Loving us but hating other dogs, Buddy was a delight at home and a nightmare away from it. When his time came, we decided to give him one last outing

My partner, Paul, and I are dog lovers through and through but our office jobs meant it had never been practical, or fair, to have a dog of our own. In lockdown our working situations changed, however, so we visited Oxford Animal Sanctuary and met Buddy, a labrador/border collie cross. He was nine and very reactive to other dogs. Knowing he had spent three years in and out of kennels, we couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him in what must have been an incredibly stressful environment. So on 4 July 2020 we brought him home.

With us, Buddy was docile, gentle and obedient. He never barked or charged around; he was the perfect house dog. A real character, he loved waking us up by grabbing the corner of the duvet in his mouth and ripping it off. He adored playing football and always tried to join in when I attempted Yoga With Adriene or a Joe Wicks workout. But the sanctuary had warned that if he saw another dog he would become agitated and aggressive and want to charge at them. So every time we took him for a walk, Paul would have to go ahead and make sure the coast was clear.

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Man says he ended up in ‘a crazy situation’ after he began taking in cats abandoned during Covid pandemic

An animal welfare charity in western Canada is scrambling to secure the resources needed to care for about 300 cats – all of them seemingly in good condition – after a call came in from a man who described himself as being “overwhelmed” by the sheer number of cats and kittens in his home.

Bruce Robinson told the British Columbia SPCA that he had taken in cats that had been abandoned during the Covid-19 pandemic but that the cost of caring for them had become a herculean task after he lost his job.

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Study confirms our canine companions can grasp more than simple commands – or at least for items they care about

Dogs understand what certain words stand for, according to researchers who monitored the brain activity of willing pooches while they were shown balls, slippers, leashes and other highlights of the domestic canine world.

The finding suggests that the dog brain can reach beyond commands such as “sit” and “fetch”, and the frenzy-inducing “walkies”, to grasp the essence of nouns, or at least those that refer to items the animals care about.

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She was my first pet, so her aversion to affection came as a disappointment. But I couldn’t help admire her carefree, combative confidence

My pyjama trousers must have been on the small side at the time – not unusual for a nine-year-old going through a mini-growth spurt. However, the reason I know that the trouser legs were hanging above my ankles is that when Tiggy took a swipe at them that morning, she managed to draw blood.

To be fair, she had given me due warning. On the previous occasion I was slow to feed the cat, she had growled with such naked menace that had she been human, the message could not have been more explicit: next time I’ll cut you.

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Exclusive: Number of such dogs that have been dumped rose from eight in 2020 to 582 in 2023, RSPCA says

They may be lauded in the show ring, adored by celebrities, and feature in myriad adverts, but the number of French bulldogs being abandoned has risen sharply in recent years, data suggests.

According to the RSPCA, the number of such dogs in England and Wales that have been dumped rose from eight in 2020 to 582 in 2023 – an increase of more than 7,000% in three years.

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DNA My Dog received human genetic sample and identified it as a malamute, shar-pei and labrador, according to news station

A pet company has twice sent back dog breed results for human swab samples, prompting doubts surrounding the accuracy of dog breed tests.

On Wednesday, WBZ News reported its investigations team receiving dog breed results from the company DNA My Dog after one of its reporters sent in a swab sample – from her own cheek.

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An Australian shepherd named Viking won best in show at Crufts, and the ‘extremely smart’ breed is increasingly popular for its temperament and beauty

On a property out of Tamworth in country New South Wales, the uncle of the Australian shepherd Viking – winner of the most prestigious title at the 2024 Crufts dog competition in the UK – is a champion in his own right.

Bradley, who was born in Russia to the same litter as Viking’s mother, is nine years old and a semi-retired multi-champion of dog shows overseas and in Australia.

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Independent owners are declining fast in a sector now dominated by big companies and private equity

• UK watchdog plans formal investigation into vet pricing

“Multiple concerns,” said the Competition and Markets Authority about the veterinary practice market . You bet. Semi-captive customers, rapid consolidation, lack of transparency and inflation-beating prices do not necessarily add up to a conspiracy against the consumer, but such a market is definitely worth a closer look. That’s before one mentions, as the CMA didn’t explicitly, the presence of the private equity industry, which tends to have a nose like a bloodhound for easy pickings.

The mini-revelation in the CMA’s initial review of the sector was how far, and how quickly, the independent veterinary practice has declined as the dominant ownership model. From only 10% in 2013, almost 60% of veterinary practices are now owned by large companies. Welcome to the world where two quoted companies, Pets at Home and CVS Group, three-backed by private equity plus one owned by pet food (and chocolate) maker Mars are the big names. Rather than big splashy deals, this has mostly been a case of individual practices steadily selling up.

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