A new criminal offence to crack down on dog theft and put people who steal these much loved pets behind bars for up to five years has been set out in the Government’s Kept Animals Bill last week (Thursday 18th November). The dog abduction offence, announced in September by Defra, will be added by the Government to the Kept Animals Bill, bolstering the raft of measures it already includes to further protect pets, livestock and kept wild animals. Prior to this new offence, pet theft was treated as a loss of property to the owner. This new offence will take into account the emotional distress caused to both the owner and the dog and will help judges’ ability to hand down more targeted penalties and sentences for pet thieves. A provision will also be made in the Bill to extend the offence to other pets in the future, should evidence support this. By introducing this offence, the Government is following the recommendation of the Pet Theft Taskforce, launched in May 2021 to tackle a reported rise in pet thefts during the pandemic. Evidence shows that more than 2,000 incidents of pet theft were reported to the police last year, causing considerable distress for owners and their pets alike. For crimes recorded by police in which animals are stolen, around seven in 10 involve dogs. Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “The loss of a much-loved pet causes unique distress. I am pleased that we are legislating to recognise this specific crime. “The new dog abduction offence will reflect the impact on animals in penalties for criminals, and deliver justice for victims.” Welcoming the introduction of the new offence, Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Christine Middlemiss said: “The recognition of the distress caused to animals by pet theft is an important step forward, treating them as sentient beings rather than merely property. “The new offence should build greater awareness of the significant impacts of dog theft on people and animals, and reassure pet owners that these crimes are being taken seriously.” David Bowles, Head of Public Affairs at the RSPCA, said: “The theft of a pet is devastating and we’re pleased the Government has announced these amendments which we hope will act as a real deterrent to those who carry out this crime. While the current proposed law applies to dogs, we are really pleased to see…

RGB Building Supplies’ Well Built Builder’s Bum 2022 calendar is now on sale to raise vital funds for the builders merchant’s chosen charities, Devon Mind, Cornwall Mind and Mind in Somerset. RGB invited tradespeople to put themselves forward to be included in the calendar and be photographed whilst doing their job, but with a little bit of their bottom on display. In addition to builders, carpenters, forklift drivers, and plumbing specialists, RGB’s sponsored Exeter Chiefs’ players Dave Ewers, Frankie Nowell, Sean O’Brien and Facundo Cordero also took part to show support for the work the charities do to help people across the region. As local charities affiliated with the national Mind association, Devon Mind, Cornwall Mind and Mind in Somerset provide a range of well-being services for people who experience mental health problems, as well as advice, information, support groups and a dedicated youth service. Andre Pusey, Marketing & Fundraising Manager at Devon Mind, commented: “We always love to see our supporters come up with unique, bold ideas for fundraising, and you can’t get much bolder than this! We are so grateful to everyone who showed up and showed off for the cause, and of course to all those loyal RGB customers who plan on picking up one of these amazing calendars for 2022. Thank you for contributing to the fight for mental health in Devon.” Paul West, Branch Manager at RGB Exeter, added: “We wanted to do something totally different to catch people’s attention and make them smile, while poking fun at a very unwarranted construction industry stereotype. But, more importantly, the calendar is about raising money for such worthwhile charities. “Thank you to all the amazing trades men and women, and our sponsored Exeter Chiefs’ players, for supporting our fundraising and getting involved, and thank you in advance to everyone who purchases the calendar and gets to enjoy a cheeky image every month next year.” The builders bum calendar cost £5 and can be bought from all RGB’s branches, as well as online from its website – www.rgbltd.co.uk. All the money raised will be donated to RGB’s chosen charities – Devon Mind, Cornwall Mind and Mind in Somerset. The Exeter Daily …

The University of Exeter and Exeter City Football Club have marked the continuation of their special relationship at a recent ceremony. Having forged the unique partnership a decade ago, the University and Football Club signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Thursday, November 11 designed to further support and benefit members of the local community. The partnership has already created several initiatives since it began in 2011. Following the success of Dr Rachel Fenton’s (UoE Law) Intervention Initiative, the first evidence-based bystander programme for preventing sexual abuse at universities, she worked with Exeter City Community Trust to set up Football Onside in 2017. The programme is designed to give bystanders at the Trust – who are in contact with 50,000 young people across the Southwest – the right training to positively intervene in potentially harmful situations. In 2017, Dr Alison Haggett (UoE History) worked with Exeter City Community Trust to set up a weekly Sporting Memories group, which invites older men to reminisce about and share their love of sport. Part of the wider Sporting Memories Network, the initiative supports those who may be isolated or living with depression or dementia. The partnership has also preserved and celebrated Exeter’s history since 2013, thanks to Professor Gabriella Giannachi’s work with the Club, student interns, and Exeter City Supporters’ Trust. Following successful early collaborations on the Grecian Archive and The History of St James Park, the City Museum was founded in 2018 to tell the story of Exeter’s football club, players and fans. Since 2019, university students have been teaching functional skills in Maths and English to 19-24 year olds, as part of Exeter City Community Trust’s Train to Succeed programme to help local teenagers gain confidence and qualifications to progress onto the next stage of their careers. On the pitch, the partnership has also created over 150 work placements and knowledge exchanges, benefiting the Club’s youth player development, ticket processing, and sports science capability. Thanks to these and many other activities, the two organisations were awarded the Best University-Employer Partnership (2013), and the ‘Work Placement of the Year’ (2014). Exeter City Community Trust has recently developed a project to support people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, through providing secure, supported accommodation. The project will be supported by the university through the provision of scores of university staff and student interns over the next five years, and is the partnership’s largest collaboration to date. Julian Tagg,…

After last year’s cancellation due to the pandemic, Jolly Running returns to Escot for its popular series of Christmas races. Four fun festive races are planned for the weekend of December 11 and 12. The ‘Extremely Jolly’ race on Saturday is one of Jolly Running’s most popular events. The 7.5 mile course offers a variety of trails, mud, woodland tracks, paths, streams, quaint bridges, fields and a few water crossings. Unique to Jolly Running is a 30 metre waterslide at the end of the course, which always causes great hilarity amongst participants. Also on Saturday is a fun event for younger runners. The ‘Little Elves’ 1 mile fun run is for children over 8 years of age – and also incorporates the waterslide. Upping the game on Sunday for runners wanting to clock up a greater distance, the Escot Christmas Marathon and Half Marathon comprise laps around the Estate. The more serious runners have the option of incorporating the waterslide, during each lap or just at the end. Participants receive a bespoke medal, Christmas bandana and a Christmas pudding made by local producer Georgie Porgie’s Puddings. As well as providing enjoyable races, Jolly Running also has a more serious aim, raising funds for charity. Tracey Jolly, Director of Jolly Running explained: “Each year Jolly Running uses the Extremely Jolly event to be able to donate money to charity. This year the chosen charities are Pancreatic Cancer Action and the Stanley Beau Foundation.” Tracey adds that festive fancy dress is not obligatory to take part. “But we always find the majority or runners are more than keen to don a Santa or Christmas elf outfit!” There will be hot food and refreshments available to purchase from the vendors for all runners and spectators. To sign up for any of the Jolly Running Escot races visit: jollyrunning.uk The Exeter Daily …

ITV journalist Robert Peston is calling on solicitors in Devon to sign up to a charity campaign this November as the pandemic has left hundreds of local people waiting to write a will. Some 49% of people in the UK do not have a will – and the coronavirus pandemic has seen a surge in demand for help from local solicitors.  The annual Will Aid campaign is helping meet the demand, but more support is needed from local firms who are receiving hundreds of enquiries from across the county. The campaign not only helps both regular people up and down the UK communicate their wishes after death, but also nine of the country’s most-loved charities. Taking place every November, it has so far raised more than £21million for ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF and Trocaire since its launch in 1988. Firms taking part offer their time and expertise to the campaign for a suggested voluntary client donation of £100 for a single will or £180 for a pair of mirror wills. Robert, who has supported the campaign following the deaths of his wife and father, said he would like to see more firms get involved this year. He said: “Getting involved in Will Aid not only helps protect someone’s wishes, but helps vulnerable people across the UK access the support they need. “Writing a will can be an upsetting experience, but it helps to ease pain and disruption – something so many of us have experienced throughout the coronavirus pandemic. “I would urge solicitors in Devon to get involved this year and help more people through these exceptional times we find ourselves living in.” Other celebrity supporters include familiar faces such as Money Saving Expert’s Martin Lewis, Game of Thrones star Iain Glen and Dame Judi Dench. Peter de Vena Franks, Campaign Director for Will Aid, said: “The pandemic has seen people across the country realise the importance of having a will to ensure their end-of-life wishes are respected. “It has unfortunately also seen the workload of our chosen charities increase significantly, and they need our support more than ever. “Will Aid provides solicitors a fantastic opportunity to help transform the lives of thousands of vulnerable people through our charity partners, and I urge more firms in Devon…