Lady Gaga’s dog walker shot as two of her french bulldogs stolen
1 DAY AGO - Dog walker is ‘recovering well’ while musician is offering a $500,000 reward for the return of her Expand
1 DAY AGO - Dog walker is ‘recovering well’ while musician is offering a $500,000 reward for the return of her dogs Koji and GustavA man walking Lady Gaga’s dogs for her was shot in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, and two of her dogs were stolen, prompting the pop star to offer a $500,000 reward for their return.The victim, identified in US media reports as Ryan Fischer, is expected to survive his injuries. Continue reading... Collapse
Max the Miracle Dog is first pet to receive 'animal OBE
7 DAYS AGO - Therapy dog from Cumbria awarded PDSA order of merit, previously bestowed only on service animalsA Expand
7 DAYS AGO - Therapy dog from Cumbria awarded PDSA order of merit, previously bestowed only on service animalsA springer spaniel with a huge social media following has become the first pet to win what has been described as the animal equivalent of an OBE for “providing comfort and support to thousands of people worldwide”.Thirteen-year-old therapy dog Max, who is joined daily on his Lake District walks and swims by thousands via Facebook Live, has been awarded the PDSA order of merit, which recognises animals that “display outstanding devotion to their owner or wider society, above and beyond companionship.” Continue reading... Collapse
Let’s satnav our way out of lockdown | Brief letters
15/02/2021 - Roadmaps | Brexit | Dilyn the dog | GhostessWill someone please tell Boris Johnson that hardly Expand
15/02/2021 - Roadmaps | Brexit | Dilyn the dog | GhostessWill someone please tell Boris Johnson that hardly anyone uses a roadmap any more (Tory MPs tell Johnson to commit to lifting Covid restrictions by end of April, 13 February). Surely it would be better to say he is going to satnav us out of lockdown, then we would know what he means. Chris HopwoodRichmond, North Yorkshire• Would Dominic Raab’s Brexit campaign have persuaded the over-50s if he had told them that they would be arriving in the promised sunny uplands not the day they cast off the shackles of the EU, but when they were well into their 60s, 70s and 80s – after four years of negotiation and then 10 years of misery in which nothing worked as foretold (Raab shrugs off Brexit troubles, urging people to take ‘10-year view’, 14 February)? Graham Webb Saint-Mandé, France Continue reading... Collapse
Thrill of the hunt leaves a bitter taste | Brief letters
02/02/2021 - Country diary | Loneliness | Bankers | George Osborne | Dog poo tipEach day, at breakfast, I turn Expand
02/02/2021 - Country diary | Loneliness | Bankers | George Osborne | Dog poo tipEach day, at breakfast, I turn first to your wonderful country diary column to provide cheerful sustenance against the unremitting gloom to follow elsewhere. Sadly, Nic Wilson’s dramatic account (1 February) of the kingfisher being taken by a sparrowhawk, following its own hunt, had just the opposite effect. Friends of the three-spined stickleback may feel that justice was done, but I’m still choking on my cornflakes and coffee.Paul ClarkeHorsham, West Sussex• Alice O’Keeffe makes no mention of people like me who live alone, when she mused on the loss of her social life (I feared the social isolation of lockdown most – but I’m tougher than I thought, 1 February). A partner and two sons would help considerably to mitigate the feeling of social isolation. Yes, it would be challenging being cooped up with just family for a long period, but I’d happily swap with her.Sharman FinlayPortrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland Collapse
Excremental growth: UK sniffs a pandemic puppy poo problem
30/01/2021 - A rise in dog ownership and pressure on council services mean Britons are having to watch their Expand
30/01/2021 - A rise in dog ownership and pressure on council services mean Britons are having to watch their stepIt is not a problem to be sniffed at.A year into the coronavirus crisis, local media, council newsletters, social network users and disgruntled environmental health experts across the UK are warning that the country is in the grip of a dog mess emergency – and that new puppy owners are shirking their responsibilities to clean up after their lockdown pets. Continue reading... Collapse
Dog’s Best Friend by Simon Garfield – our canine fascination
27/01/2021 - Woof, he’s off again ... a lolloping romp through our obsession with dogs, written with more Expand
27/01/2021 - Woof, he’s off again ... a lolloping romp through our obsession with dogs, written with more enthusiasm than organisationSimon Garfield is a popularising writer with a light touch and a wide range of interests. His big hit was a charming and erudite book about fonts called Just My Type, but he has also written book-length studies of, among many other things, the Mini, stamp-collecting, wartime diaries, competitive wrestling, tiny things and the colour mauve.Now it is the turn of dogs. This book is just as amiable as you’d expect from Garfield, but it’s also a bit too whimsical and wearyingly disorganised. You could write it off as a rush job done as a publishing proposition – dogs sell – except it’s odder and less cynical than that. Garfield clearly really does love dogs. Here, he writes like one. He woofs and bounds around the subject and frequently vanishes into the undergrowth in pursuit of phantom rabbits. You find yourself wishing he wore one of those collars, probably illegal, Collapse
Who’s a good boy? The unbreakable bond between humans and dogs
24/01/2021 - Our centuries old love of dogs has never been stronger. So what does a study of ‘man’s best Expand
24/01/2021 - Our centuries old love of dogs has never been stronger. So what does a study of ‘man’s best friend’ say about us?Why is he here? Why is my dog lying at my feet in the shape of a croissant as I write this? How have I come to cherish his warm but lightly offensive pungency? How has his fish breath become a topic of humour when friends call round for dinner? Why do I shell out more than £1,000 each year to pay for his insurance? And why do I love him so much?Ludo is not a special dog. He’s just another labrador retriever, one of approximately 500,000 in the UK (he’d be one in a million in the United States, the most popular breed in both countries). Ludo has a lot in common with all these dogs. He loves to play ball; obviously he’s an expert retriever. He could eat all the food in the universe and leave nothing for the other dogs. He is prone to hip dysplasia. He looks particularly attractive on a plush bed in a centrally heated house very far from the Newfoundland home of his Collapse
Patient dog waits for days outside hospital
22/01/2021 - Boncuk returned each day to hospital in Turkish city of Trabzon where her owner, Cemal Senturk, Expand
22/01/2021 - Boncuk returned each day to hospital in Turkish city of Trabzon where her owner, Cemal Senturk, was being treatedA devoted dog has spent days waiting outside a hospital in Turkey where her sick owner was being treated.The pet, Boncuk, which means bead, followed the ambulance that transported her owner, Cemal Senturk, to hospital in the Black Sea city of Trabzon on 14 January. She then made daily visits to the facility, the private news agency DHA reported. Continue reading... Collapse
That’s barking! Why all dog owners need a poo wormery
18/01/2021 - It’s no longer enough to bag it and bin it – the green approach is to let worms munch through your Expand
18/01/2021 - It’s no longer enough to bag it and bin it – the green approach is to let worms munch through your dog’s wasteName: Dog poo wormeries.Age: They’ve been around for a while, but thankfully you didn’t know about them. Until now. Related: Dog poop bags are a menace. But what's the green alternative? Continue reading... Collapse
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Seven weeks in, what have I learned from my new life as a dog person? | Adrian Chiles
2 DAYS AGO - Our new puppy refuses to walk, has a joke name and won’t be toilet trained. I can’t imagine life Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Our new puppy refuses to walk, has a joke name and won’t be toilet trained. I can’t imagine life without himHow easy it is to turn into the person you didn’t want to be. Though I’ve always loved dogs, I never wanted to be a dog person. And I never got much out of reading what people wrote about their pooches. So, if this bores you, please know I sympathise.Anyway, we got him at seven weeks when he weighed 3kg. He’s now twice as old and nearly four times as heavy. He has been with us for half his life, which feels as good a time as any to reflect on what I know now about having a dog in your life that I didn’t seven weeks ago. It feels an awful lot longer than seven weeks; this despite, or perhaps because of, the dizzying pace of change in him. It’s like raising a baby then toddler then child on fast forward. Our human young move forward at what feels at the time, if not in retrospect, a glacial tempo. With my daughters now at the leaving-home stage I wish I had cherished their Collapse
‘My soupmaker is so quick!’ 15 lockdown buys that helped Guardian readers
7 DAYS AGO - From a treadmill and a puppy to 19th-century curtains, here are the purchases that have helped Expand
7 DAYS AGO - From a treadmill and a puppy to 19th-century curtains, here are the purchases that have helped cheer people up in the past yearNot only has my new treadmill seen me through lockdown, it’s also keeping me on an even keel, as I live in a crowded area and don’t really enjoy running outside any more. I use it almost every day, along with an app called Zombies, run! or while listening to podcasts. It has become a comfort. The only downside is that I need to put it back under my bed after each use. Mar, journalist, Barcelona, Spain Continue reading... Collapse
Tell us: how has your pet helped you through lockdown?
11/02/2021 - We would like to hear from you if you have found your pet or pets to be an emotional support Expand
11/02/2021 - We would like to hear from you if you have found your pet or pets to be an emotional support during the lockdownsOur pets have always been a source of comfort: as companions, reasons to go out and exercise, a friendly face to come home to. But in the pandemic, pets have come to mean more to us than ever.We would like to hear from you if you have found your pet or pets to be an emotional support during the lockdowns. Continue reading... Collapse
Miserable, anxious, depressed: how guide dogs are faring in the pandemic
02/02/2021 - Amid lockdowns, their daily activities have been put on hold – and their owners fear they won’t Expand
02/02/2021 - Amid lockdowns, their daily activities have been put on hold – and their owners fear they won’t recover from itThe daily life of a working guide dog is filled with dynamic combinations of people, smells, sights and sounds. Their job – to navigate this cacophony on behalf of their visually impaired handlers – is intense and important. When Covid-19 hit, these dogs couldn’t open up a laptop and continue working from home. Now, their owners are grappling with the pandemic’s long-term effects on their guides and guardians.“One of my very first thoughts when I heard that my city was shutting down was ‘OK, what am I going to do with my dog?’” says Marie Villaneda, 19, of Bloomington, Indiana. She got her guide, a five-year-old Bernese mountain dog and black lab mix named Milot, at 15. Pre-pandemic, the duo walked 10 miles a day, so “it became clear very, very quickly that Milot was bored”. For guide dogs, “guiding is like writing a doctorate dissertation. It takes a lot of the dog’s brain Collapse
Dog attacks on livestock increased in lockdown, say farmers
29/01/2021 - Incidents such as killing of 50 pregnant ewes caused by owners unaware of threat posed by Expand
29/01/2021 - Incidents such as killing of 50 pregnant ewes caused by owners unaware of threat posed by petsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA series of horrific attacks by dogs on livestock is a consequence of lockdown and more people walking in the countryside who are oblivious to the threat posed by out-of-control pets, according to farmers.Earlier this month, 50 pregnant ewes and their unborn lambs were killed in Monmouthshire when a dog forced them into a corner against a stone wall, where the panicking animals suffocated and died. Continue reading... Collapse
Sheridan Smith on Pooch Perfect: 'Stanley my cross-breed co-star is a one-take wonder!
26/01/2021 - The actor is in ‘doggy and musical heaven’ – hosting a primetime grooming show on TV and returning Expand
26/01/2021 - The actor is in ‘doggy and musical heaven’ – hosting a primetime grooming show on TV and returning to the stage for a showtune extravaganza. So who’s got the best topknot: her or the shih tzus?When teenage Sheridan Smith played Annie in am-dram in Doncaster, her own stray was cast alongside her as the orphan’s canine companion. It was the start of a glittering career combining musicals and mutts. Starring as Annie once more in Sheffield, for her first professional role, she brought her dog on stage again. Then, in West End smash Legally Blonde, she and a chihuahua named Bruiser wore matching hot pink sweaters. “If they couldn’t find me they’d know I was in the dogs’ dressing room,” she laughs. Now, Smith is again in “doggy and musical heaven” as she fronts primetime grooming contest Pooch Perfect and hosts a celebration of showtunes at the Palladium.Pooch Perfect, her first presenting gig, gives her a catchphrase (“Dog squad, release the hounds!”) and an adorable cross-breed co-star, Collapse
Where’s Cookie? Stars help in Epping Forest hunt for runaway whippet
24/01/2021 - Search for the elusive dog goes viral with celebrity appeals, a crowdfunding campaign and 8,500 Expand
24/01/2021 - Search for the elusive dog goes viral with celebrity appeals, a crowdfunding campaign and 8,500 Instagram followersThermal drones, K9 tracker dogs, stake-outs and desperate pleas from Pixie Lott, Jennifer Saunders and Anita Rani: the hunt for Cookie the whippet – lost in Epping Forest since November – is gathering pace.The 18-month-old sighthound went missing eight weeks ago in the 6,000-acre forest, after spotting a herd of deer and chasing after her quarry at 30mph. Continue reading... Collapse
UK pet bereavement helplines report big rise in calls during Covid
19/01/2021 - As actor Miranda Hart takes time off to grieve, charities speak of heartache many face after loss Expand
19/01/2021 - As actor Miranda Hart takes time off to grieve, charities speak of heartache many face after loss of beloved animalCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAnimal bereavement helplines have reported a big increase in calls during the coronavirus pandemic, charities have said, as it emerged that the comedian and actor Miranda Hart was taking time off work to grieve the loss of her beloved dog Peggy.The Blue Cross animal charity and Cats Protection, a UK charity dedicated to rescuing and rehoming stray cats, said they had received a growing number of calls from people unable to be with their dying pets because of social-distancing rules that mean vets have to euthanise a cat or dog alone. Continue reading... Collapse
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Rebuild the spire but spare the trees | Brief letters
7 DAYS AGO - Notre Dame | Dogs | Cats | Big mistakes | Royal awardA thousand ancient trees are to be felled to Expand
7 DAYS AGO - Notre Dame | Dogs | Cats | Big mistakes | Royal awardA thousand ancient trees are to be felled to replace la forêt in the roof of Notre Dame (Report, 16 February). Why use pristine oak? No one will ever see these timbers. Surely this is an excellent opportunity to use glulam beams, which are stronger, highly sustainable, and do not require the felling of ancient trees. The cathedral’s original builders used the best and latest technologies. Why don’t we? Robin Prior Stroud, Gloucestershire• There’s no need for a robotic dog if you’re not keen on picking up their waste (Mindfulness, laughter and robot dogs may relieve lockdown loneliness – study, 17 February). Just get yourself a dog like Dilyn, as I’ve never seen either of his owners swinging a full poo bag around. Ian Grieve Gordon Bennett, Llangollen canal Continue reading... Collapse
I’ve developed influencer envy – and the influencer is a dog | Emma Beddington
16/02/2021 - He has a nicer life than me, scuttling from deli to deli and snuffling through gifts from brands. Expand
16/02/2021 - He has a nicer life than me, scuttling from deli to deli and snuffling through gifts from brands. And yet still I followThe ecosystem connecting influencer and influenced is a fragile one, particularly now. A business model built on selling dreams and aspirations when our wildest aspiration is “a pleasant evening”, to quote the name of a friend’s jigsaw of a beer garden, is a tough ask. We need to envy the influencers, but not so much that it becomes unbearable.This became abundantly clear in January when heavily hashtagged pics of reality TV stars on “essential work trips” to Dubai caused the celebs to leak followers, field angry comments from erstwhile fans and face the fact that hard graft down the content coal mines does not earn you a Thursday clap. Continue reading... Collapse
Meaty meals and play stop cats killing wildlife, study finds
11/02/2021 - Millions of pet cats are estimated to kill billions of animals a year but grain-free food can Expand
11/02/2021 - Millions of pet cats are estimated to kill billions of animals a year but grain-free food can change cat behaviourFeeding pet cats meaty food and playing with them to simulate hunting stops them killing wildlife, according to a study.Eating grain-free food led to the cats depositing a third fewer mouse and bird corpses on doorsteps, while just five to 10 minutes of play with a toy mouse cut the killing by a quarter. Related: Britain's endangered willow tit needs vast area to thrive, research finds Continue reading... Collapse
From the archive: are we a nation of cat people?
31/01/2021 - From women’s lib to working owners, the Observer Magazine in 1982 wondered how cats became such Expand
31/01/2021 - From women’s lib to working owners, the Observer Magazine in 1982 wondered how cats became such popular pets in BritainPet ownership has taken off during lockdown and there was a similar boom in the 1980s. For the Observer Magazine of 20 June 1982, Eva Kendall found out why cats in particular were on the verge of becoming Britain’s most popular pets (‘The Cult of the Cat’).In 1981, the number of cats had surged by 300,000 to reach an estimated 5,200,000 – only half a million behind dogs. ‘The long-haired cat or Persian is the most popular breed today, having just overtaken the Siamese,’ wrote Kendall. Could such interest be because of ‘women’s lib’? ‘Cats are symbolically identified with the female principle and their ascendancy coincides with a psychological shift from the macho attitudes represented by dogs.’ Continue reading... Collapse
A brilliant way to get humans to behave': the shelter where volunteers read to farm animals
28/01/2021 - It might be difficult to choose literature for a sheep, but as James Shackell discovers, the Expand
28/01/2021 - It might be difficult to choose literature for a sheep, but as James Shackell discovers, the experience can benefit both partiesChoosing a book for a sheep is no easy task. I’m sitting on the floor in front of my bookshelf, assessing the options. Joyce and Melville seem a bit highbrow and esoteric for the average sheep. Maybe The Shepherd’s Life by James Rebanks? A little on-the-nose. Le Carré? Too many trench coats. Inspiration suddenly strikes. I reach for Orwell.“Not Animal Farm,” says my wife, without looking up. “It’s too obvious.”Resident pigs at Edgar’s Mission in LancefieldPam Ahern, founder and director of Edgar’s MissionWe can treat their physical wounds, but psychological damage is much harder to fixSanctuary hand Jayce Thewlis moves a flock of sheep from one paddock to anotherNicky Peters, a volunteer reader for the animals at Edgar’s MissionI get so much joy from being around the animals, feeling their warmth and affection in some small wayAnastasia, a recently rescued Collapse
You can teach an old dog new words, researchers find
26/01/2021 - Canines in Hungarian study appear to pick up unfamiliar terms through playWhether you can teach an Expand
26/01/2021 - Canines in Hungarian study appear to pick up unfamiliar terms through playWhether you can teach an old dog new tricks might be a moot point, but it seems some canines can rapidly learn new words, and do so through play.While young children are known to quickly pick up the names of new objects, the skill appears to be rare in animals. Continue reading... Collapse
Tim Dowling: the cat has plenty to say. But why should I listen?
23/01/2021 - ‘Your English is poor,’ I tell him. ‘Your accent is atrocious’My phone says it’s 7.50am, but the Expand
23/01/2021 - ‘Your English is poor,’ I tell him. ‘Your accent is atrocious’My phone says it’s 7.50am, but the sky outside looks more like 4.15. Rain is striking the window in handfuls, like flung gravel. It has been raining all night, and it promises to rain all day, possibly for the rest of the month. I dress by the light of a reading lamp and close the bedroom door behind me.“Hello?” says the cat from somewhere in the darkness below. Related: My wife wants to adopt a dog to live on our farm | Tim Dowling Continue reading... Collapse
Ferrets and tarantulas among pets to find new homes in lockdown
18/01/2021 - Pet hates for some but people are turning to strange creatures for comfort under Covid Coronavirus Expand
18/01/2021 - Pet hates for some but people are turning to strange creatures for comfort under Covid Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWhile it is well established that demand for cats and dogs has risen during lockdown, figures show that many people have turned to more unusual pets for companionship during the pandemic.With socialising all but banned in repeated lockdowns, nearly 20,000 parrots were rehomed last year by Pets4Homes, up 79% on 2019 – perhaps in the hope of extra conversation to fill the void. Chickens, stick insects and salamanders are also among the more unusual pets to have risen in popularity. Continue reading... Collapse
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