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“What a legend”: Brave Aussie pensioner saves puppy from a snake

<p dir="ltr">An Aussie pensioner has gone the extra mile to save her terrified puppy from a carpet snake. </p> <p dir="ltr">Anne Murphy, a woman from NSW’s Lennox Head, captured the moment her 80-year-old mother went toe-to-toe with the slippery intruder who was terrorising her dog and shared the interaction on a Facebook page called Australian Country Memes. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to Anne, her mother bolted out the door one Monday evening when she heard her dog “screaming”, when she was confronted with the carpet snake. </p> <p dir="ltr">The non-venomous snake had wrapped around the small dog and bitten it on the chin, when the 80-year-old intervened. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman was “bitten three times” by the snake, before she “caught the snake so it could be taken out to the bush and hopefully not make its way back to her place”. </p> <p dir="ltr">She then took her puppy to the vet, and got home three hours after the incident first happened.</p> <p dir="ltr">The post has since received over 2,000 likes and hundreds comments, hailing the 80-year-old as a “legend“, “gutsy” and a “wonderful woman.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“She is a true blue here. My hat is off to you, amazing lady,” one person wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">Another added, “Way to go! That’s just what country people do. God love her, they don’t make them like that anymore.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Woman rejects $200k offer for her puppy

<p>A woman has divided social media viewers after she claiming that she declined a stranger's $200k ($303,000 AUD) offer for her Doberman pinscher puppy. </p> <p>In the viral video, which has since racked up over 970,000 views, Alexis Elliott said: “someone offered us $200k for our puppy, and I told my husband, ‘absolutely f**king not’.”</p> <p>“Would you guys sell your dogs for $200k? Like, that is my baby!" the LA-based woman asked her followers. </p> <p>Many couldn't believe that she declined the offer. </p> <p>“It’s a crime to not accept 200k,” one wrote. </p> <p>“In this economy? Yes,” another commented. </p> <p>“Would run upstairs so fast and pack his bag,” a third joked. </p> <p>While some people were eager enough to give up their own dogs for $200,000, others  agreed with Elliot and said that they would never give up their fur babies. </p> <p>“ABSOLUTELY NOT. The people saying yes should not have a dog tbh,” one viewer commented, adding: “That boy is my life.” </p> <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 580px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7308537421770116395&amp;display_name=tiktok&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40itsalexiselliott%2Fvideo%2F7308537421770116395%3Flang%3Den&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2Ff7435052bbf14b62a0c22bb295962a0f_1701651485%7Etplv-dmt-logom%3Atos-useast5-i-0068-tx%2FoMfzRS5SbCDFYrMIAQZA7AAlb2PgflRLDERaED.image%3Fx-expires%3D1702508400%26x-signature%3Di2tT0G7gwHGCVFhMDi4EPSvcPUI%253D&amp;key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>“A lot of you in these comments don’t deserve a dog,” another slammed. </p> <p>“Omg never. The thought of my dog being confused and feeling abandoned breaks my heart,” a third commented, while another user added that they wouldn't sell their dog even if they were offered one million dollars. </p> <p>One sceptic added: “Nobody offered you 200k for a dog, people with that kind of money are mostly financially smart. And you did not birth it." </p> <p>A few others came to Elliot's defence and said that it had happened to them in the past. </p> <p>“Someone offered me 100k for my dog. He was a pretty well-off athlete. Not everyone is smart with their money,” one commented. </p> <p>“I had a lady offer us $1M for our dog, and when we laughed she said, ‘No seriously, make me an offer, I’ll pay it’,” another claimed.</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p> <p> </p>

Money & Banking

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Iconic Dulux dog gives birth to adorable puppies

<p>The iconic Dulux dog has given birth to seven adorable Old English Sheepdog puppies. </p> <p>The heart-warming news was shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, by the global paint brand to celebrate International Dog Day. </p> <p>The pups can be seen running around on wobbly legs and playing with each other before resting on their mother, Olivia. </p> <p>Olivia, who lives in Lincolnshire in England, is the current the face of the Dulux ads, with the brand using Old English Sheepdogs in their advertisements for more than 60 years. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This International Dog Day, we're introducing the next generation of Dulux puppies.... Say hello to our fluffy friends 🐶 <a href="https://t.co/NApCnZUHT3">pic.twitter.com/NApCnZUHT3</a></p> <p>— Dulux UK | Colour &amp; Inspiration (@duluxuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/duluxuk/status/1695346808568861170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Olivia's pups may already have their future in showbiz sorted, with Dulux calling the six-week-old puppies "stars in their own right", hinting they may appear in ads as they get older. </p> <p>Dulux Creative Director and Colour Expert Marianne Shillingford said, “As proud sponsors of the Old English Sheepdog Rescue &amp; Welfare Fund, we’re delighted to be able to finally share the exciting news of the irresistible puppy additions to the Dulux family.”</p> <p>“The pups are stars in their own right, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of them in the years to come.”</p> <p>The beloved breed of dog has been synonymous with the Dulux brand since first appearing in a Dulux ad in 1961 when the director’s Old English Sheepdog, Dash, crashed one of the adverts. </p> <p>The camera and cast loved Dash so much that he made it into the ad after the final edit. </p> <p>After Dash, pup Digby took the reins - and was perhaps the most famous Dulux dog after picking up a Hollywood film credit. </p> <p>Between 1995 and 2002, the position was held by Mash, followed by Willow and, most recently, two Old English Sheepdogs, Madison and Olivia.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Dulux</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Russell Crowe opens up about tragic loss of puppy

<p>Russell Crowe has opened up about the grief he’s endured from the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/russell-crowe-loses-best-friend-in-tragic-accident" target="_blank" rel="noopener">death of his beloved puppy</a> Louis the Papillion.</p> <p>In an appearance on the <em>Kyle &amp; Jackie O Show</em>, the actor introduced his new furry friend Ezekiel to the hosts, which was quickly met with the radio titans asking how he dealt with the loss of his other dog.</p> <p>"At first we were both like well he's irreplaceable, we can't get another puppy," Crowe said. "That was just a really difficult hole to fill.”</p> <p>"We put so much emotion into that little dog and then he died as tragically as he did," he continued.</p> <p>"The only way we could really stop that from being so harsh was to get another puppy.”</p> <p>Later in the interview, the star revealed that he had the dog flown over from South Australia to Sydney in a private jet.</p> <p>"I'm dealing with Britney whose level of grief was so deep that yeah I put her on a little jet and sent her to go see the dog, then she picked up the dog and came home," Crowe admitted of his girlfriend's pain.</p> <p>"I know it makes me look like a bit of a tosser but you know it's about 'what do I need to do right now to help Britney’."</p> <p>His tragic confession comes just two months after Louis the Papillion’s death.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram / TikTok</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Dog lovers rejoice after "greedy" serial puppy farmer handed life ban

<p dir="ltr">A serial puppy offender has faced sentencing over 17 charges of animal cruelty, with both a lifetime ban and thousands of dollars in fees included in her punishment. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 51-year-old woman from Bullsbrook, a northern suburb in Perth, had been breeding sick dogs in squalid conditions while charging their potential new owners thousands of dollars, and has now been banned from owning or breeding any more dogs for the rest of her life. </p> <p dir="ltr">For her cruel actions, the Perth Magistrates Court handed her a “10-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, $25,000 in fines and an 18-month Intensive Supervision Order.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Additionally, the repeat offender - who has been in custody since April 14 after breaching the conditions of her bail - was also ordered to pay $24,279.11 in legal costs, as well as care and treatment costs totalling $18,241.01.</p> <p dir="ltr">The charges were in relation to 23 dogs who were seized from her property in June 2020 - with sought-after breeds including the likes of Maltese, shih-tzus, poodles, and cavalier King Charles spaniels among them.</p> <p dir="ltr">It wasn’t her first offence - instead her fourth - but her most recent was in 2014 when the RSPCA found 50 dogs at her former home, with 12 of the animals “hidden in a bunker three metres underground”. </p> <p dir="ltr">This time around, she had been trying to conceal her crimes. As the court heard in December, she has been moving the dogs between three different Bullbrook addresses in a bid to avoid detection.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was a display of “callous disregard or at least wilful blindness,” Magistrate Janie Gibbs said. </p> <p dir="ltr">RSPCA WA had launched their investigation into her after a member of the public reported their concerns - they had been trying to purchase a puppy through Gumtree, and had grown suspicious when they were informed they couldn’t visit the dog at home. </p> <p dir="ltr">From there, RSPCA WA seized 32 dogs from the woman’s property - of which there were four adult males, 19 adult females, and nine puppies - with the majority of them showing signs of being “underweight, unkempt, or unwell”, and nearly all of them suffering from “ear infections and/or dental disease and … matted, overgrown hair”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two did not survive, and five of them were pregnant, giving birth to 22 more puppies in the weeks to follow. All have been in the foster care of RSPCA WA while the case went on. </p> <p dir="ltr">As RSPCA WA Executive Manager Animal and Enforcement Operations Hannah Dreaver explained, the woman responsible had been operating a profit-driven business, and had been placing her income well above the welfare of the dogs in her care.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This included using several locations to hide this operation from both authorities and potential puppy buyers,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“All were popular breeds selling for thousands of dollars. These dogs were making her a fortune and she was treating them as nothing more than money-making machines, having litter after litter without proper care.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Please, if you want to get a dog, consider adoption from the RSPCA or another reputable rescue organisation first. If you do decide to buy a puppy, never buy online and never buy sight unseen. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Always meet your new puppy and its mum in the home where it’s being raised.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: RSPCA WA</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Russell Crowe loses best friend in tragic accident

<p><em>Gladiator</em> star Russell Crowe has announced the tragic passing of his puppy, Louis. </p> <p>The actor broke the news on Twitter, explaining that his “tiny, cheeky, [and] brave” boy had been hit by a truck, and despite the best efforts of vets, had lost his life. </p> <p>"This is Louis the Papillion. 16 months old. Tiny, cheeky, brave. He won my heart," he wrote alongside an image of the pup. </p> <p>“Unfortunately today, on the second anniversary of my fathers passing, Louis was hit by a truck.</p> <p>"We tried to get him to the vet, but he died in my arms while I was telling him how much we loved him."</p> <p>Condolences poured in through Russell’s comment section, with many noting that their hearts were breaking for his family in this difficult time. </p> <p>“We are heartbroken for you and so deeply sorry for your loss. Louis will be in your heart forever. Sending all of our love, comfort, and strength,” wrote animal rights group PETA. </p> <p>“So sorry to hear this Russel. My heart goes out to you,” said fellow actor Vincent D’Onofrio. </p> <p>“I am so sorry! What a beautiful face and those eyes. I like to think our pets wait for us to join them one day, loyal as ever,” self-proclaimed ‘dog devotee’ Alicia Rancilio shared. </p> <p>And as <em>Today</em>’s Michelle Stephenson summed it up, “Well this is just so heartbreaking”. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is Louis the Papillion.<br />16 months old.<br />Tiny, cheeky, brave. He won my heart.<br />Unfortunately today, on the second anniversary of my fathers passing, Louis was hit by a truck.<br />We tried to get him to the vet, but he died in my arms while I was telling him how much we loved him. <a href="https://t.co/zIwzUz8Ljx">pic.twitter.com/zIwzUz8Ljx</a></p> <p>— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) <a href="https://twitter.com/russellcrowe/status/1641302352161562624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Russell’s loss came as a sort of double tragedy, hitting him just two years after his father had passed away at the age of 85. </p> <p>The 58-year-old made that painful news public through Twitter as well, writing at the time that “I arrived back in the bush last night. Today, although the sun is shining and the torrential rain has abated, this date will forever be tinged with sadness. </p> <p>“My dear old man, my beautiful dad, the most gentle of men, has passed away.”</p> <p>Despite the grief sure to be weighing heavily on his shoulders, Russell and his family will always have their happy memories with Louis - and Russell’s dad - to hold on to. </p> <p>Like the dress up day Russell and Louis shared in December 2021, where Russell overcame his distaste for “dressing dogs up” to match his little friend. </p> <p>After sharing that it wasn’t his thing - as well as a photo of the two with their heads together and a smile on Russell’s face - he went on to explain in a tweet that a friend had bought a Ralph Lauren polo shirt for “little Louis … so he can match with dad. </p> <p>“I think the other dogs on the farm are going to get jealous. Pretty funny.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I’m not at all a fan of dressing dogs up, but, a friend bought little Louis a ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/RalphLauren?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RalphLauren</a>⁩ polo so he can match with dad. I think the other dogs on the farm are going to get jealous. Pretty funny. <a href="https://t.co/odmCZwfvA8">pic.twitter.com/odmCZwfvA8</a></p> <p>— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) <a href="https://twitter.com/russellcrowe/status/1605404835599159296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Breeder faces the consequences for “squalid” puppy farm

<p>A 60-year-old man from Western Australia has been dealt over $100,000 in penalties, an animal cruelty charge, and a 40 year animal ownership ban in the wake of RSPCA inspectors seizing 39 dogs from him. </p> <p>The horrific conditions in which the dogs were living were brought to their attention after a customer came by to purchase a dog from the man’s Bridgetown property in January 2022. He was asking for $5000 a puppy, despite the filth the dogs were being forced to live in - reportedly facing everything from infection to drinking from sewage pipes. </p> <p>In a post to RSPCA WA’s Facebook account, it was revealed that the man “has been given what amounts to a lifetime ban from breeding animals after RSPCA inspectors seized 39 labradoodles from his Bridgetown home in January.</p> <p>“The offender was banned from owning any animal for 40 years, with one notable exception; the Magistrate ruled he could have up to three sterilised dogs.</p> <p>The offender, who pleaded guilty to 28 charges of animal cruelty, has also been fined $112,000, $64,000 of which was suspended for two years.” </p> <p>It went on to outline the conditions the inspector had encountered, and that - importantly - the “The dogs continue to recover in the care of RSPCA WA.”</p> <p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FRSPCAWA%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02kdjk1JMbPpBanhpEFJGKd2wB9sCzuhHi4EivkDEckADnUFNgJb24Wmdgt8MuLDaRl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="708" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>Kylie Green, Inspector Manager for RSPCA WA, explained that the dogs were examined by a veterinarian after they were removed from the property, and discovered that they were suffering from a whole host of conditions - with everything from ear infections to matted fur, dental disease, and conjunctivitis. </p> <p>“A lot of the dogs and puppies were also suffering from significant psychological harm, as determined by a veterinary behaviourist,” she added. </p> <p>“Some of them just stood in their kennels for weeks after they first came here, staring at the wall and refusing to interact.</p> <p>“It’s a credit to our expert staff and network of dedicated foster carers that they’ve come as far as they have, but this is what people need to stop and consider when they are looking to buy a ‘cute’ puppy.”</p> <p>Kyle went on to stress the importance of evaluating the conditions any puppy is being raised in before buying, whether “you buy from an unregistered breeder, if you buy off the internet or social media”. As without “clean, safe conditions” and a “happy and healthy” mother, “there’s a chance you are supporting this kind of cruelty.” </p> <p><em>Images: RSPCA WA / Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Not so innocent: Detail in cute puppy pic reveals Melissa Caddick’s huge profits

<p dir="ltr">A previously unnoticed detail in an innocent photograph has revealed the eye-watering amount accused fraudster Melissa Caddick was making from her alleged crimes per day.</p> <p dir="ltr">Caddick sent the photo of her pet dog posing in her home office to one of her victims, according to the podcast <em>Liar Liar: Melissa Caddick and the Missing Millions</em>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1f31aa36-7fff-bb16-cf57-e370267c42d5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">After zooming in on the notepad on Caddick’s desk, it can be seen that “$46K per day” was written under the heading “Average Profits” between April 27 and May 27.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/smh-cadddick.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Zooming in on the photograph reveals the record sums Melissa Caddick was making. Image: The Sydney Morning Herald</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Kate McClymont, the <em>Sydney Morning Herald</em> and <em>The Age</em> journalist who hosts the podcast, <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/melissa-caddick-podcast-how-a-cute-dog-photo-provided-a-clue-to-her-staggering-profits/4474e72b-e7f2-4472-902a-fa3ee10029bd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told <em>Today</em></a><em> </em>that these kinds of discoveries showed how clues could be “hiding in plain sight”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The person that provided me with that photo is one of, not only Melissa’s victims, but she worked one day a week for Melissa,” McClymont said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So she is sitting there day after day seeing all of these things, but it wasn’t until after Melissa disappeared and the Herald broke the story saying she was running a Ponzi scheme, they didn’t realise they were all victims.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In May 2020 alone, Caddick made a whopping $1.426 million profit - and her case has since captured the nation’s attention.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her home in Sydney’s east was raided by federal police on behalf of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in November 2020, and it was suspected she had fleeced millions of dollars from her victims - mostly friends and family - to fund her lifestyle.</p> <p dir="ltr">Caddick then disappeared a day after the raid.</p> <p dir="ltr">Months later, the remains of her foot inside a running shoe washed up on a beach on the NSW South Coast.</p> <p dir="ltr">An inquest into her death will commence in September, and McClymont told <em>Today </em>it could dispel some mysteries surrounding how she died.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Already I have heard that some of her victims have been interviewed by the police to provide alibis,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The journalist added that a forensic pathologist would hopefully be able to determine if Caddick’s foot was cut off or had deteriorated in the ocean.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Until we hear from a forensic pathologist, that is still one of the big mysteries in this case.”</p> <p dir="ltr">To read the full story and hear the <em>Liar Liar</em> episode, click <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/how-a-puppy-picture-revealed-melissa-caddick-s-stunning-46-000-per-day-profit-20220429-p5ahbm.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f7014543-7fff-dec0-63fe-12c9612cc9a9"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

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John Travolta's son adopts puppy from the Oscars ceremony

<p>Mac n Cheese, the adorable rescue pup who stole hearts worldwide during an Oscars tribute segment for actress Betty White, has been rescued by none other than John Travolta’s son, Ben.</p> <p>The adorable little man was cradled by actress Jamie Lee Curtis in the 'In Memoriam' segment on Monday's ceremony when she spoke lovingly about the late Golden Girl star's love for animals.</p> <p>In her speech, Curtis said White's fans can honour her legacy by adopting a rescue dog like Mac N Cheese.</p> <p>Curtis didn't have to tell the Travolta family twice, as their home was already open to the little pooch, who they rescued from Paw Works: a nonprofit rescue organisation in Thousand Oaks, California.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbqosEVpIGj/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbqosEVpIGj/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by John Travolta (@johntravolta)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"Ben adopted this dog from last night's Oscar tribute to Betty White. Thank you @curtisleejamie &amp; @pawworks," the actor captioned a happy snap of 11-year-old Ben cuddling their new family member.</p> <p>Travolta and Curtis are long time friends.They starred alongside each other in the 1984 romantic comedy Perfect, and on Monday they reconnected backstage.</p> <p>"A MAGICAL ending to the story from last night," Curtis posted on Instagram as she shared Travolta's photo. "At the Oscars I reconnected with my friend, John Travolta. @johntravolta We starred together in the movie PERFECT back in 1984. I had already left the Dolby theater last night after honoring Betty White and was on my way home when someone texted me a photo of John holding little mac &amp; cheese in the green room before his presentation of the best actor Oscar."</p> <p>"I thought it was so beautiful to see him with her and then today I found out that he and his son, Ben have adopted beautiful little mac &amp; cheese and are taking her home today," Curtis concluded. "It is an emotional end and a perfect tribute to Betty White."</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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The bid to stamp out puppy mills for good

<p dir="ltr">A bill to ban intensive puppy farming in NSW hits fierce opposition from the state’s peak body for dog breeders, who insist the rules are “heavy-handed” and would hurt responsible breeders. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Companion Animals Amendment (Puppy Farms) Bill in 2021, a signature policy of Animal Justice Party upper house member Emma Hurst, would limit breeders of cats and dogs to a maximum of 10 breeding females, consistent with Victorian legislation.</p> <p dir="ltr">The bill, which is being co-sponsored by independent MP Alex Greenwich in the lower house, would also limit female cats and dogs to two litters, cap the age of male dogs used for breeding at six years old, and require a ratio of one staff member to every five animals.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Puppy farms” or “puppy mills” refers to the intensive factory farming of dogs for the pet trade industry, often in huge sheds on rural properties. </p> <p dir="ltr">The problem has increased during the pandemic. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has confirmed many intensive breeders moved across the border to NSW after Victoria passed legislation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’ve got these massive, large-scale puppy farms right here in NSW - somebody could have hundreds of female dogs and force them to pump out litter after litter for their entire lives,” Ms Hurst said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The pandemic puppy buying has really exploded the issue of puppy farms where people are able to make a huge amount of money because a lot of these dogs are selling for thousands of dollars each.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Hurst said the dogs often had behavioural issues from poor socialisation and health problems from in-breeding. </p> <p dir="ltr">Dogs NSW president Lyn Brand said the legislation would affect good breeders, while not reducing underground puppy farming.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re happy to cooperate with eradicating puppy farms - they’re abhorrent,” Ms Brand said. “But they’re untraceable because a lot of the people who are puppy farming don’t microchip all their puppies, and they’re meeting people in car parks to hand over the puppies.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She said the limit of 10 breeding females would include animals that are not used for breeding but kept for shows - they would be disqualified from shows if desexed - and puppies that are older than 12 months. She also said limiting the number of litters could reduce genetic diversity in purebred dogs.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dogs NSW recently started a petition on Change.org, warning the bill could “prevent normal families from getting their family pet from a reputable, responsible breeder”. Ms Hurst’s response, accusing Dogs NSW of providing “false and misleading information”, was sent to everyone who signed the petition and is posted underneath.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Hurst has also had a petition in support of the bill on her website for several months and there are nearly 43,000 signatures so far.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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Prince William and Kate's new puppy reveal

<p>James Middletown has shared an adorable snap featuring Prince William and Kate’s new puppy.</p> <p>The Duchess of Cambridge's younger brother gifted the royals their new furry friend, which came from a litter birthed by his own dog Luna.</p> <p>James shared the sweet pictures from when his dog Luna gave birth to a litter of six cocker spaniels in 2020. One of the six pups photographed was Kate and Prince William's, whom they received before their dog Lupo died in November 2020.</p> <p>The photos were posted alongside a caption in which James spoke about welcoming a dog into the family.</p> <p>It is believed that the royals' new pet, whose name is not publicly known, is a black puppy – the same colour as Lupo.</p> <p>In 2012, the year before Prince George's birth, James gifted Kate with Lupo, who is the brother of Luna – the mother of the duo's current pet.</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/Royal-dogs.jpg" alt="" width="778" height="429" /></p> <p>James, a dog lover and owner of six canines, touched on helping his sister welcome their new dog.</p> <p>"Over the years I've helped many friends, family and followers come to the right decision on adding a four-legged addition to the family," he wrote.</p> <p>In a related post, he reflected on his childhood with Kate saying, "I was 11 when we got our first family dog, Tilly, and I remember all of the feelings of excitement and nervousness like it was yesterday!"</p> <p>While not many details have been released about the Duke and Duchess' new dog, they did reveal that she's a girl during a January visit to a community hospital where they met a cockapoo puppy named Alfie.</p> <p>While holding Alfie, Kate joked, "Our dog is going to be very upset. She's going to be like, 'Where have you been?'"</p> <p><em>Images: Getty &amp; Instagram</em></p>

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Special Forces veteran delivers heartfelt plea over stolen puppy

<p>Special Forces veteran Luke Evans has launched an emotional appeal after his seven-week old puppy was stolen from his doggy daycare farm on Monday morning</p><p>The father-of-three set up the farm on NSW's Central Coast three years ago with the help of his wife following 11 years of service in the navy to help him cope with his PTSD. </p><p>The farm offers daycare for pets and also works to rehabilitate and find forever homes for rescue dogs. </p><p>The dogs, who were all secret inside at the time of the theft, began barking around 4am to alert the couple that something was wrong. </p><p>The navy veteran got up to check out the commotion, but didn't find out of the ordinary. </p><p>It wasn't the next morning that Luke realised one of their beautiful blue-eyed Australian Shepherd-husky cross litter pups was missing. </p><p>The puppy was taken from a seperate room where the litter was being kept away from the larger dogs during the night. </p><p></p><p>"This little male pup that has been taken is just 7 weeks old, incredibly cute, two bright blue eyes and perfect Blue Merle and White markings," the family wrote online.</p><p>"The little one is microchipped and the number has been reported as stolen."</p><p>"We sincerely hope that someone might make the right decision to hand him in somewhere. Or perhaps someone might recognise him and let the police know."</p><p>"We are heartbroken. Numb. Terribly deflated. So many emotions right now. Disappointed. Disbelief. Concerned. Upset. Angry. Lost," the post read. </p><p>The 37-year-old navy veteran suspects the thief had been watching his daycare's YouTube channel, where he shares updates on his animals and an insight into their life on the farm, in order to plan the daring heist.</p><p>Following the theft, the farm has been set up with extra security measures including multiple cameras and alarms to keep their animals safe.</p><p><em>Image credits: Facebook - Doggy Daycare Farm Trips </em></p>

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Restaurant in strife for accepting puppy pics instead of vaccination proof 

<p>A restaurant in Canada was ordered to temporarily cease its indoor dining services after it was discovered that customers were being allowed a seat after presenting cute dog photos instead of proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or negative test results, health officials said.</p><p>Alberta Health Services issued the closure order Friday after it investigated complaints about the Granary Kitchen in Red Deer.</p><p>Two investigators posing as customers visited the restaurant at different times after providing photos and personal identification to restaurant staff, the agency said in the order.</p><p>“In both instances, facility staff used a tablet to make it appear as if they were scanning a QR code, when in fact the staff member was presented with a photograph of a dog,” the agency said.</p><p>“The staff member then proceeded to ask the test shopper for personal identification and offered dine-in services.”<br />The restaurant was ordered to close its indoor dining area and submit a written COVID-19 compliance plan that follows the province’s indoor dining rules.</p><p>In a Facebook post Friday, the restaurant called the incident “an unfortunate circumstance at our front door which involved one of our underage hostesses”.</p><p>“We are taking the weekend to retrain and regroup,” the restaurant said.</p><p>“We look forward to serving you again as soon as we are ready to reopen.</p><p>"In closing we would like to remind everyone of the tremendous pressure being placed on front staff, and please remember to be kind.”</p><p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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Adorable puppy melts hearts of William and Kate

<p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p>Prince William and Kate Middleton were seen smiling, laughing and joking as they visited Lancashire on Thursday. This was their second joint engagement over the course of a few days.</p> <p>Despite their royal status, it was therapy dog Alfie who stole the show and melted their hearts.</p> <p>The apricot cockapoo was funded through hospital charity ELHT&amp;me using a grant from NHS Charities Together, which the Duke and Duchess are Royal Patrons of.</p> <p>The couple visited Clitheroe Community Hospital, where they met with NHS staff and patients to learn about the challenges faced by rural health providers and to understand how NHS Charities Together is supporting the mental health of the frontline workforce.</p> <p>So far, the charity has helped fund a staff well-being room as well as two therapy dogs — six-year-old Jasper and Alfie, who is brand new to the team.</p> <p>They also visited Church on the Street, a charity run by Pastor Mick Fleming. The organisation was set up in 2019 to help the homeless and people living in poverty in Burnley and the surrounding areas. Speaking to a number of volunteers and staff, the couple heard about their motivations for working with Church on the Street.</p> <p>Charity owner Pastor Mick is now in discussions with local authorities, external support agencies and the NHS with the aim of providing further support for people who are struggling with their mental health.</p>

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Puppies born ready to communicate with people

<div> <div class="copy"> <p>In a result that won’t come as a surprise to dog lovers, US researchers have found that puppies are born with an innate ability to interact with humans.</p> <p>The team studied eight-week-old puppies to see how they responded to human gestures without much (if any) training by giving 375 dogs the exact same tasks. They found that up to 40% of a puppy’s capacity to interact comes down to its genes.</p> <p>“We show that puppies will reciprocate human social gaze and successfully use information given by a human in a social context from a very young age and prior to extensive experience with humans,” says Emily E. Bray, an animal behaviour researcher at the University of Arizona.</p> <p>“For example, even before puppies have left their littermates to live one-on-one with their volunteer raisers, most of them are able to find hidden food by following a human point to the indicated location.”</p> <p>But this communication only seemed to work when a human initiated it; otherwise, puppies didn’t naturally look to humans to indicate how to find the food.</p> <p>The study, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.055" target="_blank">published</a> in the journal <em>Current Biology</em>, found that based on their genetics some puppies have a better innate ability than others to interact with humans, with 40% of the variation in following human gestures explained by inherited genes.</p> <p>“All these findings suggest that dogs are biologically prepared for communication with humans,” Bray says.</p> <p>Bray and team have been studying dog behaviour for a decade, in collaboration with a US service dog organisation called Canine Companions. All of the dogs in the study were budding service dogs with a similar rearing history and known pedigrees, allowing the researchers to build a statistical model that could assess genetic factors in comparison to environmental factors.</p> <p>These findings not only add to our understanding of how dogs develop their abilities to think and problem solve, but also have implications for determining what makes a successful service dog.</p> <p>The next step is to identify specific genes contributing to the displayed behaviours – and to keep tabs on these puppies to see whether success on these early tests can predict their successful graduation into service dogs.</p> <p>Bray says that their findings may also “point to an important piece of the domestication story, in that animals with a propensity for communication with our own species might have been selected for in the wolf populations that gave rise to dogs”.</p> <p> </p> <div style="position: relative; display: block; max-width: 100%;"> <div style="padding-top: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/5483960636001/HJH3i8Guf_default/index.html?videoId=6257155470001" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%;"></iframe></div> </div> <p class="caption">An 8-week-old yellow retriever puppy participating in a trial of the pointing task. Credit: Arizona Canine Cognition Center</p> <!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=154279&amp;title=Puppies+born+ready+to+communicate+with+people" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication --></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/puppies-born-ready-to-communicate-with-people/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/lauren-fuge">Lauren Fuge</a>. Lauren Fuge is a science journalist at Cosmos. She holds a BSc in physics from the University of Adelaide and a BA in English and creative writing from Flinders University.</p> <p><em>Image: Canine Companions for Independence</em></p> </div> </div>

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Paws up! Six puppies join the NSW Police Dog Unit

<p>Six German Shepherd puppies have joined the elite, and adorable, NSW Police Dog Force Unit to report for duty. </p> <p>Four furry females and two males were born in May to mum Bonnie and dad Vegas, and have each been named by the patients at Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick. </p> <p>The female pups are Carrie, Cali, Carol and Cody, and their brothers are Coops and Charger. </p> <p><span>Superintendent Michael Rochester, Dog and Mounted Commander, said the kids of Sydney Children's </span>Hospital left an important legacy on the Dog Unit by naming their newest recruits.</p> <p><span>"Unfortunately, this year the kids weren't able to meet the pups in person because of the pandemic, but we were very glad we could get them involved virtually," Supt Rochester said in a statement.</span><span></span></p> <p>"If these pups are successful through their training, they'll go on to help the community in many ways."</p> <p>"Our dogs are used to find missing people, assist in pursuits, detect drugs, explosives and other paraphernalia, and have a variety of other specialist functions which make them an invaluable law enforcement capability."</p> <p>The adorable puppies have begun their foundational training, as they are being exposed to new a range of new experiences and environments. </p> <p>The NSW Police force shared the news of the puppies on their Twitter account, along with the backstory to each dog's name. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">The NSW Police Force's newest police pups have been named by patients from Sydney Children's Hospital. <br /><br />“I wanted to name the puppy Cody because my best friend’s name is Cody, and dogs are her favourite animal,” said eight-year-old Alice.<a href="https://t.co/9skvOMkOOj">https://t.co/9skvOMkOOj</a> <a href="https://t.co/n7SdeQRTsn">pic.twitter.com/n7SdeQRTsn</a></p> — NSW Police Force (@nswpolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/nswpolice/status/1442652246060060676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>They said on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/news?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGZWJpenByZC5wb2xpY2UubnN3Lmdvdi5hdSUyRm1lZGlhJTJGOTc2MzguaHRtbCZhbGw9MQ%3D%3D" target="_blank">their website</a> that naming the dogs became a wonderful distraction for the kids, who had to spend time in the hospital for various reasons.</p> <p>Eight-year-old Alice chose the name Cody after being inspired by this closest to her. </p> <p>She said, <span>“I wanted to name the puppy Cody because my best friend’s name is Cody, and dogs are her favourite animal.”</span></p> <p><span>Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott welcomed the new furry recruits, thanking those who named them. </span></p> <p>“These pups represent the next generation of the Force’s Police Dog team, one of the most highly-trained and respected in the world,” Mr Elliott said.</p> <p>“I join the children, who named the pups, in following the progress of the C-litter; I know they will achieve great things in the future,” he said.</p> <p><em>Image credit: NSW Police</em></p>

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Autistic boy’s heartbreak over support dog “stolen”

<p><span>A seven-year-old boy and his family were devastated after they lost their beloved support dog.</span><br /><br /><span>Xavier’s family said their family's life had improved immeasurably when they met their pup Blue.</span><br /><br /><span>“She likes playing soccer with me. She likes snuggling me when I’m sick,” Xavier told <em>7News.</em></span><br /><br /><span>“When I was upset she would always come near me and let me fiddle with her ear.”</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843408/xavier-puppy-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a27c495275d24f3c8e6b54faa6eea330" /></p> <p><em>Images: 7News</em><br /><br /><span>Their spaniel puppy was taken into the home for Xavier, to be a support pet as he lives with autism.</span><br /><br /><span>His mum, Sarah Rodgers, said her son’s behaviour had improved significantly since Blue came into their life back in April.</span><br /><br /><span>“We travel quite a lot with horses, and for Xavier to be out in an environment that’s quite chaotic at the horse shows, it’s about giving him something that gives security,” Rodgers explained.</span><br /><br /><span>“He doesn’t cope with very well with lots of noise, lots of activity.</span><br /><br /><span>“Blue just gives him that moment to centre. When he gets overwhelmed ... Blue would come up and lick him in the back of the head and go, ‘hey, it’s OK’.</span><br /><br /><span>“If he was walking through a crowd and was starting to get overwhelmed, Blue would walking in front of him and go, ‘hey, it’s OK’.</span><br /><br /><span>“When he gets super upset and can’t communicate to us why he gets upset, he would sit with Blue and let him fiddle with her ear.”</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843410/xavier-puppy.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5fdf30d58bed4d8ca01ae61bf45a8b2d" /></p> <p><em>Images: 7News</em><br /><br /><span>Sadly, Blue disappeared over a week ago from the family’s property in Bellmere, in the Moreton Bay region of Queensland.</span><br /><br /><span>Rodgers revealed she had to deliver heartbreaking news to Xavier: “Maybe she’s not coming home, mate.”</span><br /><br /><span>“It was really hard,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>Rodgers said Blue vanished from their home when she left for the morning school run.</span><br /><br /><span>Police are investigating the suspicious disappearance, with Rodgers saying a witness reported seeing a woman carrying the dog that morning.</span><br /><br /><span>“To think that someone ... may have had an issue and didn’t bother coming to talk with us, or may have decided they wanted to make a point, again without coming to talk with us, I find that really hard and I can’t explain that to him,” Rodgers said.</span></p>

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