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Eighty percent of small-animal veterinary clinics are continuing to grow, despite the economic climate.

Veterinary practices that maintain a consistent standard of care stand the best chance of surviving in today's economic climate.

London -- Animal bites, needle sticks, asthma, eczema and stress are just a few of the many hazards veterinary teams face on a daily basis, yet good occupational health advice is not made available to them in the United Kingdom, a new study shows.

Harrisburg, Pa. -- Gov. Edward Rendell yesterday signed into law a measure permitting only veterinarians to perform ear cropping and tail docking of dogs at least 5 days old, plus devocalization procedures, cesarean deliveries and declawing of cats at least 5 days old. The new anti-cruelty law is an amendment to HB 2525, enacted last October, that established space and facility requirements for cages, exercise and mandatory semi-annual veterinary examinations for dogs housed in commercial breeding kennels. It also outlawed the euthanization of dogs by anyone other than a veterinarian. The law and the new amendment were sponsored by State Rep. Thomas Caltagirone in response to a publicized case of two brothers who killed 80 dogs at their breeding facility instead of making improvements ordered by a state health inspector.

Portland -- Jeffrey Klausner, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM a senior vice president and chief medical officer for Banfield, The Pet Hospital.

McLean, Va. -- The WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, a division of Mars Inc., committed more than $2 million to help fund research over the next four years on various aspects of pet ownership, a field formally known as human-animal interaction (HAI).

McLean, Va. -- The WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, a division of Mars Inc., committed more than $2 million to help fund research over the next four years on various aspects of pet ownership, a field formally known as human-animal interaction (HAI).

Methuen, Mass. -- Staff and volunteers at the Massachusetts SPCA?s Nevins Farm have seen a record number of horses surrendered to the facility this year.

Columbia, Mo. -- The University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital?s new Barkley House is a home away from home for out-of-town pet owners whose animals are receiving treatment at the hospital.

Calgary, Alberta -- The University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) will hold an open house Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. for the public to tour its new Clinical Skills Building on Spy Hill Campus. The facility opens to veterinary students in September.

Gainesville, Fla. -- Ellis Greiner, PhD, a professor in the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine?s department of infectious diseases and pathology, received the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists? (AAVP) Distinguished Veterinary Parasitologist Award.

Fort Collins, Colo. -- Gordon Woods, DVM, PhD, who successfully cloned the first mule and explored human-health issues through work on animals, died Aug. 20 at age 57.

National Report -- Of 35 equine cases of West Nile virus (WNV) reported nationwide so far this season, 20 are in Washington state.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- Dr. Cia L. Johnson, newly appointed assistant director of the American Veterinary Medical Association?s (AVMA) Animal Welfare Division, hopes to use her food-animal experience to implement new policies and objectives.

Gainesville, Fla. -- A two-day conference for shelter veterinarians, directors, technicians and volunteers, sponsored by the University of Florida, will be held Oct. 23-24 at the Paramount Plaza Hotel in Gainesville.

Brighton, United Kingdom -- Horses are closely watching your body language to see if they?ve got your attention, according to research by Leanne Proops and Karen McComb at the University of Sussex.

Saskatoon, Canada -- Certain airlines recently announced new programs to allow pets in carriers to fly in cabins instead of baggage compartments. But Canadian physicians have joined the Canadian Lung Association in asking for a government investigation into possible effects of onboard pets on passengers with respiratory diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Brisbane, Australia -- An equine practitioner from Queensland, Australia, is in a medically induced coma after contracting the potentially fatal Hendra virus from a horse, according to the Australian Horse Industry Council (AHIC).

Indiana's regulations on the sale and possession of reptiles, amphibians and fish are under review.

Seventeen states have reported 140 cases of Eastern equine encephalitis so far this season.

Antigua, West Indies -- American University of Antigua, a 5-year-old human medical college, announced this week that it will open a new veterinary college in January with an exclusive partnership with the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine for clinical training.

Manhattan, Kan. -- Two Kansas State professors and one from Iowa State University are collaborating with a scientist at the New York State Department of Health (NYDH) on diagnostic and intervention tools for the H1N1 virus.

Elmont, N.Y. -- Surgery to repair Mine That Bird's entrapped epiglottis "went perfectly" Tuesday, according to Leonard Blach, DVM, co-owner of the horse that won this year's Kentucky Derby.

East Lansing, Mich. -- There's a new equine medicine residency at Michigan State University (MSU), thanks to an endowment from an alumni couple.

Banfield Summit explores economic recovery; challenges remain, economist predicts.

Ames, Iowa -- Several employees with USDA laboratories in Ames, Iowa, were sanctioned for alleged improper conduct by using their credentials to purchase medications for human use for the benefit of other employees.

Calgary, Alberta -- Fleas are as susceptible now to the insecticide imidacloprid as they were in 2001, according to data presented last week at an international veterinary parasitology conference in Canada.

Elmont, N.Y. -- Mine That Bird, the 3-year-old gelding that won this year's Kentucky Derby, will undergo minor surgery Tuesday morning for an entrapped epiglottis.

Washington -- AVMA is questioning the scientific validity of the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production report released last year, urging Congress not to consider it when voting on the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA).

Irvine, Calif. -- The Association for Women Veterinarians Foundation (AWVF) is sponsoring a one-time essay contest for U.S. veterinary students, offering a $500 cash prize and an additional $1,000 in travel funds for the winner to attend the 2010 AVMA convention in Atlanta.