20 h. ago The pet I’ll never forget: Jack, the sacked sniffer dog, who pulled me through the darkest days of chemo

After the failure of his police career, Jack came to live with us, caring for the whole family indiscriminately. When I was sickest, and felt unlovable, he reminded me I was lovedJack, the cocker spaniel, was sacked by the police. His career as a detection dog was an utter failure – he was more interested in people than cannabis and made some embarrassing mistakes, including begging for treats from potential offenders rather than alerting officers about drugs.A colleague told me about a police dog that needed a home and so Jack arrived – via police van – at our house. He was lithe, glossy black and animated. He ricocheted around the house, knocking over children and pot plants. He chased rabbits and pheasants over the fields. He ate off the children’s plates and collected shoes. He loved us all indiscriminately and liked to have us where he could see us. If anyone left the room, he’d sigh deeply and follow, remaining close until the pack was back together. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago BT worker who called Dundee Utd supporter colleague ‘Arab b*****d’ in footie banter sacked for racism

A BT worker who called his Dundee United supporter colleague an “Arab b*****d” as part of football banter was sacked for racism. Dundee fan Jack Caird was axed over the message on a work group chat that also included offensive comments. But he’s now been awarded a £10k payout after winning an unfair dismissal tribunal...

Events

4 d. ago Brit caught trying to smuggle over 1,000 LSD tabs across Europe by sniffer dog

A British events manager was caught by a sniffer dog after he spent hours hiding in an airport as he tried to secretly smuggle more than 1,000 LSD tab across Europe

Events

7 d. ago The pet I’ll never forget: Bosko the great flying cat inspired my art – and delivered me from grief

He had youth, energy, a tiny purr and could jump 7ft in the air. I always knew when he was about to do it, because he would stare at me intensely before launching himself towards the ceilingMy animals play a big, crazy role in my life. I grew up with cats when I was a little kid but my love of black cats began when I moved from New York to LA in 1996 and found four feral black cats in my back yard. Almost immediately, two female cats got knocked up and had two litters at the same time. Suddenly, we had 13 black cats, the most I’d ever cared for at once.I’ve been an artist all my life and during the early 2000s my career really started to take off. I began creating a lot of merchandise toys and had my own TV series called Teacher’s Pet, which won five Emmys and a Bafta. My cat Blackie was the inspiration behind all my artwork at the time; he was a scholarly cat with a giant purr – I often drew him as my alter ego. When Blackie died from illness in 2020, I felt as though I’d lost a pa...

Politics

2 w. ago The pet I’ll never forget: Dory the 10kg rabbit, who saved me from a diabetic coma

My Flemish giant bunny loved chomping on carrots, computer cables and my skirting board – and being walked on a leash. When I suffered a medical emergency, she jumped into actionThe first time I saw a Flemish giant rabbit was at TruckFest in Peterborough in 2002. Among a sprawling maze of stalls at the East of England showground, I was led into a tent filled with the biggest rabbits I’d ever laid eyes on. I’d never heard of Flemish giants before, but I knew then that I needed one. I couldn’t have predicted in that moment that one of these beautiful creatures might save my life.Dory was a baby when I met her, but even as a bunny she was already bigger than most normal-sized rabbits. We brought her home in a cat carrier, but she soon outgrew it. By the time she was fully grown, she weighed nearly 10kg, and I was walking her on a leash like a dog. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Who are Jack and Tyler Fletcher? Meet Man United caretaker bosses sons

Darren Fletcher will be in the dugout for Manchester United against Burnley on Wednesday after Ruben Amorim's sacking and his twin sons Jack and Tyler are both pushing for first-team minutes

Politics