News

Two colleges have become the first to receive a Blue Cross award for their excellent animal welfare. 

Kingston Maurward College in Dorchester was given the Blue Cross Animals in Education accolade for providing the best animal unit and rabbit welfare on its campus. 

Staff and students at the college care for a range of animals including horses, poultry, rodents, rabbits, fish, reptiles, ferrets and dogs. 

Meeting animals' needs 

Education development manager Tracy Genever says: “All of the areas provided well for the needs of the animals, and the rabbits had especially good accommodation which had been developed by the students.” 

Country Farm Stud was given the award for horse welfare. The yard provides training in stud management in conjunction with Myerscough College, near Preston. 

This new award scheme has been set up to reward best practice in welfare at educational establishments running animal care or horse management courses. 

This year was a pilot, with a small selection of colleges and schools invited to take part. 

Enter your college or school in 2013 

But we’re encouraging as many schools and colleges as possible to enter for the next round, in spring 2013. 

Tracy adds: “It can be difficult to juggle the demands of a course where lots of students will need access to animals while, at the same time, maintaining strong animal welfare principles.

“These awards are to recognise the fantastic effort these colleges and schools put into providing such excellent facilities for the animals in their care.”  

To find out more about the Blue Cross Animals in Education award and to enter for next year, please email education@bluecross.org.uk