversity in the world’s oceans, the impact from warming seas on both marine mammals, and human populations that rely […]
In memoriam Rick Speare
Veterinary surgeon and public health physician Professor Rick Speare has died from injuries obtained in a car accident. He was 68. Speare’s colleagues at the Wildlife Disease Association have described him as very important in the field of wildlife disease and the One Health Initiative. His main interests were in […]