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Latest from the Buddies Pet Insurance news team… The world’s first cloned sniffer dogs are undergoing training and should be ready for duty later this year, according South Korean customs. The seven cloned puppies are all called Toppy (“tomorrow’s puppy” in Korean) and were born late last year to three surrogate mothers under a state-funded project. The Toppies have passed the first round of tests for behavioural patterns and genetic qualities. They will be ready to report for work in June after completing a second round of training. The project, costing £152,000, was carried out by the same man who successfully cloned a dog by creating a duplicate of a three-years-old Afghan hound.

Latest from the Buddies Pet Insurance news team …Police marksmen have shot dead two Rottweillers after they attacked and killed a pony. A member of the public contacted the police after witnessing the attack in Haslingden, Lancashire. When officers arrived at the scene the pony was already dead. The owners of both the pony and the dogs have been traced and an inquiry is underway. A police spokesman said: “We gave every consideration in dealing with the dogs as humanely as possible but sadly it was necessary for us to take immediate action. I must stress that this is not our preferred option, but the dogs were considered to be dangerous and out of control and we were left no choice. We are now looking into how the dogs managed to escape from what appears to be a secure compound about a mile away.”

Latest from the Buddies Pet Insurance news team…By hitching a lift on a lorry a cat called Silver has made an amazing 460-mile round trip to London. The six year old vanished from her home in Hapton, near Burnley, Lancs, and two days later was found wandering the street of  Finchley, north London, by Tara Kauser, who posted a web message trying to trace the owner. In Lancashire, the cat’s owner, Angel Jones, who has had Silver since she was a kitten, entered the words “missing cat, tabby and tiger stripe” on a search engine. This led to Miss Kauser’s posting and the two women corresponded by text. A photograph of the cat convinced Angel Jones that the rather bedraggled animal was her beloved Silver – but the cat vanished again before being reunited. Eight days later the turned up outside her home in Hapton, a little worse for wear, but alive and well. To get to London in two days the family is convinced she got a lift on a lorry from a HGV park near their home. The return journey was made by paw.

Latest from the Buddies Pet Insurance news team… Three people bitten by a puppy with rabies in a quarantine kennels are said by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to be showing no ill-effects. Those bitten include a social worker who runs the pets’ charity Animal SOS Sri Lanka, in Palmers Green, North London which brings street dogs from that country into Britain. The woman had been nipped on the chin, wrist and face two days before the dog died. But she had been vaccinated. The dog arrived at the kennels in Chingford, northeast London, as one of a batch of five puppies from Sri Lanka a few days before the incident. Two members of staff at the kennels were also nipped. Tests on the dog confirmed it has rabies and the other four pups – all about eight weeks old - have been put down.

Latest from the Buddies Pet Insurance news team…The RSPCA is to host a conference to discuss the disquiet many people feel about the role of dogs in society. There is concern, according to RSPCS Strategic Campaigner Miranda Luck, among the public about such matters as high-profile attacks on children, organised dog fighting, or young people with “tough looking dogs” on street corners. “The RSPCA wants to bring people together to discuss these and other issues and hopefully we will come up with effective solutions,” she said. Speakers at the conference – the first organised by the RSPCA as an annual series - will include North Wales Chief Constable Richard  Brunstrom lead officer in ACPO (Association of  Chief Police Officers) on stray and dangerous dogs, and Neil Davies, head of the Dog Unit for Merseyside Police, which brought in an amnesty for pit bulls following a mauling incident. The conference takes place in London in June and members of the public are invited. Miranda Luck can be contacted on mluck@rspca.org.uk.

Latest from the Buddies Pet Insurance news team …Pet owners should not let their dogs in or on their bed, or even in the bedroom, because of the risk of disease transmission, according to one of the country’s leading vets. Fred Landeg, who is about to step down as the most senior government veterinary officer, said people needed to be more aware that new and emerging diseases were just as likely to affect household pets as farm animals. He said that pet owners should also be vigilant about having pets in the kitchen. In addition to the risk of carrying exotic diseases, dogs also carry common food poisoning bugs. Some ten percent of dogs are thought to carry the superbug MRSA and research has shown that many dog owners are unaware of, or unconcerned about any health risk from their pet.

Latest from the Buddies Pet Insurance news team… Despite the ban on tail docking which started in April last year, Kennel Club registrations for the first three months of 2008 rose by 2.1 per cent compared with the same period last year. In all, 65,796 puppies were registered in the quarter, against 64,470 for the previous year’s quarter. According to a Kennel Club spokesman: “This is certainly very encouraging news, particularly when the 2008 period is compared to the same one before the introduction of tail docking. While the registration numbers of traditionally docked breeds has fallen since the ban, it is apparent that the overwhelming popularity of pedigree dogs has not.”  Three groups have shown a decrease – terriers, working and pastoral - but others have shown an increase. These are hounds, gundogs, utility and toys.

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Latest from the Buddies Pet Insurance news team…Pet Blood Bank UK has just celebrated its first birthday with the news that thanks to its efforts hundreds of dogs’ lives in Britain have been saved. This is the nation’s first charity to collect, process, store and supply canine blood products. There are now 420 registered regular donors on its books and 600 units of blood cells have been collected. The charity has also set up a board of trustees, run a series of transfusion seminars and launched its first monthly blood collection sessions throughout the UK. Executive director Wendy Barnett commented: “In acute emergency situations dogs often die for want of blood. Our products are making a huge difference as vets are able to have blood products ready to help save injured or sick dogs in life and death situations.” The pet blood bank carries out two blood collection sessions a week and has recently developed monthly collections at a veterinary practice in Leicester.