dog

A nine-month-old baby has been killed in a dog attack in south-east Wales, according to Gwent Police.

Officers and paramedics went to a property on Crossway in Rogiet, Monmouthshire, at about 18:00 GMT on Sunday.

The dog was seized and removed from the address, the force said.

Police were working to establish the breed of the animal and no arrests had been made.

Ch Supt John Davies said: “Officers are on scene and will be making further inquiries as the investigation progresses.”

Residents said they were in disbelief at the death of the child, with the community in shock and trying to come to terms with what had happened.

They said they saw police cars and ambulances on the quiet residential street in south Wales at the time of the incident.

By 22:00 the police cordon had been lifted and all the ambulances and most police cars had gone, replaced by scenes of crime investigation vehicles.

At this time two police officers were still guarding a house on Crossway, a street now silent but for the hum of cars on the M4 and trains on the south Wales to London line.

One couple were left seriously disappointed when they arrived at their four-star all-inclusive hotel in Greece for 10 days and claimed the meals were so bad, ‘I wouldn’t even serve the food to a dog’

A seething couple who spent more than £2K on an all-inclusive holiday claim their hotel meals “looked like dog food” and the swimming pool was “disgusting.”

Erin Wells, 24, and Jordan Evans, 25, booked a 10-night stay at a four-star hotel in Crete, Greece, through easyJet Holidays to celebrate their birthdays. They jetted off with excitement on 28 September after seeing a slew of positive reviews and paid a total of £2,218.

However, the couple’s holiday soon turned into a nightmare. They said they encountered issues with their room and the hotel facilities, including the meals being served, which they claimed were “unmarked meat” with “grim desserts”.

READ MORE: Brits going to Benidorm this month warned they could be targeted by costly crimeREAD MORE: Man ‘forced to sleep in wheelchair’ after booking ‘accessible’ Bristol hotel room

Erin, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, recalled: “We went down for lunch and saw nothing was labelled, there was just unmarked meat.

“Later on into the holiday, I went up to one of the chefs and asked what the meat was, and she opened the container, picked up a piece of the meat, ate it and said, ‘Well, I think it’s chicken’.”

The 24-year-old claimed: “Nothing was marked, so you didn’t know what you were eating. They were just sat out at room temperature. Nothing about them was appealing. They were inedible.

“The food as a whole was just disgusting. They look like dog food. It’s not even like they were trying to make the food look presentable. I wouldn’t even serve the food to a dog.”

Left severely disappointed by the food on offer, the couple splashed out an additional £600 on meals away from the hotel, despite being on an all-inclusive package. Erin explained: “We only ate at the hotel a couple times.”

But the food wasn’t the only problem. While attempting to relax on the sun loungers around the hotel pool, the couple noticed they were “mouldy”. Erin claimed: “I didn’t get in the pool once because it was so disgusting. There was mould all around the side of the pool and sunbeds.

“We were there for 10 days and never saw anyone clean that pool. I can’t believe they’re still open, it was just disgusting. If I’d got in, I’d have probably got ill.”

In addition, they also encountered issues with their room when it apparently flooded from the shower. Erin shared: “When we arrived, we just went straight to our room because we were just so tired. It wasn’t until the next morning that we noticed things.

“That morning, I noticed our shower kept flooding. As soon as you had a shower, the water would leak out into the room.

“I thought the issue was just with our room, but it wasn’t until we started talking to other couples there that we realised all of the rooms flooded.”

Erin labelled their getaway a “holiday from hell” and claimed the hotel was a “health hazard” due to the issues they experienced. Despite seeing numerous positive reviews online, she felt that the hotel listing was “seriously misleading” and the photos were “so far from what it’s actually like there”.

An easyJet holidays spokesperson said: “We’re sorry to hear Erin didn’t have the holiday experience she expected. We are in contact with Erin to offer a gesture of goodwill and understand what went wrong so that we can investigate these directly with our hotel partner.”

KYLIE Jenner’s dog Norman has died at 12 as the heartbroken star paid tribute to her pet with a touching post.

Kylie, 28, revealed on Wednesday, October 22 that her beloved dog Norman has died.

She captioned a series of sweet photos, “In Loving Memory of My Sweet Norman.

“I still remember the day I brought you home. I had never loved anything so much. I always wanted an Italian Greyhound growing up, but my mommy never let me have one. Then, right after I turned 17, I got you for Christmas, and it was the best gift I could have ever received.”

Kylie added that her pooch has “filled” her live with “pure joy.”

She continued to pen, “Almost 13 years old, and yet I know I’ll remember you far longer than the time we got to share. I wish I wasn’t writing this post. I knew you were getting older, and I tried to prepare myself, but it’s hard losing you norm. It makes me happy knowing my kids got to meet you and love you.”

Read more on Kylie Jenner

OOPS!

Kylie Jenner tries to cover her chest in white thong bikini during dip in the ocean

Kylie is mom to daughter Stormi, 7, and son Aire, 3.

Kylie ended the caption, “My sweet Normyyyy. My heart aches for you. Rest in peace, my precious Normandle. I love you forever.”

In the photo collage, Kylie shared photos of her dog Norman through the years.

In one snap, Norman had his paw on Kylie in bed, as wrote on the picture, “Me and Norman forever.”

In another snap, Norman was dressed up for Christmas with her other pooch.

Kylie also shared a photo of her daughter Stormi petting Norman and her son Aire playing with him as well.

LOVED ONES’ SUPPORT

The last photo was of three flower arrangements, likely from loved ones sending their condolences.

Loved ones also flooded the comments, as her cousin Natalie wrote, “I’m so so sorry Ky. May Norman rest in peace in doggy heaven.”

Friend Amelia Gray wrote, “NORMYYYYYYYY we love you so much.”

Another pal wrote, “Love u forever normi bear.”

PET LOVER

Kylie has posted Norman often throughout the years on her social media.

She owns around seven dogs, including Italian Greyhounds and Dachshunds.

She also has a bunny and chicken.

Another one of Kylie’s familiar pooches is her Greyhound Bambi.

In February 2021, Kylie debuted her new dog Kevin to her social media followers.

Kylie has kept busy recently, as she launched a pop music career with her debut single Fourth Strike.

PRICEY SECRETS

Katie Price reveals she snogged EMINEM and two more A-list Hollywood stars

HORROR STORY

I nearly died after the Yorkshire Ripper attacked me with a screwdriver

This comes after the new teaser trailer for the upcoming season of The Kardashians dropped.

The new season will premiere on Thursday on Hulu.

THERE’S nothing like a lovely relaxing autumnal dog walk, but there are plenty of hidden dangers pet owners need to look out for, it turns out.

This comes as new research from dog walking insurance providers, Protectivity, reveals that the majority of pet insurance claims are linked to dog walking.

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Since these hazards can end up not only being dangerous for your pet, but costly when the vet bill arrives, it’s good to know what to avoid.

Luckily, Protectivity has partnered with three certified canine experts to share practical tips and advice to safeguard dogs on their autumn walk.

Ingesting slugs or snails 

The damp weather that autumn brings can lead to an increase in slugs and snails that can carry lungworm larvae, a potentially fatal issue if left untreated.

Sadie Geoghegan-Dann, Canine Welfare Expert & Dog Trainer at Nervous Rex warned: “Having personally lost one of my own dogs to lungworm, I can’t emphasise enough how dangerous it is to let your dog play around with slugs and risk eating one.”

The expert added that lungworm can take hold very fast and can be fatal in no time if not spotted.

Terry Cuyler, Certified Dog Trainer and owner of Pawsitive Results Dog Training added: “My default solution to this problem is to train a good “drop it” command.

“Occasionally, despite our best intentions, a dog will grab something while we’re not able to intercept them. An effective ‘drop it’ guarantees that they’ll drop the object at once, and this can be a life-saver.”

Fallen fruits from apples, pears and plum trees

As autumn rolls around, fruit trees start to shed their sweet-smelling fruit and while it may seem enticing to dogs, fallen fruit can cause severe stomach upsets and present a choking hazard. 

Dog owner, Shakira Sacks, from Leeds, explained how her four year old cocker spaniel, Autumn, had to receive medical treatment after ingesting a fallen plum on a walk.

Shakira said: “Being a cocker spaniel, Autumn is forever eating things she shouldn’t. Over the years, we’ve implemented lots of training commands but on a recent walk in our local park, she ate a fallen plum, including the stone. 

“After speaking to our vet, they asked us to bring her in immediately and two hours of induced vomiting and a £350 bill later, Autumn was her happy self again.

“It was, however, a very scary experience and has made me even more hyper-vigilant of hazards that I wasn’t aware of previously. I had no idea that although plums are usually safe for dogs to eat, the stones can be toxic, as can the flesh when it’s mouldy.” 

Acorns on the ground 

The phrase ‘are acorns poisonous to dogs’ has been searched 7,000 times on Google in the UK in the last month alone, revealing the very real concern owners have. 

Terry warned: “In my experience, one of autumn’s most underappreciated perils is the abundance of acorns. I have worked with dogs who have come to significant injury from eating them.”

Acorns contain tannins, the dog pro explained, which can cause stomach issues and even kidney damage in dogs. For smaller breeds they also pose as a chocking risk.

Fallen conkers

Conkers are another highly toxic risk for dogs on autumnal walks, with severe cases costing up to £2,000 in veterinary treatment. 

Terry said: “I see this process repeat itself time and time again during autumnal walks. Dogs have an instinct to be attracted to conkers, acorns, and fallen fruits, as these trigger their hidden foraging instinct and carry scents of wild animals to them.”

He recommended looking out for key warning signs, like over-sniffing at ground level, sudden stops during walks, and that familiar head-down posture showing keen interest in something to eat.

But mostly, pet owners should be aware of the “freeze and stare” posture just before their strike and correct immediately with a high-reward treat and a ‘leave it’ command.”

Brooke Knowles knew she wanted the black puppy posted on the Facebook page of a self-described home breeder of Coton De Tulears. He looked like he’d have an outgoing personality.

She put down a nonrefundable deposit and drove to Temecula to pick him up. She paid about $2,000 and named him Ted.

Before she even left for home, Ted vomited and had diarrhea on the grass outside. He was lethargic, his chest soaked with drool.

A closer look later at the paperwork provided by the seller revealed something else unsettling: Ted wasn’t bred in California. He had been imported from a kennel in Utah.

“I thought that I was getting a dog that had been bred at his home,” Knowles said in a series of interviews with The Times. “This poor puppy, he was so traumatized.”

On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a series of animal welfare bills into state law that will restrict puppy sales and strengthen protections for buyers like Knowles. The bills were introduced as a result of a Times investigation last year that detailed how designer dogs are trucked into California from out-of-state commercial breeders and resold by people saying they were small, local operators.

The three bills Newsom signed into law are:

• Assembly Bill 519 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) bans online marketplaces where dogs are sold by brokers, which is defined as any person or business that sells or transports a dog bred by someone else for profit. That includes major national pet retailers, including PuppySpot, as well as California-based operations that resell puppies bred elsewhere. The law applies to dogs, cats and rabbits under a year old. It does not apply to police dogs or service animals and provides an exemption for shelters, rescues and 4H clubs.
• AB 506 by Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-Ventura) voids pet purchase contracts involving California buyers if the seller requires a nonrefundable deposit. The law also makes the pet seller liable if they fail to disclose breeder details and medical history.
• Senate Bill 312 by state Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Orange) requires pet sellers to share health certificates with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, which would then make them available without redactions to the public.

The bills were supported by California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, who said they are “an important step in shutting down deceptive sales tactics of these puppy brokers.”

“Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and it’s time to shine a light on puppy mills,” Newsom said in a statement. “Greater transparency in pet purchases will bring to light abusive practices that take advantage of pets in order to exploit hopeful pet owners. Today’s legislation protects both animals and Californians by addressing fraudulent pet breeding and selling practices.”

Lawmakers said new laws close loopholes that emerged after California in 2019 banned the sale of commercially bred dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores. That retail ban did not apply to online sales, which surged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Times’ investigation found that in the years after the retail ban took effect, a network of resellers stepped in to replace pet stores, often posing as local breeders and masking where puppies were actually bred. Some buyers later discovered they had purchased dogs from sellers using fake names or disposable phone numbers after their pets became ill or died.

Times reporters analyzed the movement of more than 71,000 dogs coming into California since 2019 by requesting certificates of veterinary inspection, which are issued by a federally accredited veterinarian listing where the animal came from, its destination and verification that it is healthy enough to travel.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture has long received those health certificates from other states by mistake — the records are supposed to go to county public health departments — and, in recent years, made it a practice to immediately destroy them. Dog importers who were supposed to submit the records to counties largely failed to do so.

The Times obtained the records by requesting the documents from every other state. In the days following the story’s publication, lawmakers and animal advocates called on the state’s Food and Agriculture Department to stop “destroying evidence” of the deceptive practices by purging the records. The department began preserving the records thereafter, but released them with significant redactions.

In one instance, the state redacted the name and address of a person with numerous shipments of puppies from Ohio. The Times obtained the same travel certificates without redactions from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The address listed on the records is for a Home Depot in Milpitas. The phone number on some of those travel certificates belongs to Randy Kadee Vo.

The Times’ reporting last year found Vo’s name and various Bay Area addresses, including a warehouse, were listed as the destination for 1,900 dogs imported into California since 2019. At the time, he disputed that number but declined to say how many he had imported. People who bought puppies from Vo told The Times that they were told they were buying puppies that were locally bred.

Shortly after The Times questioned Vo about the imports, a different name, along with the Home Depot address, began appearing on health certificates with his phone number. Vo did not respond to a request for comment.

The Times identified hundreds of records detailing other sellers with names that appear to be fake or addresses that go to unaffiliated businesses, shopping centers and commercial mailbox offices.

While the new laws were championed by animal welfare groups, some have questioned how adequately the laws will be enforced by state officials — particularly when it comes to policing out-of-state facilities selling online and then shipping puppies directly California buyers.

“Enforcement will now fall on nonprofits like ours to monitor and report issues that we see, in hopes that the agencies act,” said Mindi Callison, head of the Iowa-based anti-puppy-mill nonprofit Bailing Out Benji.

Callison said lawmakers should next turn their focus to requiring California breeders to be licensed, similar to standards in Iowa, Missouri and other states. California does not have a statewide licensing program, instead relying on local jurisdictions for oversight. While some cities and counties require breeders to be licensed and inspected, little information is available online to help consumers vet them.

“There is a higher risk of dogs being kept in inhumane conditions in states where there are no regulations to follow and have no eyes on them,” Callison said.

Opponents of the legislation argued that California’s previous attempts to cut off the supply from puppy mills by banning pet store sales only fueled an unregulated marketplace — and warned banning brokers will do the same.

“Eliminating these brokers will not reduce demand for pets; it will simply force more Californians into unregulated, riskier marketplaces,” said Alyssa Miller-Hurley of the Pet Advocacy Network, which represents breeders, retailers and pet owners, in a letter opposing the legislation.

For consumers like Knowles, the lack of transparency when buying her puppy Ted has been long-lasting and costly. More than a year after Knowles took the puppy to her home in Long Beach, he developed stomach issues that got so bad he wound up in the emergency room. She also had doubts that her puppy was a purebred Coton De Tulear as advertised.

She said a pet DNA test confirmed those suspicions and connected her with other people whose dogs were purchased from the same seller. The test results said one of the dogs share the same amount of DNA as people do with their full siblings – and that they’re mutts.

“We call him the most expensive rescue dog we’ve ever had,” Knowles said of Ted, who is now on a restrictive diet. “Our group started to call our dogs ‘Fauxtons,’ since they weren’t Cotons.”

Knowles sued the seller, Tweed Fox of Carlsbad Cotons, over the test results showing Ted was not a purebred puppy, but said she lost.

“Really the core issue is … masquerading to be something you’re not,” she said.

Fox told The Times that he began sourcing from a Utah company during the Covid pandemic, when the demand for puppies spiked beyond the number he was able to breed at home.

He thought the Utah puppies were purebreds because they came with the proper registration paperwork, but said that “turned out not to be the case.” He said he did not mislead customers because he was in fact a home breeder, and only advertised the out-of-state puppies as Coton de Tulears, “which is what I thought I was purchasing.”

“You only can breed so many in a home,” he said. “I thought I was providing equal quality puppies at the time, and apparently, I wasn’t at that point, except for my own home bred.”

Fox said he has since moved to Dallas, where he breeds and sells Cotons. While the California broker law won’t impact him now that he’s left the state, he said he refuses to buy anyone else’s puppies for resale.

“I only sell my own,” he said. “I’m not in the business to cheat people out of anything.”

VETS have revealed the eight dog breeds they’d never own – warning they may look cute, but each one can lead to “total heartbreak.”

The animal experts, who have treated thousands of pets over the years, said some popular breeds are plagued with painful health problems, short lifespans and sky-high vet bills.

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Dr. Cat is a vet based in the UK with over 35k followers on Instagram.

While Ben the Vet has gained 211k followers on TikTok.

They urged potential owners to think twice before buying certain dogs – no matter how adorable they look – saying love alone isn’t enough to keep them healthy.

The vets have revealed the eight breeds they’d never own themselves – and say fellow vets agree on at least two of them.

German Shepherd

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First up is the German Shepherd.

Loyal and clever, yes — but the vets warned they can also be reactive, suspicious and anxious, making them “really challenging” to handle.

Pugs, bulldogs and boxers

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Flat-faced breeds might look adorable, but these brachycephalic dogs often struggle with breathing problems and other anatomical issues.

They are healthier than others, but they’re prone to a whole host of problems – from spinal issues and skin conditions to eye troubles.

Ben said: “There are specimens of these dogs that are healthier than others, but they are so prone to so many issues.

“Spinal issues, skin problems, eye problems. The fact that over half of them have to have a caesarean to give birth is enough of an ethical issue for me to never want to have one. If you’re OK with that, that’s fine but for me personally it’s not very fair.”  

Border Collie

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Super-smart and bursting with energy, working-line Border Collies need nonstop stimulation.

Without it, they can develop serious behavioural and mental health problems.

Cat said: “I just do not have enough time in my life to put into them to make sure they’re living their best lives with me.”

Shar Pei

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Shar Peis come with a long list of health and behavioural problems.

Their wrinkles can cause skin and eye issues, and being in constant discomfort often makes them grumpy.

Ben said they are also prone to constant “skin problems and have tiny, narrow ear canals.

“Some can get so stressed that they even bite the staff.”

St Bernard

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Saint Bernards might look lovable – but their size comes with messy challenges.

Constant slobber and hygiene issues can make life pretty tricky for owners.

Cat revealed: “Quite honestly, I cannot cope with the slobber. I had a client once tell me that she had slobber on her ceilings.”

Dachshund

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Steer clear of Dachshunds because of the breed’s health issues.

They’re lovely dogs, but one in four develops back problems in their lifetime.

It can range from mild pain to complete paralysis, often requiring spinal surgery.

The recovery is long and Ben added, “there’s too much potential for heartbreak.”

King Charles Spaniel

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The super popular breed of family dog is known for their affection.

But almost all of King Charles Spaniels develop the same heart condition – mitral valve disease.

It means they often spend their final days “struggling to breathe and eventually die of heart failure.”

Chow Chow

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Chow Chows can be tricky to manage and are known for a challenging temperament, especially in clinical settings.

They commonly suffer from “eye problems, they’re often aloof and not very friendly.”

Ben shared: “They’re often very aggressive at the vets, but it’s hard to fit a muzzle on their face.”

AN experienced vet has revealed the 10 signs that indicate your beloved pooch could have gut problems.

A quiz has been created for pet owners who might not feel confident when it comes to their dog or cat’s gut health – something which can have a huge impact on their overall wellbeing.

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Questions about their appetite and even stools will help to determine whether their diet needs a review, if a check-up with the vet is required or if their gut health means they’re full of life.

It comes after veterinary adviser at Protexin, Ronan Fitzgerald revealed your pet licking their lips, arching their back or being reluctant to move or jump up on furniture could be signs of tummy troubles.

Holding their bum in the air for long periods of time, drooling and pushing their food bowl away with their nose are also indications they could be experiencing issues.

A tender or gurgling tum and them not enjoying a belly rub can be another key indicator of problems with the gut as it can mean they’re experiencing abdominal discomfort.

While excessive flatulence and even blood in their stools could be signs they need a check-up at the vets.

This comes after a study of 2,000 pet owners found only 19 per cent feel confident in identifying if their pet is suffering with gut health problems.

A spokesperson for Protexin, which commissioned the research, said: “Many people believe they know their pets inside out – including how they feel.

“But while we may recognise several behaviours or symptoms as being linked to the gut, some aren’t as clear, such as excess lip-licking which can be linked to intestinal issues.

“Understanding and recognising the signs of good and poor gut health in pets is really important as this can have an impact on whole body health, helping our pets to feel full of life when the gut is working as it should.”

Ronan explained if your dog or cat adopts an abnormal stance like the ‘prayer position’ – front legs extended, chest on the ground and backside in the air – it could be worth a visit to the vets.

The research also found just 24 per cent of owners actively monitor their pet’s digestive health on a daily basis.

But a third (34 per cent) of dogs and cats display some signs of potential digestive issues a few times a year.

As a result, six in 10 (59 per cent) have changed their pet’s diet after noticing a digestive issue, while 53 per cent have gone to a vet specifically for this issue.

The typical owner spends as much as £426 each year, purely on keeping their pet healthy, according to the OnePoll.com figures.

Ronan said: “If your pet is showing signs of digestive discomfort there are a few things you can do.

10 SIGNS YOUR DOG COULD BE EXPERIENCING GUT PROBLEMS

1. Lip licking
2. Adopting a prayer-like stance (front legs extended and chest on the ground while their bum is in the air)
3. Drooling
4. Reluctancy to jump up on furniture
5. Vomiting or nausea
6. Not enjoying belly rubs
7. Gulping
8. Excessive flatulence
9. Diarrhoea
10. Blood in their stools

“Try to think about when the symptoms started and how severe they seem.

“Sometimes it helps to keep notes to see if there is a pattern, for example, are they feeling unwell or acting strangely at mealtimes?

“If your pet has a stomach upset for a day or two it may be that they’ve eaten something when out on a walk or hunting that’s not agreed with them and this will settle.

“But if you find your pet is experiencing ongoing, regular issues with their gut, or its health seems to worsen quickly and markedly, it’s worth visiting a vet for a full check-up.

“They will be able to recommend possible changes to your pet’s diet or even the introduction of a gut-health supplement.”

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A POPULAR dog food has been urgently recalled over fears it contains traces of salmonella.

Pet owners have been advised to avoid feeding the frozen product to their pooches and return it to stores immediately.

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Rhondda Raw’s Beef 80-10-10 has been withdrawn from shelves and the firm is recalling the packages.

The raw frozen dog food is unsafe because salmonella has been found in the product, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said.

The agency urged customers who brought the meat not to feed it to dogs and instead return it to a store for a full refund.

Affected products have batch codes 040825/BM and 050825/BM.

The packs, which include 454g of meat, are also marked with a best before of August 4, 2026.

The FSA said: “Rhondda Raw Ltd are recalling Beef 80/10/10 raw frozen dog food because Salmonella has been found in the product.

“Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause illness in humans and animals. The product could therefore carry a potential risk.

“Rhondda Raw Ltd is recalling the product. Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling this product.

“This notice explains to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product.”

Salmonella is a food bug that can cause illness in both humans and animals.

Owners could be put at risk while handling the pet food or bowls, as well as from animal poo.

Annual data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reveals there has been a significant rise in salmonella infections in England.

Cases hit a record decade high in 2024, soaring by almost a fifth in a single year to over 10,000 cases.

But separate data last month revealed cases in the first quarter of 2025 were even higher than 2024.

Some 1,588 cases were logged between January and March 2025, up on the 1,541 reported over the same period in 2024.

Children under 10 years old were particularly affected, accounting for 21.5 per cent of cases. 

Salmonella can cause a sudden bout of fever, vomiting and explosive diarrhoea, often striking within hours of eating tainted food.

The bacteria attacks the gut lining, damaging cells and stopping the body from soaking up water.

This is what leads to the painful cramps and nonstop diarrhoea as the body flushes out the water it couldn’t absorb.

Most people recover without treatment, but in rare cases it can turn deadly.

Around one in 50 sufferers go on to develop a serious blood infection, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk of complications.

Salmonella lives in the guts of animals and humans and spreads through contaminated poo.

Food can get tainted if it’s grown in dirty water, handled with grubby hands, or touches surfaces exposed to animal waste.

Last month, an urgent warning was issued over “contaminated tomatoes” which could be the cause of a major salmonella outbreak.

The nasty outbreak has been linked to tomatoes and the UK Heath Security Agency has issued a new warning.

Experts revealed new, rare, strains of salmonella called as Salmonella Strathcona sparked the particularly severe bouts of sickness.

According to the ECDC and the EFSA, nine European countries have reported 29 cases of Salmonella Strathcona since January 2025.

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Tyrese Gibson faces one charge of cruelty to animals stemming from a September incident in Fulton County, Ga., that left a neighbor’s 5-year-old dog mauled and dead.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office booked the 46-year-old singer-actor, a staple in the “Fast and Furious” film franchise, on Friday. He was released on a $20,000 surety bond. Attorney Gabe Banks said in a statement that Gibson voluntarily turned himself “to answer for a misdemeanor warrant.”

“Despite what others might say, throughout this entire process Mr. Gibson has cooperated fully with legal authorities and will continue to do so until this matter is resolved,” Banks said. “Mr. Gibson once again wants to extend his deepest condolences to the family who lost their dog and respectfully asks for privacy and understanding as this matter is handled through the appropriate legal channels.”

Police said earlier this week that Gibson failed to turn himself into law enforcement after an arrest warrant was issued stemming from a violent incident involving the actor’s Cane Corso dogs. On the night of Sept. 18, a neighbor of the “Morbius” star let her small spaniel out to her yard and returned five minutes later to find the dog had been attacked. The dog was rushed to a veterinary hospital but did not survive, police said.

The Cane Corsos were then seen at the house, where the owner called police, saying she was afraid to go outside. Animal control officers responded and were able to keep the dogs back while the neighbor went to her vehicle.

The arrest warrant issued for the movie star was part of an “ongoing issue” following multiple calls about the dogs in the last few months, Fulton County Police Capt. Nicole Dwyer said. Gibson received multiple warnings before the warrant was issued, and police also attempted to cite him before the attack, Dwyer said, but Gibson was not at his Atlanta home.

Police had a search warrant for Gibson’s property on Sept. 22, but the actor and the dogs were not there.

In a statement shared to the actor’s Instagram page on Wednesday, Gibson and Banks expressed condolences to the family “who lost their beloved dog in this tragic incident.” The “Transformers” and “Baby Boy” star said his heart “is truly broken,” the note said, and that “he has been “praying for the family constantly, hoping they may one day find it in their hearts to forgive him.”

The statement said that the attack occurred while Gibson, who “accepts full responsibility for his dogs,” was out of town. The actor has since rehomed the two adult dogs and their three puppies, the statement said, adding “the liability of keeping them was simply too great.”

Gibson also issued a personal statement, describing his passion for dogs and declaring that his animals have “never been trained to harm.” He said he has been in Los Angeles with family, mourning the death of his father.

“Please know that I am praying for you, grieving with you, and will continue to face this tragedy with honesty, responsibility, and compassion,” he added.

In another Instagram statement shared Tuesday, Banks explained that Gibson’s decision to bring the Cane Corso dogs into his home was for security against stalkers who had been “randomly showing up at his home” in recent years. Banks said that the dogs “never harmed a child, a person, or another dog” until the September incident.

Gibson said Tuesday: “I had no idea I would ever wake up to this nightmare, and I know the family must feel the same way. To them, please know that my heart is broken for you. I am praying for your healing and for your beloved pet, who never deserved this. I remain committed to facing this matter with honesty, responsibility, and compassion.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

When Friedia Niimura moved to the U.S. from Japan in her mid-20s, she shared a dream with many Angelenos: acting, or maybe fashion. A TV and media personality in Japan, it seemed a natural fit, only she didn’t take to the competitive pace of Los Angeles.

So she dove into one of her other passions: paper.

“When I came to L.A., I noticed there weren’t a lot of specialty stationery boutiques,” Niimura says. “When you’re in Japan, they’re everywhere and you take them for granted. That’s how I would spend my days off. I would go to the stationery and browse and take my notebook and draw.”

Friedia Niimura outside her shop Paper Plant Co., which occupies two Chinatown storefronts and shares a space with Thank You Coffee. Niimura spent her teen years in Japan before changing her career.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

Niimura created a place where one can do just that. Chinatown’s Paper Plant Co. is her stationery outpost, made of two small storefronts that share a space with Thank You Coffee and boast outdoor seating. A communal destination since 2020, the shop has earned a reputation for specializing in notebooks, stickers and pens from Japan. Or, as Niimura describes Paper Plant’s aesthetic: “cute.”

“When we pick something and we all go, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s so cute,’ then we know it’s going to do really well,” Niimura, 45, says. “I don’t know how in Japan they always come up with cute scenarios and cute scenes and cute gestures. It’s almost like there’s a school on how to draw dogs doing cute things, cats doing cute things.”

Paper Plant will on Oct. 11-12 play host to Bungu LA, believed to be the first proper stationery festival in the city. Niimura has handpicked Bungu’s 60 or so exhibitors, with the vast majority of them traveling here from Japan. Bungu is inspired by similar events Niimura has gone to in Tokyo or New York. Paper Plant, for instance, exhibited last year at a festival hosted by Brooklyn’s Yoseka Stationery.

“There was a line every day,” Niimura says, describing the New York fest. “It was just my store manager and I, and we were like, ‘How come L.A. doesn’t have one?’ And then who would do it? It always came back to us, since we have that relationship with Japanese creators.”

Like most everything Paper Plant-related, Niimura has been figuring it out on the fly. Paper Plant, for instance, was initially funded almost entirely by credit cards, a business plan Niimura wouldn’t recommend to others. Bungu will take over part of a concourse at downtown’s Union Station, and the hope is to make it an annual event. The goal for the first year is to simply break even, as Niimura jokes that she doesn’t yet know the final cost of staging a festival.

“We had to also rent out a front sidewalk, which was another $10,000 that I hadn’t added to the budget,” Niimura says.

The response, however, has been overwhelmingly positive. Popular Japanese firms such as Hobonichi will be in attendance, but Niimura says she made an effort to secure vendors that have never before sold in the U.S. Advance tickets of $25, for which about 1,500 were made available per day, have sold out. There will, however, be walk-up tickets sold each day of the show. Niimura is hoping to attract 2,500 people per day.

Stickers, says Paper Plant Co. owner Friedia Niimura, are hugely popular at the moment. (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

Paper Plant Co. makes and sells original greeting cards. (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

Niimura herself is still discovering new joys in the stationery world. She notes that only recently has she become smitten with fountain pens.

“In Japan, fountain pens are geared toward older gentlemen,” she says. “And they’re expensive. The really nice ones can be thousands of dollars. We have ones that are a couple hundred, but also beginner ones for about $20. I started off with those, but I recently got a couple hundred dollar ones, and it’s life changing — the way the ink comes out is so smooth. Once you have one, it’s hard to go back to a regular pen.”

As part of Bungu, Niimura is encouraging attendees to explore L.A.’s public transit and the walkability of Chinatown. Maps will be given out at Bungu for which guests can collect three stamps, one at the event, one at the Chinatown Metro Rail station and one at Paper Plant. Those who complete the mini scavenger hunt will be given a free gift at Paper Plant, which Niimura is keeping a secret.

With the rise of collage and zine-making workshops, younger generations are connecting with paper and Niimura notes that one-day planners and scrapbooking today have become especially popular.

“I feel like anything work-wise, people have on their phones,” Niimura says. “But there’s this trend of scrapbooking everything — receipts for the day, the coffee cup holder, stickers. They call it ‘junk journaling.’”

Junk journaling, says Niimura, is fueling in part the sticker trend of the moment. Paper Plant sells a wide array of stickers and also makes its own — a dog, for instance, wearing a Dodgers hat, or a man wearing a dog as a hat. “The mini stickers are for the journalers and the planners,” Niimura says. “They have really teeny-tiny ones. It’s for the calendar. You use a sandwich sticker for lunch with a friend.”

The charm of Paper Plant’s two storefronts, where one can find lamps shaped like bread, diaries with adorable cats on the cover and those fancy fountain pens, belies the fact that 2025 is a stressful time for the stationery business. Niimura sighs as she notes that she’s had to raise prices this year due to tariffs imposed by President Trump.

“Everything has kind of gone up,” Niimura says when asked how the tariffs have affected her business. “If its coming from China, it’s a lot. If it’s coming from Japan, it’s a little bit.”

And yet that doesn’t deter her optimism. Niimura notes that in a way, she’s living out one of her childhood dreams, as she once envisioned her retirement life including a gig at a stationery shop.

“I always thought I would do this later in life,” she says. “I thought I would be the old lady putting out a sign and being behind the register.”

And now, Niimura speaks of Paper Plant and Bungu as something of a mission.

Chinatown’s Paper Plant Co. occupies two Chinatown storefronts, and sells everything from stickers and stationary to lamps shaped like bread.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

“This analog style of things shouldn’t die just yet,” she says. “I think it’s important. Creativity starts with a pencil and a paper. Now my son, too, doesn’t have a cursive class. That hurts. You can recognize someone by their handwriting. My son calls cursive ‘fancy writing,’ and I don’t want that to die.”

Think of Paper Plant and Bungu, then, as a way to keep a lost art alive.

The lead of the horror-tinged heart-tugger “Good Boy” is a copper-colored retriever named Indy who pads around an eerie house deep in the New Jersey woods investigating its mysterious creaks, shadows and smells. Like the Method-style actors of “The Blair Witch Project,” he goes by his real name onscreen. An ordinary dog without a whiff of Hollywood hokum, Indy doesn’t do implausible stunts like Lassie or Rin Tin Tin or comprehend anything that his owner, Todd (Shane Jensen), says besides simple phrases: sit, stay and, gratefully, the title itself. But we’re invested in the mindset of this mundane hero. His nose twitches are as dramatic as an ingenue’s gasp.

First-time feature director Ben Leonberg raised Indy as a pet first, movie star second. Along with his wife, Kari Fischer, who produced the film, Leonberg shot “Good Boy” in his weekend house, staging scenarios for Indy to explore until he had enough material for a (barely) full-length spook show. Even at 72 minutes, “Good Boy” is belabored in the middle stretch. It would make a fabulous one-hour TV special.

Using his personal footage, Leonberg (who also edited the film and did its gorgeous, inky-wet cinematography) opens with a montage of Indy growing up from a tiny puppy to a loyal best friend. We love the dog more in five minutes than we do some slasher final girls who’ve survived several sequels. Indy is the most empathetic scream queen of the year so far — and I mean that literally as his breed, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling retriever, is known for its high-pitched wail. American Kennel Club lists the Toller as the U.S.’s 87th most popular dog. I expect this movie will lead to an uptick. (Steve Martin already has one.)

What’s wrong in Indy’s new home? A pair of tragedies wind together like vines, although from the dog’s point of view, the distinction between them isn’t always obvious. This battered two-story home with ominous scratches on the basement door has been in Todd’s family for six generations, as the cemetery out back proves. Bequeathed to the youngish urban hipster by his grandfather (indie cult icon Larry Fessenden), a misanthrope who willed his taxidermy collection to a vegan, it’s a good place to disappear.

Todd, who’s in bad physical and emotional shape, has isolated himself in this scraggly, foggy forest to get some privacy from his sister, Vera (Arielle Friedman). There’s also a past death that the dog is able to perceive. A sniff of a rotting old chair frightens Indy so much, he wets the rug.

“Scaredy pants,” Todd teases Indy. The dog can’t explain what only he knows.

Several unnerving things are happening at once, including the presence of a silhouetted stalker, old bones that give the dog nightmares and Todd’s unpredictable mood swings. There’s also a ghost in the movie, I think — at least, there’s a heavy hinge that shouldn’t be able to open without a spectral nudge. Indy stands about two feet tall, so the camera often stays at that height too, gliding close to the floor where the view from under the bed looks as big as an airplane hangar.

A realistic dog’s-eye view of a creepy cabin is a good hook, although people hoping to see an otherwise satisfying genre thriller will feel a bit underwhelmed that Leonberg and his co-screenwriter Alex Cannon are conflicted about pushing the scary elements of the film too far into the supernatural. With a complicated backstory off the table (Indy looks restless whenever adults are having a conversation), the movie taps into our burgeoning belief that animals do have a special sixth sense, like how hospice workers know to pay special attention to whoever gets night visits from the resident pet.

Still, “Good Boy” doesn’t stray too far from the film’s core strength: a normal dog doing normal dog things. In a twitch, a head tilt or a whine, Indy communicates his emotions: curious, lonely, contented, confused, fretful, desperate or petrified. There’s no CG in the dog’s performance, no corny reaction shots and no use of animal doubles either. Todd’s own legs, however, are often doubled by Leonberg, an onscreen switcheroo that’s possible because the lens doesn’t tend to look up.

I liked the plot better on a second watch when I knew not to expect Jamie Lee Curtis on all fours. The ending is great and the build up to it, though draggy, gives you space to think about the interdependence between our species. Dogs are wired to be our protectors and yet, through generations of nurturing, they’ve come to trust that we’ll also protect them. The inarticulate betrayal in the film is that Todd isn’t making good decisions for anyone. His bond with Indy is pure and strong, yet one-sided in that Todd is too distracted to ease the dog’s fears. Indy is bereft to be left alone for long stretches of time in a strange house. But he can’t do a thing about that, nor the sputtering electricity, the fox traps in the brush and the neighbor (Stuart Rudin) who skulks around in hunting camouflage.

In Todd’s facelessness, he’s a stand-in for whatever you want: absentee parents, a struggling partner or child or friend. There’s a scene in which he comes home in obvious need of a cuddle, only to push his dog away. Maybe you’ve been both people in that shot: the person overwhelmed by their own pain and the loved one who has no idea how to soothe them. It’s terrifying to love someone this much, to give them the full force of your devotion only to get locked outside.

Consciously or not, Leonberg has made a primal film about helplessness. Watching it, I was knocked sideways by a sense memory of how it felt to be a child. Like Indy, kids get dragged around to places they don’t want to go to for reasons that aren’t explained, and when they whine, they’re commanded to pipe down. Even as we get older — when our own point of view can stand taller than two feet — the things that truly scare us are the ones that make us feel small and confused.

“I feel so grateful and honoured to have shared my life with such a beautiful soul, an angel and true friend.

“Bringing Roscoe into my life was the best decision I ever made, and I will forever cherish the memories we created together.”

Roscoe was adopted by Hamilton in 2013, alongside a second bulldog, Coco. Breeders told Hamilton that Coco’s life would be limited by problems surrounding her birth, and the dog died of a suspected heart attack in 2020.

Sharing pictures from Roscoe’s life on Instagram, Hamilton reflected on the loss of his second dog: “Although I lost Coco, I have never been faced with putting a dog to sleep before, though I know my mum and many close friends have.

“It is one of the most painful experiences and I feel a deep connection to everyone who has gone through the loss of a beloved pet.

“Although it was so hard, having him was one of the most beautiful parts of life, to love so deeply and to be loved in return.

“Thank you all for the love and support you’ve shown Roscoe over the years. It has been so special to witness and feel.”

Like most aspects of her life, Lilly Singh approaches the end of the weekend with a clear intention. “Sunday is a big deal to me,” she says. “Sunday is my self-love, reset day.”

The comedic actress and personality began a career in her native Toronto as an early YouTube star. She moved to Los Angeles in 2015, first landing at a spot near the La Brea Tar Pits before relocating to a house in the San Fernando Valley that she shares with her dogs, Scarbro and Soca.

In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.

“I moved to L.A. to be warm and the Valley is very warm,” Singh says. “When people are complaining it’s too hot, I am thriving.”

She previously hosted the NBC talk show “A Little Late With Lilly Singh” and led the Disney+ sitcom “The Muppets Mayhem.” Most recently, she co-wrote, produced and starred in the film “Doin’ It,” playing an app-maker who is hired to teach a sex-ed class and decides she needs her own hands-on education in the subject. It opens in theaters Friday.

Singh was a night owl for most of her life, often staying up until the early morning hours and waking at noon. To improve her mental health, she’s adjusted her approach and now gets up during the week at 7 a.m. so she has two hours to mentally and physically prepare herself for the day.

There is a day of the week, however, where she shows herself compassion and makes an exception. “I’m probably not going to set an alarm on a Sunday,” she says.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

9 a.m.: Daily routine
Every morning, I have certain mental health routines. I always am going to have journaling on my front patio, and I’m always going to stretch and do breath work. Those are nonnegotiables.

9:30 a.m.: Market essentials
After I deal with and feed the dogs, the No. 1 stop is the Studio City Farmers Market. I will die on the hill of saying it is the best farmers market. I take one thing at the farmers market very seriously, which is the kefir yogurt. I literally have a yogurt dealer, Orlando. I have to text him on Saturday night to be like, “Hold these flavors for me.” If you go there and you don’t text them, they’re sold out. When the Alphonso mango is in season, you have to get there at 7 a.m. to get it.

I walk both ways, so I’m basically a fit legend because, come on, it’s usually really hot.

10 a.m.: Flower power
I get florals every Sunday. If I don’t get them from the farmers market, I’ll get them at Trader Joe’s. Every Sunday, I reset my house in terms of flowers. I put flowers in every corner of my house. I spend an hour just making little bouquets and putting them on my desk and in my kitchen and in my bathrooms because it’s an easy dopamine-hit hack and it makes me happy throughout the week.

11 a.m.: The best brunch date
Almost every Sunday, I take myself on a solo brunch. No one is allowed to come with me. This is me taking myself on a date.

I go to the same spot every single time: Sweet Butter Kitchen. It’s just down Ventura. I get a two-sunny-side-up egg breakfast with sourdough toast. I get my bacon. Depending on how much I’ve worked that week and how much I want to spoil myself, I will also get pancakes.

I love the ambience. I’ll take my journal or sometimes I’ll just vibe out and enjoy my own company.

Noon: Planning session
Every third Sunday, I do a monthly reflection. I track my last month against my yearly goals.

I’ll also plan my social activities for the next month. Almost every month, I host a poker night. Almost every Thursday, I do a dinner. I’ll make sure my social calendar is full for the next month because in L.A., if you don’t do that, you won’t have friends and you’ll be alone.

I’m very about my journal. It’s a hard-covered journal that is smooth to the touch, with a specific Sharpie 1.0 pen. It’s the only pen I want to use. And the journal has a pen holder, which is also crucial. And it has the string that saves your page — also crucial. And it has lines. I don’t want a journal that doesn’t have lines. It has to have a little flap in the back that will hold all my documents.

In my adult life, I’ve always been this organized. Perhaps not in university or in high school, but as I’ve become a career woman, I like to be very, very organized.

1 p.m.: Tastes from home
I’m ready to eat again because Sundays are for eating. I love Smorgasburg LA. Coming from Toronto, I’m really used to Caribbean food and Asian foods. In L.A., I feel like the best international food I have found is at Smorgasburg.

If I want to hang with the friends or if someone’s in from out of town and I want to show them a good time, we’ll go there.

3 p.m.: Sunshine state
I think sunshine time is so important and nature is so important. Throughout the week, I don’t always get to spend time outside, so I spend as much time as humanly possible outside, and that’s either lying on the grass with my dogs or it’s in my pool.

5 p.m.: On the A-List
I don’t want you to think I’m a loner, but if I’m ever doing things alone, it’s more often going to be on a Sunday. I love going to the movie theater. For me, it is AMC at Universal [CityWalk]. My greatest quality — this is not even an ad — is that I am an AMC Stubs A-List member. I take it very seriously.

I’d probably go to dinner and then a movie. So I don’t have popcorn solely for dinner, which I’ve done many times, but I try to avoid, I’m going to go to Kiwami by Katsu-Ya, which is on Ventura. It’s one of my favorite sushi spots. It feels very small and intimate. They have the best lychee martinis, and I’m a big lychee martini girly. The staff knows me because I go so often and they’re just so fast with the service.

It’s crucial for me to tell you that one of the reasons I go to the movies by myself is I am crazy about watching the previews. My friends always make me miss the previews. I love getting there early and I love being seated for the previews. I’ve gone to the theater sometimes 10 minutes before anything is even on the screen.

I like Universal because it is full of tourists. As someone who was not born and raised in L.A., I love seeing people experience L.A. When I’m walking from the parking lot to the theater, people have their Super Nintendo World stuff and they have their Universal merch. They’re so excited to be there, and it reminds me, like, oh yeah, this is a really exciting place for people.

10 p.m.: Ready for the week ahead
I’ll come home, cuddle the dogs, then I make sure I’m ready for the week. I make sure my house is in a good spot. I make sure my flowers are popping. I probably will do a hot tub or sauna moment, then do my skincare routine.

11 p.m.: One last journal entry
I don’t like to watch anything in my bedroom because sleeping is a huge thing for me. I have a little bit of insomnia, so I really try to wind down. On my night table, I have my nighttime journal and I do a little self-compassion journaling.

CCTV has been released showing the last time a British round-the-world sailor was seen before he disappeared.

James Nunan, 34, was five months into a global solo sailing trip when he mysteriously vanished on August 18.

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James from Reading, better-known to family and friends as Jemsie, had been at the pub, Paddy’s Anchor, in the island capital Las Palmas.

Hours later, he vanished after going for a late-night snack at the kebab shop six minutes away from the pub.

Spanish cops have now released an image of James, in their desperate attempt to locate him.

He is pictured ordering food at the kebab joint wearing a blue T-shirt with his Jack Russell on his lap.

In one photograph, three diners appear to be enjoying a meal behind him as he stands at the checkout.

It comes as official records show James reported his passport as lost or stolen at the Irish Embassy on August 19 – a day after he was last seen or heard from.

At the time, his half-sister Nikita said: “We know he’d had a drink but as a family we don’t believe he would recklessly set sail in the dark at night,” she said.

“It doesn’t make sense for it to be ‘oh he fell overboard’ because he was drunk, there are a lot of holes in the story.” 

Paddy’s Anchor previously shared appeals by James’ worried family on social media saying: “Many of you have been asking, so we want to share this post from Jemsie’s family.

“His sister is still searching for him after he was last seen here in Las Palmas.

“His boat has since been found off the coast of Gran Canaria, but there has been no contact from him since.”

A call was made between August 24 and 25 in relation to James’ boat as police found it a day later 50 miles offshore.

At first they said James’ Jack Russell, known as Thumbelina, wasn’t on board but later said she was found with the boat.

There remains no information on where James could be.

A witness came forward to claim he spoke to James as he said the Brit was drunk but not acting in any unusual manner.

He had reportedly told him about his sailing adventures and that he planned to head to Lanzarote.

Some pub staff also claimed they were told not to speak to anyone about his mysterious disappearance.

A man reportedly answered phone calls at the pub saying: “It’s an open investigation and we’ve been told not to speak to anyone and I’ve just got to go with that I’m afraid.”

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Asked if it was local police or Mr Nunan’s family who had asked him not to speak, he said: “I can’t talk about it, sorry.”

After his boat was found with the dog on board, it was towed back to Argineguin in the south of Gran Canaria.

A spokesperson for the Civil Guard said: “We are looking into this case. Several lines of investigation are being pursued.”

Jemsie had been about five-and-a-half months into his solo sailing trip when he vanished – and had been planning to travel to Brazil.

Nikita added that a distress signal was sent out in relation to his boat between August 24 and 25.

The dog found on board has since been taken to an animal shelter.

Jemsie’s father has travelled to the island searching for any signs of the missing 34-year-old. 

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has confirmed it is “supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain“.

The National Police in Las Palmas and court officials on the island have been approached for comment.

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SACRAMENTO — State lawmakers approved a bill Monday that would ban online pet dealer websites and shadowy middlemen who pose as local breeders from selling dogs to California consumers — the latest move to curtail the pipeline from out-of-state puppy mills.

Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) said Assembly Bill 519 will help ensure buyers aren’t misled about where their puppies come from after a Times investigation last year detailed how designer dogs are trucked into California from out-of-state commercial breeders and resold by people claiming to be small, local operators.

“AB 519 would close this loophole that allows this dishonest practice,” Berman said.

California became the first state in the nation with a 2019 law to bar pet stores from selling commercially bred dogs. That retail ban, however, did not apply to online pet sales, which grew rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Berman’s bill would ban online marketplaces where dogs are sold by brokers, which is defined as any person or business that sells or transports a dog bred by someone else for profit. That would include major national pet retailers such as PuppySpot as well as California-based operations that market themselves as pet matchmakers. AB 519, which now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his consideration, applies to dogs, cats and rabbits under a year old.

Puppy Spot opposed the bill, writing in a letter to lawmakers that it would dismantle a system they say works for families — particularly those seeking specific breeds for allergy concerns. PuppySpot CEO Claire Komorowski wrote to Berman in May that their online marketplace maintains internal breeder standards that exceed regulatory mandates.

“We believe this bill penalizes responsible, transparent operations while doing little to prevent the underground or unregulated sales that put animal health and consumer trust at risk,” PuppySpot CEO Claire Komorowski wrote to Berman in May.

The bill does not apply to police dogs or service animals and provides an exemption for shelters, rescues and 4H clubs.

“This measure is an important step in shutting down deceptive sales tactics of these puppy brokers and lessening the financial and emotional harm to families who unknowingly purchase sick or poorly bred pets,” Attorney General Rob Bonta wrote in a letter of support for the bill. “By eliminating the profit incentive for brokers while preserving legitimate avenues for Californians to obtain animals, AB 519 protects consumers, supports shelters and rescues that are already at capacity, and advances California’s commitment to the humane treatment of animals.”

Two other bills stemming from The Times’ investigation are expected to pass the Legislature this week as lawmakers wrap up session and send a flurry of bills to the governor. The package of bills has overwhelming bipartisan support.

AB 506 by Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-Ventura) would void pet purchase contracts involving California buyers if the pet seller requires a nonrefundable deposit. The bill would also make the pet seller liable if they fail to disclose the breeder’s name and information, as well as medical information about the animal.

The Times’ investigation found that some puppies advertised on social media, online marketplaces or through breeder websites as being California-bred were actually imported from out-of-state puppy mills. To trace dogs back to mass breeding facilities, The Times requested Certificates of Veterinary Inspection, which are issued by a federally accredited veterinarian listing where the animal came from, its destination and verification it is healthy to travel.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture has long received those health certificates from other states by mistake — the records are supposed to go to county public health departments — and, in recent years, made it a practice to immediately destroy them. Dog importers who were supposed to submit the records to counties largely failed to do so.

The Times analyzed the movement of more than 71,000 dogs into California since 2019, when the pet retail ban went into effect. The travel certificates showed how a network of resellers replaced pet stores as middlemen while disguising where puppies were actually bred. In some cases, new owners discovered that they were sold a puppy by a person using a fake name and temporary phone numbers after their new pet became sick or died.

After The Times’ reporting, lawmakers and animal activists called on the state agriculture department to stop “destroying evidence” of the decepitive practices by destroying the records. The department began preserving the records thereafter, but has so far released the records with significant redactions.

SB 312 by state Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Orange) would require pet sellers to share the travel certificate with the state agriculture agency, which would then make them available without redactions to the public. An earlier version of the bill required the state department to publish information from the certificates online, but that was removed amid opposition.

“Given the high propensity for misleading consumers and the large volume of dogs entering the state, the health certificate information is in the public interest for individual consumers to review to confirm information conveyed to them by sellers and to also hopefully be helpful to humane law enforcement agencieds as they work to investigate fraud and malfeasance,” said Bennet said Monday in support of Umberg’s bill.

A MAN has been rushed to hospital with serious injuries after he was crushed under a large tree.

The tree is believed to have been damaged in the recent stormy weather.

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The horror incident unfolded on Shirehampton Road, Bristol, just before 5pm.

Emergency services rushed to assist the man who was out walking his dog when the terrifying incident occurred.

Police and fire crews were scrambled to the scene where the man was found with “serious injuries.”

He was rushed to hospital to be treated by medics.

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: “We were called by the ambulance service shortly before 5pm to reports a man had been injured after a tree fell in Shirehampton Road in the Stoke Bishop area of Bristol.

“Emergency services attended and the man was taken to hospital for treatment of injuries described as serious.”

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India’s Supreme Court in early August issued a dramatic order calling for the removal of all stray dogs from the streets of the national capital, prompting outrage from animal rights activists.

Days later, the country’s top court amended that order after a larger bench of judges looked at the case, effectively allowing municipal authorities to return most strays to the neighbourhoods they were picked up from after being sterilised and vaccinated.

But while the revised order has calmed some of the passions that erupted over the initial verdict, the court’s interventions have also set off a broader debate in India over dogs on the country’s streets, the menace they pose and how best to deal with them.

So what were the court orders all about, what was the trigger, how big of a problem are India’s stray dogs – and how many such dogs does the country have in the first place?

What did the Supreme Court order?

On August 11, a Supreme Court bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan directed the Delhi government and local bodies to immediately commence the removal of stray dogs from all localities in the National Capital Region – including the city of New Delhi and its suburban cities of Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad.

The court’s orders required authorities to “start picking up stray dogs from all localities” and “relocate these dogs into designated shelters/pounds”, with the stipulation that they would not be released back into public spaces again.

The ruling drew criticism from animal rights activists who questioned whether local governments had the infrastructure and resources needed to execute the order, amid worries that it could lead to acts of cruelty towards the dogs.

Some experts also pointed out that the Supreme Court order might stand in violation of India’s Animal Birth Control Rules, introduced in 2023. Those rules were framed to control stray dog populations humanely, through a policy of capturing, sterilising, vaccinating and then releasing them. But the August 11 order barred their release onto the streets of Delhi.

Eventually, amid protests, a new three-judge bench heard the case again, on August 22 and modified the earlier order. “The dogs that are picked up shall be sterilised, dewormed, vaccinated, and released back to the same area from which they were picked up,” the court said, staying in line with the birth control rules.

However, the court clarified that the release after capture would not “apply to the dogs infected with rabies or suspected to be infected with rabies, and those that display aggressive behaviour”.

Further, the court ordered the creation of dedicated feeding spaces for stray dogs in each municipal ward, making it clear that feeding dogs on the streets would now be prohibited.

And the court asked other states and federally governed territories to also join the case as parties – in effect, setting the stage for the order, currently restricted to the capital and its surrounding areas, to become a nationwide law.

Does India have a dog bite crisis?

The Supreme Court took on the case because of concerns over an increasing number of dog bite cases in the country.

According to the federal Ministry of Health data, the country recorded 2,189,909 dog bite cases in 2022, a number that rose to 3,052,521 cases in 2023, and to 3,715,713 cases in 2024.

Dog bites, similar to bites from other animals, can transmit the rabies virus to humans. When left untreated, it manifests as either furious or paralytic rabies, both of which are almost always fatal once symptoms develop. In India, dog bites account for 99 percent of rabies fatalities.

Federal Health Ministry data shows that India recorded 21, 50, and 54 rabies-induced human deaths, respectively, in the last three years. But experts question those numbers.

While federal data shows that the southern state of Kerala recorded 0,1, and 3 rabies-induced deaths in 2022, 2023 and 2024, the state’s health authorities themselves say that Kerala had 15, 17 and 22 deaths respectively, in those years. And a recent Lancet study estimated 5,726 human rabies deaths occurring annually in India.

That too is a conservative estimate, according to Omesh Bharti, deputy director and epidemiologist at the northern Himachal Pradesh state’s health department. “I think it is closer to the 10,000 mark,” Bharti said. “In the last 10 years, dog bite cases have increased 10 times. At the same time, deaths have reduced as well,” he added, because of the increased prevalence of the rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin, which provides immediate short-term protection from rabies after potential exposure.

India contributes 36 percent of global rabies deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Does India have a dog-counting problem?

Nishant Kumar, head of Thinkpaws, a New Delhi-based think tank whose research focuses on the interaction between people, animals and waste systems, said that stray dogs form territorial packs.

“Bonded dogs learn to discriminate between familiar feeders and unfamiliar strangers, resulting in strategic aggression like barking or chasing to guard their streets,” he said.

“The issue arises when humans adjusted to dogs from one part of the city meet dogs in new locations, such as rickshaw pullers and delivery boys,” he added.

But questions linger over whether Delhi and India even have an accurate count of their stray dog populations.

The 2019 Livestock Census conducted by the Indian government’s Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying – the most recent nationwide stray dog count – found that India housed 15 million stray dogs, with Delhi accounting for 55,462 of them.

But the government’s own data also showed that Delhi recorded 45,052 bite cases in 2019 – a very high number of bite cases when compared with the estimated population, raising doubts about the quality of the data in question.

An unpublished study by Thinkpaws, meanwhile, assessed the dog density of the national capital region at roughly 550 dogs per square kilometre. When extrapolated across Delhi, that suggests an estimated population of 825,313 stray dogs – nearly 15 times the 2019 census data.

The 2024 Livestock Census was expected to be completed on March 31, but has been delayed.

How did Bhutan achieve 100 percent sterilisation?

The ruling by India’s top court has also prompted questions over whether all stray dogs can realistically be sterilised. While it is a tiny country by comparison, Bhutan has shown that it can be done.

In 2023, the Himalayan nation, sandwiched between India and China, became the first country in the world to achieve 100 percent sterilisation of its stray dog population. The country also vaccinated 90 percent of its 1,10,000-strong stray dog population in just two years – that’s more than the 70 percent vaccination levels needed to maintain herd immunity in the case of diseases like rabies.

Kinley Dorji, veterinary superintendent at the National Veterinary Hospital, Bhutan, who also led these efforts, said what worked was a “whole of nation” approach and the time-bound nature of the programme, which was pushed by the country’s king.

“Because the command came from our king, everybody cooperated. It was not just left to the livestock department or the municipality. Everybody from the armed forces and volunteers from De-suung [Bhutan’s national service programme] to the farmers participated,” Dorji said.

The programme was executed in three phases. “Nationwide sterilisation took just two weeks. Subsequently, the mopping phase began, targeting the dogs that had been missed during the nationwide phase. The final combing phase took us a few months, as we spent a lot of time capturing the remaining elusive dogs,” Dorji said.

The team used oral sedation, trapping and darts. Only in the heavily populated Thimphu did they have to set up separate shelters for problematic dogs that were biting people. All the other dogs were released back to the same area from which they were picked up.

The programme, which began in August 2021, was shut in October 2023, once the country achieved 100 percent stray dog sterilisation. Bhutan spent 305 million ngultrum ($3.5m) and employed 13,000 people during the programme.

What does the future look like for stray dog management in India?

India, by comparison, has a long way to go, say experts.

Bharti, the Himachal Pradesh epidemiologist, who deals with dog bite victims regularly, says the Supreme Court ruling highlights the failure of local governments and nonprofits across the country.

“They have failed to protect the citizens, and they have failed to sterilise and immunise these dogs,” he said.

Meghna Uniyal, director at the Humane Foundation for People and Animals, a nonprofit, welcomed the latest directives from the country’s top court. “We have waited two years for this,” Uniyal said. “Public feeding is now banned, and biting dogs are to be taken off the streets.”

But concerns around human-dog conflict won’t vanish in India anytime soon, said Kumar of Thinkpaws.

What’s needed, he said, is a long-term plan, including shelter-based quarantine for dogs that are known to be carrying diseases or that bite, vaccination of dogs, adoption of strays and mechanisms to reduce the practice of dogs eating from open rubbish dumps.

Anything less, he said, “is misguided compassion”.

DOG chew toys of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are flying off shop shelves.

The plush likenesses of the Sussexes, being sold near Windsor Castle, promise “hours of fun for you and your pooch”.

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One customer said: “Apparently the Harry and Meghan ones are proving extremely popular, which says a lot about how they’re regarded in Windsor.

“I think that shows how far they’ve gone from heroes on their wedding day to zeroes.”

The toys, which are “100 unofficial and unendorsed parody pet toys”, have two squeakers in their heads and stomachs.

They are stocked by A Dogs Life Co in the town’s Royal Station shopping centre, and cost £17.99 each.

They are made by Pet Hate Toys and available in small and regular sizes — with squeakers in the head and belly.

It says the Meghan figure is the “picture of elegance” in a shirt, tailored trousers and watch.

Harry is described as having a realistic “bald spot and stern face”.

The blurb continues: “Harry looks so dapper in his fav- furr-ite blue suit, with dog design tie and trademark bangle.”

The shop in Windsor, Berks, also stocks “pawlitical parody” toys of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Sir Keir Starmer, Nigel Farage and Elon Musk.

The customer added: “I think they’re hilarious.”

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A POLICE force is the first in the UK to trial a futuristic robot dog to hunt criminals.

The Terminator-style bot can climb stairs, see in the dark and operate in silence.

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Notts Police reckon the robo-dog could aid reconnaissance in armed sieges, hostage situations and chemical and biological incidents.

It is remote-controlled, can recognise weapons, scan its surroundings and has a loudspeaker to issue commands to suspects.

The device, funded by the office of the Chief Scientific Adviser, is under trial.

If results are positive, other forces will get them from next year.

Inventor Nathan Wallace, 22, of Gedling, Notts, said: “It can be used like a land-based drone.

“It has an AI camera which can detect weapons — handguns, knives, baseball bats.”

Supt Louise Clarke said: “It’s not hard to see how this technology can and will be used in the future to protect and serve the public.

“In the right circumstances this equipment can enhance officer and public safety.”

The force said there were no plans to fit the robot with weapons or replace police dogs.

A couple were left baffled by how some Spanish locals behave when it comes to taking their dogs for a walk and the cleaning up process – and they were very vocal about their displeasure

The last thing on your mind when taking the dog out for a walk is probably where your pet will urinate. It’s generally accepted that dogs just do their business, and there’s no need to clean up after them, regardless of where they choose to relieve themselves when it comes to a number one. However, one couple had a completely different experience when visiting Spain, receiving a culture shock as locals “yelled” at them for not being more considerate.

TikTok users Lance and Dua, who post under the handle @theldworld, revealed it was “only in Spain” they’d encountered this, not in America or Iceland, where they’re originally from.

Dua explained they were told they needed to “wash Rudi’s [their dog’s] pee with a water bottle”.

Lance then showed what they’d been instructed to do by a local, demonstrating the urine had to be entirely covered and washed away using bottled water.

Dua said they “have been yelled at by locals” multiple times for not cleaning up after their dog.

She recounted how one man even “made a scene” when there were many people around. She tried to explain to him that she didn’t “have water” to wash away the pee, asking him: “What am I supposed to do?”

Lance admitted he’d been “yelled at every time” by disgruntled locals. He was even caught out by a woman on a balcony who decided to give her two cents about what he was doing.

During the footage, Lance also raged that someone had their pooch off the lead without carrying a water bottle.

They were bewildered the regulation wasn’t enforced across the board, yet they’d faced criticism over it.

Lance claimed he was being “dead serious” when he insisted he was the “only one getting yelled at” for the conduct.

Nevertheless, it appears the duo escaped relatively unscathed, as certain regions in Spain demand dog owners don’t simply rinse away their pet’s wee with water, but use a disinfectant solution.

The Local Police in Seville were even granted powers to penalise pet owners who weren’t carrying disinfectant solution and fine those who fail to wash away their dog’s waste, according to Paws Patas.

This comes as Spain attempts to maintain the streets as spotless as possible, and clear of canine messes, including urine, as during sweltering weather, it can become intolerably pungent.

In the TikTok clip, someone moaned the pair appeared to be “complaining about cleaning up” after their hound.

Someone fumed: “It is the law now in many parts of Spain & you can be fined €€€ for not doing it. Locals are yelling at you because you are clearly foreigners. The fact that this has happened to you multiple times & you still forget the water bottle is disrespectful. As a fellow immigrant, please do better.”

Another person chimed in: “Starting spring 2026, Barcelona will enforce a new regulation requiring dog owners to clean their pet’s urine from streets using water or a disinfectant solution (like soap or vinegar). This is part of the upcoming reform of the city’s Civility Ordinance.

“Although the measure was approved by the city’s government commission in mid-2025, it is not yet in effect. Final approval is expected in November 2025, followed by official enforcement a few months later. Dog owners who fail to comply may face fines of up to €300.”

However, others rallied behind the couple, stating that “kindness is free,” and they shouldn’t have been “yelled” at when being informed about the rules.