New Year’s Greetings
If you missed Omagh Day and the AVSPNI AGM, you missed a good day out! Well over 100 vets crammed into the PM labs at Omagh for 4 excellent talks:
– Puppy Murmurs with Neil Walmsley
– Equine Emergencies with Orla McGlynn
– Pasture Management with Cormac White
– Unexplained Livestock Deaths with Pauline Sheridan
We also heard from sponsors MSD and VSSCo and were extremely grateful for their generous support.
Prof. Tim Parkin, the RCVS President, praised the quality of all four talks. He found it hard to choose a winner but ultimately awarded the Frank Mullan Trophy to Cormac. Thank you and congratulations to all our speakers.
During the AGM, 2025 President Melanie Spahn handed over the chain of office and the presidency to Keith Sheridan.
Robert McCabe was ratified as the new Junior Vice President and Iain Smith as Honorary Secretary.
Greg Dunlop joined the Council and 2025 Council members, Pat Hart, Mark Allison and Rachel Davies retired with thanks after some years of service.
Melanie’s last duty as President was one that she particularly enjoyed. She announced that Lynsey Hamilton and Brian McAuley had been nominated for Honorary Life Membership of AVSPNI in recognition of their notable and substantial contribution to the veterinary profession here. This nomination was ratified by Council members and endorsed by a show of hands from the members’ present.
As well a Treasurer’s Report and a round up of the numerous stakeholder meetings at which AVSPNI had been represented over the year, the AGM included discussion on the following topics:
– Animal Medicines – supply and the need for recording
– BVD unknowns – encourage farmers to blood test them
– BTV Vaccination – don’t forget permissions and data feedback
– Consultation n EID for cattle
– The fast-approaching deadline for registration of equine premises
– Renewal of authorisations for export work – CHECK your permissions and keep an eye out for e-mails from DAERA!
– SRG and Dog Breeding Review survey (see below)
– Anticipated changes to the TB Control Programme
– A full update on TB Contract discussions with DAERA
Full minutes will be sent to full members in due course and TB testing practices will be kept updated on new contract issues via the TB WhatsApp group. If you are a testing practice decision-maker but are not yet on the WA group, drop VetNI an e-mail to request to join it.
A fine dinner (thank you to the Silver Birch team!) followed the AGM.
Before the dinner, Keith spoke about the tragic loss of vet colleague Vanessa Whyte and her children James and Sara, in Maguiresbridge in July last year. AVSPNI had instigated a one off collection on behalf of Women’s Aid Fermanagh to support their good work and in the hope of preventing similar atrocities in the future.
Keith spoke warmly of Vanessa as a smart, funny, capable colleague, warmly remembered by many AVSPNI members.
A significant cash sum was collected on the night to honour the memory of Vanessa, James and Sara.
