I’ve been privileged to have been a vet for over 30 years. It was a vaguely random choice at the time- I can’t pretend it was born out of a huge passion, or an intellectual dissection of its promise, or even a great desire for service. Instead, for a slightly […]
Post-mortem for Anthony Van Dyck
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 […]