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In 2024, Argentina’s far-right President Javier Milei launched an economic overhaul that slashed public spending, gutted state institutions and triggered massive protests.

The government dubbed it “chainsaw economics”. Critics say it’s deepening poverty and pushing the country into chaos, while Milei continues to make headlines for bizarre behaviour, including claims he takes political advice from his dead dog’s clones.

So who is really running Argentina – and at what cost?

Mehdi Hasan goes head-to-head with Diana Mondino, who served as Milei’s foreign minister before being abruptly fired. She defends the president’s policies, brushes off Milei’s personal attacks, and distances herself from his more extreme views, including his support for organ sales and his insults towards the late Pope Francis.

Joining the discussion are:
Matias Vernengo – Economics professor at Bucknell University and former official at Argentina’s Central Bank
Maxwell Marlow – Director of public affairs at the Adam Smith Institute
Martina Rodriguez – Member of the Argentina Solidarity Campaign and the Feminist Assembly of Latin Americans

ANT McPartlin’s ex-wife posted a thinly veiled swipe at I’m A Celebrity host – amid a fallout over their beloved pet dog Hurley.

Strictly make-up artist Lisa Armstrong, 48, shares custody of the 12-year-old chocolate labrador with the ITV star.

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But sources say the ageing pooch is currently in Portugal with Ant as he holidays with wife, Anne-Marie, and their family.

Fuming Lisa posted a video of “My Boy” Hurley on Instagram – before following it up with a photograph of him lying down in the middle of a golf course.

In an dig apparently aimed at Ant she wrote: “And now he’s taken from his mama. Poor old boy…”

Ant jetted off to Portugal last month and has been spotted playing golf with pals and frolicking on the beach.

A source said: “Lisa is worried about Hurley in that kind of heat because of his age.

“They both adore him and have shared custody of him ever since they split up.

“Lisa is concerned about the temperatures in Portugal.”

The pair were married for 11 years before a bitter divorce in 2018.

Hurley now splits his weeks between the pair and was previously chauffeur driven between their addresses.

Ant, who named one of his companies after Hurley, has previously credited the pooch for helping him recover from drink and drug addictions.

In 2017, before splitting from wife Lisa, he pleaded to have visits from the dog while he was in rehab.

Lisa also refers to Hurley as her ‘baby boy’ and regularly posts pictures and videos of him on Instagram.

Hurley first came into their lives in 2013 as they struggled to conceive a child.

Ant, who has since become a dad with Anne-Marie, also owns two Maltipoos, Milo and Bumble.

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LeShon Johnson’s shameful career operating a dogfighting enterprise of immense magnitude is as long as it is grisly, far longer than his stint as a running back, even if his season as the leading rusher in college football is included along with his five years in the NFL.

The Department of Justice announced Monday that a federal jury in Oklahoma convicted Johnson of violating federal Animal Welfare Act prohibitions against possessing, selling, transporting and delivering animals to be used in fighting ventures.

Johnson, who operated in the open plains of east Oklahoma not far from where he grew up, faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, five years for each of the six felony counts. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.

Authorities took 190 pit bulls and other dogs from his property, the most ever seized from an individual in a federal dogfighting case. Many were scarred and injured. Authorities also uncovered treadmills, bite sticks, steroids and records that detailed fight arrangements and wagering.

The verdict culminated a two-year investigation that included raids on Johnson’s properties in Broken Arrow and Haskell, Okla. Operating under the name Mal Kant Kennels, Johnson was found to have bred, trained and fought dogs in multiple states.

The former ballcarrier who finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting in 1993, also had a conviction in Oklahoma state court for dogfighting in 2005, which preceded the much-publicized dogfighting conviction of star NFL quarterback Michael Vick by three years.

Twenty years ago, Johnson had a breeding operation called Krazyside Kennels, and its most famous dog, Nino, was the topic of an online narrative that chronicled the pit bull’s fights in several states, his last match approaching two hours despite having his ankle snapped in the first 30 seconds.

When Johnson was arrested in Tulsa in May 2004, agents found a calendar that detailed his breeding and fight schedules. Fights were listed so far back that investigators believed Johnson fought dogs during his NFL career, which ended in 1999.

A 2007 Sports Illustrated story that focused on Vick’s involvement in dogfighting rings included information about Johnson’s case. George Dohrmann — who was a Los Angeles Times reporter before moving to Sports Illustrated — wrote that Johnson was one of several athletes who had been charged with dogfighting or spoken openly of their links to the practice.

“[Fighting dogs] is a fun thing, a hobby, to some [athletes],” an NFL Pro Bowl running back who asked not to be named told Dohrmann. “People are crazy about pit bulls. Guys have these nice, big fancy houses, and there is always a pit bull in the back. And everyone wants to have the biggest, baddest dog on the block.”

Johnson avoided prison after his 2005 conviction, getting a deferred sentence and probation. This time he likely won’t be so fortunate.

“Dogfighting is a vicious and cruel crime that has no place in a civilized society,” U.S. Atty. Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma said Monday. “I commend the hard work of our law enforcement partners in investigating this case and holding the defendant accountable for his crimes.”

U.S. Atty. Gen. Pamela Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel also issued statements condemning dogfighting and lauding the conviction of Johnson.

“This criminal profited off of the misery of innocent animals and he will face severe consequences for his vile crimes,” Bondi said.

Added Patel: “The FBI will not stand for those who perpetuate the despicable crime of dogfighting. Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners, those who continue to engage in organized animal fighting and cruelty will face justice.”

Johnson was a Green Bay Packers third-round draft pick in 1994 after he led the nation with 1,976 yards rushing at Northern Illinois in 1993. His best day in the NFL came on Sept. 4, 1996, when he rushed for 214 yards for the Arizona Cardinals in a win over the New Orleans Saints, scoring touchdowns of 70 and 56 yards.

Nicknamed “the Cowboy” because he had been a bull rider on the junior rodeo circuit growing up in Oklahoma, Johnson’s NFL career was interrupted by lymphoma cancer in 1998. He made a comeback with New York Giants in 1999 and also played in the XFL for the Chicago Enforcers.

Even if you’re not sure you’ve seen Alan Tudyk in the numerous films or TV shows he’s appeared in, you’ve definitely heard him. Tudyk has been endearing audiences with his vocal stylings ever since 2002’s “Ice Age” — he voiced characters like the Duke of Weselton in “Frozen,” Heihei the rooster in “Moana” and King Candy in “Wreck-It Ralph.”

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.

Still, many fans know Tudyk best for his sci-fi and genre roles, including his four-season run as Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle of Syfy’s “Resident Alien,” which comes to an end with its final episode on Friday. “It’s a tough goodbye,” says Tudyk. “Fingers crossed for the reboot ‘Resident Alien versus Predator.’” In the meantime, you can catch him as Gary in 2025’s “Superman” and as K-2SO in “Andor,” for which he recently netted an Emmy nomination, as you await the handful of upcoming live-action and voice-over projects Tudyk has in the works.

We caught up with the busy actor to discuss his perfect L.A. day, which would involve, first things first, coffee. “I have to say that the last thing that Charissa [Barton, his wife] and I are thinking of when we go to sleep is, ‘I can’t wait to have more coffee tomorrow,’” he admits. “It’s such a beautiful promise for a new day.”

Also vital on any great Sunday is time with Charissa and their dogs, Raisin and Clara, a lot of delicious gluten-free food, shopping, writing time and a car nap. And then there’s their crucial tradition: a music listening session leading up to a very important decision. “I choose a summer song every year,” he said. “It’s down to the final. There’ve been songs that come and go all summer long that are potential songs. We choose the summer song, and to celebrate, we go eat some more.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

7 a.m.: Coffee and a dog run in the Hollywood Hills
I bounce right out of bed, and I have some coffee that I make at home, Intelligentsia Coffee with oat milk. I use a frother, and a little bit of granulated monk fruit sugar on top. I love that stuff. I feed my dogs, Raisin and Clara. And then we go for a run in the Hollywood Hills, near the Hollywood sign up in the Beachwood Canyon area, around where people rent horses to go horseback riding. Raisin, a terrier mix, is 15 and a half. She has run those hills her whole life; she’s chased coyotes over the edge. Just disappears into the brush of the canyon and comes back smiling. She’s 10 pounds. And Aunt Clara, a 20-pound goofball cockapoo, stays by my side because half of her is an obedient dog and the other half is afraid. But Raisin is in charge of the world, and she can do what she wants.

9:30 a.m.: Two (gluten-free) breakfasts at Honey Hi
We come back home, I quickly shower, and my wife then wakes up, because she sleeps longer than me. And we all go to Honey Hi, a gluten-free breakfast place, mainly. We can bring the dogs, as long as they’re on leashes. Although, yeah, Raisin prefers to be carried, especially after an hour-long hike chasing coyotes.

I order two breakfasts, because I’ve been jogging and I’m hungry and all I’ve had is coffee, which seems really like a bad idea. It sounds like a recipe for a stomachache. I get the community bowl, which is just so very healthy and tasty. And also the pancakes, because one breakfast isn’t enough. I eat half the pancakes and my wife eats the other half. So it’s really just one and a half breakfasts.

11 a.m.: A stop at Wacko
We go up to Wacko on our way back home. It’s over on Sunset Boulevard, where Sunset and Hollywood kind of become one, right around Vermont. Wacko is a store that sells collectible stuff, but also a lot of books. If you ever want to get a cool book for somebody that’s more like a picture book or an artist book or a coffee table-type book, they have those. And in the back is La Luz de Jesus Gallery. We always go in there and check out what local artists are being hung.

11:45 a.m.: 15-minute car nap
We come back out to our car and turn on the air conditioner, and we have a good little 15-minute nap, to get the energy to drive. And nobody even bothers us, and we’ve found great parking. It’s a perfect day.

12:15 p.m.: Coffee No. 2 and some bagels
On our way home, we stop at Blue Bottle Coffee on Hillhurst. There’s a Pop’s Bagels truck that parks outside of that coffee shop up until about 3 p.m. every day. And they have gluten-free bagels. So we’ll just grab some of those for later, and we get a second coffee — a nice oat milk latte. I get like three to four coffees a day.

1:30 p.m.: Writing time at home
We love our house, so we’re probably going to spend a little time at home. The dogs nap. I write, and my wife reads. Writing always makes a day better, so let’s do one hour solid. When you get done, you’re like, OK, you’ve got to come back to the world.

3 p.m.: A perfect burger for a perfect day
Then it’s time to eat more. Oh my God. We have to eat. We drive to Crossroads on Melrose and have that burger of theirs. It’s on their weekday menu, but on this magical Sunday, let’s say they happen to offer their weekday menu. It’s like an Impossible vegan burger, but it tastes just like a double cheeseburger from McDonald’s, with a gluten-free bun. And the fries are delicious. You also want to get the kale Caesar salad on the side. It’s just fantastic. We decide to splurge and get their vegan chocolate sundae.

4 p.m.: Coffee No. 3 and shopping at Dover Street Market
We should probably get some more coffee, and good thing there’s a Blue Bottle just off Melrose. Then we go to the Arts District downtown, to this cool clothing store called Dover Street Market. Some people will say, “Alan, but aren’t you old? Why would you be shopping at Dover Street Market? Those are really hip clothes.” Look, first of all, Charissa pulls off a lot of really hip stuff, and I can almost keep up with her. So there’s stuff for people in their fifties, and we find those items and we buy them. They’ve got stuff from really hip Japanese brands and local fashion people, and they’ve also got stuff that’s like skatewear. I don’t skate anymore, but it doesn’t mean I can’t wear some skate brands now, because I left a lot of the skin from my knees and elbows in ditches and on streets and launch ramps back in the ‘80s. Skate or die. Which at this point, if I did skate, I would die.

So we go there and we shop and spend a little too much money. And there’s Rose Bakery in the back, and they have a strawberry cake that is gluten-free and delicious.

6 p.m.: Crown the 2025 Song of the Summer
We take the cake that we bought at Dover Street, and we go sit in the car and listen to music while we eat cake and trade songs back and forth between us, deciding on the song of the summer. This summer’s vibe for me — because it’s been such a crazy time in the world, I need an escape from it — I really have been trying to find songs that take me away from everything. It’s between “Punkrocker” [by Teddybears featuring Iggy Pop], the song on the credits of “Superman”; “Chaperone,” from Mermaid Chunky, and “Pick Up the Phone,” by Sofi Tukker. And although “Pick Up the Phone” almost edges it out, “Chaperone” wins the day because of the madness of the summer of 2025. You need something that matches the madness but chooses absurdity, and it really does a great job.

7 p.m.: Pork chop and peaches at Manuela
Since we’re downtown, we go to Manuela. It is so very good. I get the pork chop. So if anybody was reading this thinking, Oh, he’s all about the vegan, hell no. This is the moment. The pork chop at Manuela is on the menu at all times, and it is fantastic, and especially great right now because they serve it with fresh peaches. It’s like a whole peach. And Charissa gets something with fish. Charissa has a nice glass of white wine, and I have some silly mocktail that isn’t too sweet, because I’m driving. On the way home, on Hillhurst near Franklin, we’ll stop at Alcove Cafe and Bakery, which has the best gluten-free carrot cake you could ever put near your face.

9:30 p.m.: Cake and Colbert in bed
We take the cake home with us, and in bed we watch Colbert and eat cake and then brush our teeth because there’s been so much cake. And then we will be up for another hour, but I don’t want to get into it what goes on. But that’s still part of the day after Colbert leaves.

For centuries, mythology looked to gods to explain a disquieting world. But in the new documentary “Folktales,” from “Jesus Camp” filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, which follows a trio of jumbled Scandinavian teens to a remote Norwegian school that builds character in the snowy wild, the answer to life may just lie in what “god” spells backward.

In other words, yes, let’s go to the dogs: sled dogs, specifically, whose personalities, purpose and compatibility are the secret sauce to a lesson plan that seeks to get kids out of their heads and into a stronger sense of self. The beautiful Alaskan and Siberian huskies that animate the dog-sledding instruction at Norway’s Pasvik Folk High School are what help lift this handsomely photographed film above the usual heart warmer.

Ewing and Grady are no stranger to this scenario, having observed at-risk Baltimore youth striving for stability (“The Boys of Baraka”) and unhappy Hasidic Jews attempting to remove themselves from all they’ve ever known (“One of Us”). The situation is less sociologically dire in “Folktales,” but it isn’t any less compelling as a subject or less worthy of empathetic attention, especially when the stage for potential transformation is as rapturous as the birthplace of Vikings.

Pasvik is 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, which means self-reliance isn’t optional and knitting carries more practical weight than learning a math formula. As gap-year institutions dedicated to nurturing the transition to adulthood, folk schools have roots going back to the 19th century. Pasvik sees survival training as unlocking potential in teens too devoted to their phone screens. As convivial dog-sledding teacher Iselin puts it to the students, she wants to “wake up your Stone Age brains.”

For anxious, bubbly 19-year-old Hege, who lost her father and struggles with image issues, unplugging is tough at first. But she responds to its benefits, especially when entrusted with the care of Odin, a gorgeous, lovable canine with an expressive howl. Socially awkward Bjorn wants to stop harboring sad thoughts and second-guessing his nerdiness. Nothing like a majestic creature who rewards your undivided attention, then, to refocus one’s energies. When the students are tasked with spending two nights in the forest alone with just their assigned huskies and camping acumen, their struggles give way to a turning point, what another kindhearted instructor describes as the special inner peace that comes with just “a fire, a dog and a starry sky.”

You also gather that Ewing and Grady may have been seeking some inspiration themselves. Hence, some arty montages of the icy wilderness (including some woo-woo yarn-and-tree symbolism) and an ambiance closer to warm spotlight than objective inquiry.

That makes “Folktales” decidedly more powdery than densely packed — it’s all ruddy cheeks, slo-mo camaraderie and the healing power of steering a dog sled through breathtaking terrain. It looks exhilarating, and if the filmmakers are ultimately there to play, not probe, that’s fine, even if you may not know these kids at the end any better than you did at the beginning. It’s hard to say whether negative-minded high school dropout Romain will wind up on the other side of what troubles him. But we see how happy he is making friends and catching a glimpse of moose in the wild. It’s a simple message, but “Folktales” sells it: Nurture via nature.

Aug. 2 (UPI) — Thousands of frozen hot dogs spilled across Interstate-83 in Pennsylvania, closing the busy highway in both directions after a multi-vehicle collision.

State police and four separate fire departments responded to the crash this week at an exit in Shrewsbury, Pa., the Shrewsbury Volunteer Fire Company confirmed on Facebook.

The collision occurred around 9:10 a.m. EDT and the highway was later re-opened around 3:45 p.m.

Shrewsbury is a borough in York County, located in south-central Pennsylvania.

Four people were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, while several sections of the highway were damaged as a result of the collision that involved a tractor-trailer truck and two other vehicles.

The Pennsylvania State Police confirmed they are now investigating what led up to the crash.

The closure stretched for four miles along the interstate, between exits 4 and 8.

“We all came to a dead stop and I was wondering what was going on. Then I saw some emergency vehicles…and hot dogs all over the road,” witness Jake Sitcosky told WPMT-TV.

Cleanup efforts were hampered by the amount of grease left on the pavement.

Local media showed photos of destroyed cardboard boxes and hotdogs littering the road.

The International Monetary Fund has raised its global growth forecasts for 2025 and 2026 slightly, citing stronger-than-expected purchases in advance of an August 1 jump in tariffs imposed by the United States and a drop in the effective US tariff rate to 17.3 percent from 24.4 percent.

In its forecast on Tuesday, it warned, however, that the global economy faced major risks including a potential rebound in tariff rates, geopolitical tensions and larger fiscal deficits that could drive up interest rates and tighten global financial conditions.

“The world economy is still hurting, and it’s going to continue hurting with tariffs at that level, even though it’s not as bad as it could have been,” said Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, IMF chief economist.

In an update to its World Economic Outlook from April, the IMF raised its global growth forecast by 0.2 percentage point to 3 percent for 2025 and by 0.1 percentage point to 3.1 percent for 2026. However, that is still below the 3.3 percent growth it had projected for both years in January and the pre-pandemic historical average of 3.7 percent.

It said global headline inflation was expected to fall to 4.2 percent in 2025 and 3.6 percent in 2026, but noted that inflation would likely remain above target in the US as tariffs passed through to consumers in the second half of the year.

The US effective tariff rate – measured by import duty revenue as a proportion of goods imports – has dropped since April, but remains far higher than its estimated level of 2.5 percent in early January. The corresponding tariff rate for the rest of the world is 3.5 percent, compared with 4.1 percent in April, the IMF said.

US President Donald Trump has upended global trade by imposing a universal tariff of 10 percent on nearly all countries since April and threatening even higher duties to kick in on Friday. Far higher tit-for-tat tariffs imposed by the US and China were put on hold until August 12, with talks in Stockholm this week potentially leading to a further extension.

The US has also announced steep duties ranging from 25 percent to 50 percent on automobiles, steel and other metals, with higher duties soon to be announced on pharmaceuticals, lumber, and semiconductor chips.

Such future tariff increases are not reflected in the IMF numbers, and could raise effective tariff rates further, creating bottlenecks and amplifying the effect of higher tariffs, the IMF said.

Shifting tariffs

Gourinchas said the IMF was evaluating new 15-percent tariff deals reached by the US with the European Union and Japan over the past week, which came too late to factor into the July forecast, but said the tariff rates were similar to the 17.3 percent rate underlying the IMF’s forecast.

“Right now, we are not seeing a major change compared to the effective tariff rate that the US is imposing on other countries,” he said, adding it was not yet clear if these agreements would last.

“We’ll have to see whether these deals are sticking, whether they’re unravelled, whether they’re followed by other changes in trade policy,” he said.

Staff simulations showed that global growth in 2025 would be roughly 0.2 percentage point lower if the maximum tariff rates announced in April and July were implemented, the IMF said.

The IMF said the global economy was proving resilient for now, but uncertainty remained high and current economic activity suggested “distortions from trade, rather than underlying robustness”.

Gourinchas said the 2025 outlook had been helped by what he called “a tremendous amount” of front-loading as businesses tried to get ahead of the tariffs, but he warned that the stockpiling boost would not last.

“That is going to fade away,” he said, adding, “That’s going to be a drag on economic activity in the second half of the year and into 2026. There is going to be pay back for that front loading, and that’s one of the risks we face.”

Tariffs were expected to remain high, he said, pointing to signs that US consumer prices were starting to edge higher.

“The underlying tariff is much higher than it was back in January, February. If that stays … that will weigh on growth going forward, contributing to a really lackluster global performance.”

One unusual factor has been a depreciation of the dollar, not seen during previous trade tensions, Gourinchas said, noting that the lower dollar was adding to the tariff shock for other countries, while also helping ease financial conditions.

US growth was expected to reach 1.9 percent in 2025, up 0.1 percentage point from April’s outlook, edging up to 2 percent in 2026. A new US tax cut and spending law was expected to increase the US fiscal deficit by 1.5 percentage points, with tariff revenues offsetting that by about half, the IMF said.

It lifted its forecast for the euro area by 0.2 percentage point to 1 percent in 2025, and left the 2026 forecast unchanged at 1.2 percent. The IMF said the upward revision reflected a historically large surge in Irish pharmaceutical exports to the US; without it, the revision would have been half as big.

China’s outlook got a bigger upgrade of 0.8 percentage point, reflecting stronger-than-expected activity in the first half of the year, and the significant reduction in US-China tariffs after Washington and Beijing declared a temporary truce.

The IMF increased its forecast for Chinese growth in 2026 by 0.2 percentage point to 4.2 percent.

Overall, growth is expected to reach 4.1 percent in emerging markets and developing economies in 2025, edging lower to 4 percent in 2026, it said.

The IMF revised its forecast for world trade up by 0.9 percentage point to 2.6 percent, but cut its forecast for 2026 by 0.6 percentage point to 1.9 percent.

Building Lego is something forward Lauren Hemp has done for years. She built a Beauty and the Beast castle while in Switzerland, which she proudly carried as the Lionesses checked out of the hotel before flying home on Monday.

Hemp managed to get others on board too, with teenager Agyemang also getting involved.

“I was building a really tiny stadium the other day because I was bored and suddenly Lucy [Bronze] was like, ‘we can make this so much better’,” said Agyemang, who was the breakout star of the tournament.

“I didn’t know she had really good skills when it came to Lego. We made a replica of the stadium and now she wants to make it a tradition, so I think we’ll have to do Geneva next time.”

Agyemang certainly kept herself busy, playing a piano that was brought over by the England kitman in a van.

“I play the piano, the bass guitar and the drums. I have my piano in my room so I’m spending a lot of time in there just playing and chilling,” she told BBC Sport.

“It’s 88 keys, so full size – but not a grand piano. It’s very important. I don’t think that there’s a day that I go without playing it because it’s right in front of me.

“Especially on game days, I probably spend about two hours just playing and enjoying myself.

“With evening games, where they are six o’clock or nine o’clock [kick-offs], there is a lot of time within the day to just chill and that is what I do.”

Agyemang’s piano playing has been so impressive it put off Williamson from playing, who performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra at Maida Vale Studios in December 2023 when she was recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

“I did bring a portable keyboard and I felt discouraged because I heard some of the other girls in the team had been playing theirs,” said Williamson.

“I felt like I was too far behind so I left it. There’s so much socialising to be done I don’t have time for hobbies. I will pick that up when I get back.”

Meanwhile, defender Esme Morgan encouraged the squad to produce basketball trick shots for a social media video in the group stages.

Chloe Kelly told BBC Sport that Morgan turned her room into a beauty salon to ensure the Lionesses looked their best on the big stage.

“We enjoy spending time together away from the pitch, which is really nice,” said Kelly.

“Whether that is Esme [Morgan] opening her beauty salon to do lash lifts, or sitting down and watching Love Island.

“It means when you go on to the pitch you know you’ve got each other’s backs.”

Los Angeles loves dogs. The city was ranked as the most popular across the country for dog ownership, according to data gathered by U.S. News, and with get-outside weather and an abundance of green spaces to explore, it’s easy to see why.

Pet ownership skyrocketed during pandemic shutdowns, with local shelters experiencing a rare shortage of dogs and cats. But as the world reopened, dog owners were faced with the challenge of balancing return-to-office demands and expanded social lives with the responsibilities of pet ownership, making dog-friendly spaces all the more important.

Thankfully, the local restaurant scene offers countless settings to socialize with your pup, from an Eagle Rock coffee shop with an attached dog park to an Arts District pizzeria and a Lincoln Heights cider house. Here are 12 dog-friendly patios in L.A. to visit with your pup this summer.

One of the underrated luxuries of living in Los Angeles is how easy it is to make a quick escape. With nothing more than a full tank of gas and an overnight bag in the trunk, you’re only a few hours from pine-scented trails, fog-wrapped coastlines and sun-soaked desert hideaways. If you’re traveling with a dog, even better: California is dotted with towns that don’t just allow pets — they basically roll out the red carpet for them.

Los Angeles is a dog town, no bones about it. In this weeklong series, we dig into the obsession.

My dog Charlie has been my steadfast companion since I brought him home in 2021: a calming presence when I’m racing to meet a deadline, and a blur of excitement the moment he senses we’re heading out the door. Traveling with him now isn’t just routine — it’s part of the joy.

We’ve taken more than a dozen weekend getaways together: some mapped out with military precision, others sketched out over coffee. Along the way, Charlie has darted into waves, waddled down wooded trails and stretched out like a tiny emperor beneath cafe tables, soaking up the scene.

Over time, I’ve picked up a few practical tips that help make the journey of traveling with a dog smoother:

• Call ahead to confirm pet policies. Just because a spot was dog-friendly once doesn’t mean it still is. (My favorite bookstore in Ojai, for instance, no longer allows pups due to overcrowding.) It’s worth checking on weight limits, extra fees and room restrictions — details that may not be listed online.

• Pack a few familiar comforts. Charlie never travels without a half-dozen of his favorite squeaky toys. A cozy bed, treats and even a dog-approved playlist (he’s partial to ‘90s teen pop) can go a long way in making your pup feel at home.

• Plan for pit stops. Every dog has their limit on the road; Charlie’s is about two hours. That’s when he starts getting antsy and throwing side-eye that clearly says, “Stretch time!” Before you head out, map a few good stops: scenic rest areas, cafes with outdoor seating or quick walking trails to help burn off some energy.

Once the essentials are covered, the only thing left is choosing your backdrop. Here’s a short list of destinations around the state that strike the right balance: beautiful, accessible and dog-loving. Whether you’re chasing salty breezes, crisp mountain air or just a patio brunch with water bowls on standby, these eight California getaways are sure to charm you and your furry friend.

Reality TV star Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman and his family are mourning the recent loss of one of their own.

Anthony, the reality TV star’s teenage step-grandson died on Saturday evening after he was allegedly accidentally shot by his father, Gregory Zecca — Chapman’s stepson — in Naples, Fla., The Times has confirmed. He was 13.

A spokesperson for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office told The Times on Monday that it is investigating the alleged shooting. Officers received a call about a shooting incident at an apartment on Sumter Grove Way in southern Florida at around 8:08 p.m., the spokesperson said, adding “this was an isolated incident.” No arrest has been made in connection to the incident, People reported.

According to the incident report reviewed by The Times on Monday, parts of it redacted, the responding officer heard screaming on the dispatch call. First responders arrived at the apartment and the victim — whose name was not revealed — was pronounced dead before 8:30 p.m.

In a statement shared to TMZ, which first reported on the alleged shooting, Chapman and his wife, Francie Chapman, confirmed Anthony’s death.

“We are grieving as a family over this incomprehensible tragic accident and we grieve the loss of our beloved grandson, Anthony,” the statement said. The couple also requested privacy as they grieved their loved one.

The Times did not hear back immediately from the 72-year-old reality star or his wife on Monday.

Chapman, best known for his long-running A&E reality TV show “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” married Francie Chapman (née Frane) two years after wife Beth Chapman died in 2021 following a battle with cancer.

He has been married six times and has a total of 13 children from those marriages. Zecca, 38, is Francie Chapman’s son from a previous relationship.

Federal immigration agents raided a Home Depot in Barstow last month and arrested a man who had his 3-year-old pit bull, Chuco, with him. A friend managed to grab Chuco from the scene and bring him back to the garage where he lives. The dog’s owner was deported to Mexico the next day.

The SPAY(CE) Project, which spays and neuters dogs in underserved areas, put out a call on Instagram to help Chuco and an animal rescue group agreed to take him, but then went quiet. Meanwhile, the garage owner took Chuco to an undisclosed shelter.

After repeated attempts, SPAY(CE) co-founder Esther Ruurda said her nonprofit gave up on finding the dog or a home for him, since “no one has space for an adult male Pittie these days.” So “the poor dog is left to die in the shelter.”

Chuco, a roughly 3-year-old pit bull, whose owner was deported last month. A friend took Chuco in, but his landlord reportedly dropped the dog at a shelter and would not say which one.

(SPAY(CE) Project)

It’s not an isolated incident. Since federal immigration raids, primarily targeting Latino communities, began roiling Los Angeles in early June, animal rescues and care providers across the county are hearing desperate pleas for help.

At least 15 dogs were surrendered at L.A. County animal shelters due to deportations between June 10 and July 4, according to the county’s Department of Animal Care and Control.

Pets belonging to people who are deported or flee are being left in empty apartments, dumped into the laps of unprepared friends and dropped off at overcrowded shelters, The Times found.

“Unless people do take the initiative [and get the pets out], those animals will starve to death in those backyards or those homes,” said Yvette Berke, outreach manager for Cats at the Studios, a rescue that serves L.A.

Yet with many animal refuges operating at capacity, it can be difficult to find temporary homes where pets are not at risk of euthanasia.

Fearing arrest if they go outside, some people are also forgoing healthcare for their pets, with clinics reporting a surge in no-shows and missed appointments in communities affected by the raids.

“Pets are like the collateral damage to the current political climate,” said Jennifer Naitaki, vice president of programs and strategic initiatives at the Michelson Found Animals Foundation.

Worrying data

Cats curiously watch a visitor at the AGWC Rockin’ Rescue in Woodland Hills. Manager Fabienne Origer said the center is at capacity and these pets need to be adopted to make room for others.

With shelters and rescues stuffed to the gills, an influx of pets is “another impact to an already stressed system,” Berke said.

Dogs — large ones in particular — can be hard to find homes for, some rescues said. Data show that two county shelters have seen large jumps in dogs being surrendered by their owners.

The numbers of dogs relinquished at L.A. County’s Palmdale shelter more than doubled in June compared with June of last year, according to data obtained by The Times. At the county’s Downey shelter, the count jumped by roughly 50% over the same period.

Some of this increase could be because of a loosening of requirements for giving up a pet, said Christopher Valles with L.A. County’s animal control department. In April the department eliminated a requirement that people must make an appointment to relinquish a pet.

Rocky, a 7-year-old mixed-breed dog, has been at AGWC Rockin’ Rescue for three years.

There’s no set time limit on when an animal must be adopted to avoid euthanizing, said Valles, adding that behavior or illness can make them a candidate for being put to sleep.

And there are resources for people in the deported person’s network who are willing to take on the responsibility for their pets, like 2-year-old Mocha, a female chocolate Labrador retriever who was brought in to the county’s Baldwin Park shelter in late June and is ready for adoption.

“We stand by anybody who’s in a difficult position where they can’t care for their animal because of deportation,” Valles said.

Some rescues, however, urge people not to turn to shelters because of overcrowding and high euthanasia rates.

Rates for dogs getting put down at L.A. city shelters increased 57% in April compared with the same month the previous year, according to a recent report.

L.A. Animal Services, which oversees city shelters, did not respond to requests for comment or data.

Already at the breaking point

Fabienne Origer, manager of AGWC Rockin’ Rescue, with Gracie, a 4-week-old kitten found on Ventura Boulevard and brought to the center a week ago.

Every day, Fabienne Origer is bombarded with 10 to 20 calls asking if AGWC Rockin’ Rescue in Woodland Hills, which she manages, can take in dogs and cats. She estimates that one to two of those pleas are now related to immigration issues.

The rescue, like many others, is full.

Part of the reason is that many people adopted pets during the COVID-19 crisis — when they were stuck at home — and dumped them when the world opened back up, she said.

Skyrocketing cost of living and veterinary care expenses have also prompted people to get rid of their pet family members, several rescues said. Vet prices have surged by 60% over a decade.

L.A. Animal Services reported “critical overcrowding” in May, with more than 900 dogs in its custody.

“It’s already bad, but now on top of that, a lot of requests are because people have disappeared, because people have been deported, and if we can take a cat or two dogs,” Origer said. “It’s just ongoing, every single day.”

Wounds you can’t see

Assistant manager Antonia Schumann pets a couple of dogs at AGWC Rockin’ Rescue.

Animals suffer from the emotional strain of separation and unceremonious change when their owners vanish, experts said.

When a mother and three young daughters from Nicaragua who were pursuing asylum in the U.S. were unexpectedly deported in May following a routine hearing, they left behind their beloved senior dog.

She was taken in by the mother’s stepmom. Not long after, the small dog had to be ushered into surgery to treat a life-threatening mass.

The small dog is on the mend physically, but “is clearly depressed, barely functioning and missing her family,” the stepmother wrote in a statement provided to the Community Animal Medicine Project (CAMP), which paid for the surgery. She’s used to spending all day with the girls and sleeping with them at night, the stepmom said.

From Nicaragua, the girls have been asking to get their dog back. For now, they’re using FaceTime.

Shirley and Bruno lounge in their space at AGWC Rockin’ Rescue. They have been there for five years.

Prior to the ICE raids, 80 to 100 people often lined up for services at clinics run by the Latino Alliance for Animal Care Foundation.

Now such a line could draw attention, so the Alliance staggers appointments, according to Jose Sandoval, executive director of the Panorama City-based organization that provides education and services to Latino families.

“It’s hitting our ‘hood,” Sandoval said, “and we couldn’t just sit there and not do anything.”

Within two hours of offering free services — including vaccines and flea medication refills — to people affected by ICE raids, they received about 15 calls.

CAMP, whose staff is almost entirely people of color and Spanish speaking, is mulling reviving telehealth options and partnering to deliver baskets of urgently needed pet goods. It’s drilling staffers on what to do if immigration officers show up at the workplace.

“Humans aren’t leaving their house for themselves, so if their dog has an earache they may hesitate to go out to their vet, but animals will suffer,” said Alanna Klein, strategy and engagement officer for CAMP. “We totally understand why they’re not doing it, but [pets] are alongside humans in being impacted by this.”

CAMP has seen a 20%-30% increase in missed appointments since the first week of June, for everything from spay and neuter to wellness exams to surgical procedures. After a video of an ICE raid at a car dealership near CAMP’s clinic in Mission Hills circulated in mid-June, they had 20 no-shows — highly unusual.

“We’re forced to operate under the extreme pressure and in the midst of this collective trauma,” said Zoey Knittel, executive director of CAMP, “but we’ll continue doing it because we believe healthcare should be accessible to all dogs and cats, regardless of their family, socioeconomic or immigration status.”

NEW YORK — Famed competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut reclaimed his title Friday at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot-dog eating contest after after skipping last year’s gastronomic battle in New York for the coveted Mustard Belt.

Chestnut, 41, consumed 70 1/2 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, falling short of his record of 76 wieners and buns set on July 4, 2021. It marked the 17th win in 20 appearances for the Westfield, Indiana, eater at the internationally televised competition, which he missed in 2024 over a contract dispute.

Defending champion in the women’s division, Miki Sudo of Tampa, Florida, won her 11th title, downing 33 dogs, besting a dozen competitors. Last year, she ate a record 51 links.

A large crowd, many wearing foam hot dog hats, braved high temperatures to witness the annual eat-a-thon, held outside the original Nathan’s Famous restaurant in Coney Island, Brooklyn, since 1972. Many show up to see Chestnut’s much-awaited return to an event he has called “a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life.”

Chestnut bested 14 fellow competitors from across the U.S. and internationally, including Australia, the Czech Republic, Ontario, England and Brazil.

Last year, Major League Eating event organizer George Shea said Chestnut would not be participating in the contest due to a contract dispute. Chestnut had struck a deal with a competing brand, the plant-based meat company Impossible Foods.

Chestnut told The Associated Press last month that he had never appeared in any commercials for the company’s vegan hot dogs and that Nathan’s is the only hot dog company he has worked with. But Chestnut acknowledged he “should have made that more clear with Nathan’s.”

Last year, Chestnut ate 57 dogs — in only five minutes — in an exhibition with soldiers, at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. He said that event was “amazing” and he was pleased to still have a chance to eat hot dogs — a lot of them — on July Fourth.

“I’m happy I did that, but I’m really happy to be back at Coney Island,” he said.

Last year in New York, Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago gobbled up a 58 to earn the men’s title.

Haigh writes for the Associated Press.

We’ve all eaten an extra hot dog at a Fourth of July barbecue — but only the greats can stomach 50 dogs in rapid fire.

Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest brings the world’s top competitive eaters to Coney Island, N.Y., to see how many hot dogs they can eat in 10 minutes. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s competition.

Is Joey Chestnut competing?

Joey Chestnut, the competition’s most decorated eater, is returning to the Coney Island stage this year after a sponsorship conflict barred him from competing in 2024. Banned after signing a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods, Chestnut got his fill competing at a different contest in El Paso, Texas. Major League Eating eventually ceded the sponsorship issue with Chestnut, who posted on X in June that he is “grateful we’ve been able to find common ground.”

Who are the eaters?

Chestnut — ranked No. 1 in the country — is the favorite to win again, boasting a Major League Eating record of 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Other eaters to watch are the 2024 winner and No. 2-ranked Patrick Bertoletti, No.-3 ranked eater Geoffrey Esper, No.-4 ranked eater James Webb and No.-6 ranked eater Nick Wehry.

Miki Sudo is the front-runner in the women’s competition. The reigning champ with a 10-year winning streak, Sudo will be aiming to top her personal record set in 2024 of 51 hot dogs.

When is the contest?

The 2025 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest will take place July 4 outside the original Nathan’s Famous on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island in Brooklyn, N.Y. ESPN will continue its annual broadcast of the Fourth of July contest this year, with coverage beginning at 7:45 a.m. PT/10:45 a.m. ET. The main hot dog eating contest is expected to begin at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET.

How can I watch?

The contest will be broadcast live on ESPN2 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. It will air again on ESPN at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET, and at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET on ESPN2. This will give fans some timing options as they iron out their Fourth of July plans.

The women’s competition will air on ESPN3 at 7:45 a.m. PT/10:45 a.m. ET and will be recapped around 12 p.m. ET.

How did the contest come to be?

In 1916, Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker used a $300 loan and his wife’s secret recipe to open a nickel hot dog stand — it wasn’t until 1972 that the first hot dog eating contest began.

What was initially a lighthearted challenge has become a physically taxing sport, formalized by Major League Eating and extensive media attention. Many see the contest as emblematic of America’s obsession with spectacle and excess. Nathan’s is also not shy about its original goal of self-promotion. Every Independence Day, tens of thousands of fans flock to Coney Island with millions more watching on ESPN.

So, what’s on the table?

The winner receives the highly coveted and bejeweled Mustard Belt, a $10,000 grand prize and the esteemed champion title.

Happy Fourth of July — it’s time to dig in!

Dwight Howard is devastated.

And he wants answers.

The former NBA great and current player for the Big 3’s L.A. Riot on Wednesday wrote on Instagram that his dog, Sunday, died in an apparent hit-and-run accident on June 18 in Suwanee, Ga. Howard said that he was visiting New York when he received the tragic news that his beloved Belgian Malinois “got loose and was hit by a car that kept going.”

“I’m devastated because you were the dog that never left my side, the dog that stuck to my hip at all times, and the one time you wander off without me being there someone takes you away from me,” Howard wrote. “Who could be so heartless to do this to such an innocent girl with no remorse.

“I’ve been trying to hold this in. … I really have but it’s killing me inside to get answers! I need answers and I won’t stop searching until I find out what happen to my beautiful Sunday.”

Howard implored his 3.7 million followers to share any information they might have about the incident. The majority of his post, however, was a tribute in words, photos and videos to a dear pooch who sounds as though she was one man’s best friend.

“From the moment I got you, Sunday, you were more than just my dog. … You were my peace. My protector. A reminder of everything beautiful and calm just like those early Sunday mornings,” wrote Howard, a three-time defensive player of the year who won an NBA title with the Lakers in 2020 and is set to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this fall.

“You hugged like no other. Barked at nothing like it meant everything. And every time I called your name, you came running full speed like your only mission was to love me. You waited at the door for me every single day, just to wrap your paws around me. And I’m gonna miss those hugs more than I can put into words.

“You were joy. You were warmth. You were my girl. And your life was cut short too soon. You helped me Smile through all the Storms I’ve been through but what do I do now that my Sunday Sunshine is gone.”

Dominic Brunt has announced Paddy Kirk will be brutally attacked by a dog in a jaw-dropping Emmerdale storyline. But the aftermath is set to flip his life upside down.

He’s been playing vet Paddy Kirk for the past 28 years – so it’s no surprise Dominic Brunt knows the Emmerdale rollercoaster better than most.

But in upcoming scenes due on ITV, the village favourite’s world is shaken after he’s attacked by an aggressive dog. “He’s already scared of horses,” Dominic says, “Now he’s got something else to be scared of.”

Everything kicks off when Paddy spots a sheep tangled in a fence. He steps in to help – but a protective dog lunges at him, leaving him badly injured. Paddy is saved from the worst by his father Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) and rushed to hospital.

The intense scenes were carefully choreographed with a highly-trained Alsatian and off-camera, Dominic had nothing but praise for the canine.

“That dog could do anything, he was amazing,” he remembers, “He’s an evil-looking thing. He’d growl and slabber everywhere but you felt really safe because as soon as someone pulled out his favourite food, he’d start wagging his tail. It was a big game to the dog but it was really impressive.”

The attack triggers a huge shift in Paddy. Known for his dislike of hoses, it sends his confidence plummeting even further. “He worries about the fact that he won’t be able to do his job anymore,” Dominic says. “He has no other skills and he’s goning to have to work it out what he’s going to do in the future.”

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And it’s not just Paddy struggling. He’s been increasingly worried about his father Bear, whose mental health has been deteriorating. “Paddy’s kicking himself that he hasn’t noticed,” Dominic says, “But the attack makes him see eye to eye with his dad.”

Unfortunately, just as the two start to connect, Bear flees.“Bear leaves the village for a good, long while,” Dominic teases, “But he has a big story coming up. We’ll explain where he’s been.”

Amid the fallout of Paddy’s attack, Emmerdale welcomes a new face: Jaye Griffiths joins the cast as Celia, a no-nonsense farmer who ruffles feathers and tries to strike a deal with Moira Dingle.

Dominic was thrilled to work with her. “She’s just unbelievable,” he says, “I was aware of her from various long-standing shows she’s been in. I did her screen test.

They auditioned lots of people and it was down to the last eight. All the actresses were brilliant but she did something else. It’s one of those scenes where you think, ‘This is something special.’ I can’t wait for people to meet her.”

With almost three decades of soap under his belt, Dominic has built strong bonds off-screen too. For nine years, he co-hosted a zombie film festival in Leeds with pal Mark Charnock, raising money for the World Animal Protection.

“We don’t do it anymore, I don’t know why,” Dominic says, “There’s only so many zombie films you can show. We have children and we live quite far apart now.”

Distance has never mattered in his friendship with Lisa Riley, who plays Mandy Dingle. “We were still friends when Lisa left. We stayed in contact all the time and met up for lunch,” he says.

“She’s a friend for life. When they brought us back together, it was like slipping on an old pair of shoes. We’re very close, we know each other’s thoughts.”

He’s just as warm about his other on-screen wives. “I worked with Zoe Henry for years and we became really close. Then they put me with Lucy Pargeter and we were best friends for seven, or eight years,” Dominic adds. “I was really pleased that, although I wasn’t with them, I was back to my original best friend.”

Despite saving all sorts of animals as Paddy, Dominic sticks to simpler companions at home: three dogs and a handful of cats. “I’m more of a cat person but in recent years, I’ve swayed towards dogs. They get you out – we live in the middle of nowhere, and I enjoy taking walks,” he says.

Dominic has also been vocal about wanting Emmerdale to show more of Paddy’s ongoing mental health battle. In 2023, the beloved vet was diagnosed with depression after struggling with isolation and grief.

Since then, he has been linked to Andy’s Man Club, a national men’s mental health charity. “I’d like to see more mention of the fact that it still relies on the Samaritans and Andy’s Man club, but they’re going to sprinkle a bit of that,” Dominic says.

“He has to have one eye on the fact that this can come back and a dog attack can spring it back up. This happens to people with depression – they can feel well for years and then they’re back there. Nobody’s ever out of the woods.”

Away from the cameras, Dominic keeps busy. He plays the mandolin and has a fascination for archeology – he’s even studied it. “I get these intense obsessions that last about four to five years, then I’ll get bored very quickly and drop it all, it’s weird,” he says. “I return to them but they become more of a hobby than an obsession.”

Still, it’s Emmerdale that holds his heart. “It’s still an incredible job,” he says, “I’m still nervous when I have masses of lines to do and really well-written scenes.

But it’s one of the best jobs in the world. As long as they keep writing these storylines, I’m sold. I’m very loyal to the show and I still love it to pieces.”

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THE trainee, in his 20s, was confronted by a maniac who attempted to steal the pet two miles away from the Swinton Barracks in Tidworth, Wiltshire.

The incident on Friday afternoon sent shockwaves through the camp, though the young victim, who suffered a facial wound, is expected to make a full recovery.

It is understood that police are now investigating the attack.

It is not thought to be linked to the victim’s role in the Army.

A source said: “It was a random attack while he was out walking a dog.

“The attacker approached him and produced a knife, and demanded that he hand the dog over.

“Obviously he refused. The knifeman made a lunge at him, and he was wounded in the face.

“The attacker wouldn’t have known he was in the military, but obviously, with the threats soldiers face, this is still an alarming incident.”

Military sources said Wiltshire Police were investigating the incident as a civilian matter.

Swinton Barracks is a 320-acre military estate on the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain, which is regularly used for Army drills.

It houses two Royal Engineer regiments and two Signal regiments.

Wiltshire Police said: “At around 3.45pm on Friday, we received a report that an unknown suspect had approached a man walking a dog in woodland near Perham Down and attempted to snatch the lead of the dog.

“The victim, a man in his 20s, suffered a minor injury to his face during the incident.

“Our enquiries into the incident are ongoing.”

1

June 6 (UPI) — Fourteen defendants convicted in a large-scale federal dogfighting event in southwest Georgia have been sentenced to an average of two years in prison.

The dogfighting event occurred in Donalsonville, Ga., on April 24, 2022. Donalsonville is near the border with Florida and Alabama, 222 miles south of Atlanta.

The sentences range from six months home confinement for two defendants to 100 months in prison for Donnametric Miller, of Donalsonville, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Two men from Panama City, Fla., received the next stiffest sentences: Fredricus White, 35 months, and Christopher Travis Beaumont, 30 months. Marvin Pulley, of Donalsonville, also was sentenced to 30 months.

Two defendants received credit for time served.

The court also imposed restitution for the care costs of dogs rescued in this investigation.

Under federal law, it is illegal to fight dogs, and to possess, train, transport, deliver, sell, purchase or receive dogs for fighting purposes.

“Dog fighting is an odious form of organized crime, and it’s a magnet for other criminal activity,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division said. “The Justice Department and its local partners, such as the Seminole County, Ga., Sheriff’s Office, will not tolerate this callous criminal activity.”

According to court documents, defendants from Georgia, Florida and Alabama converged on the location for the event.

Law enforcement arrived there after a 911 call and rescued 27 dogs that night, including one found in the blood-soaked fighting pit with severe injuries. It later died.

Prosecutors said participants used their cars to store injured dogs that had already fought and those before going into the fighting pit.

Law enforcement personnel also seized methamphetamine.

Investigators seized a cellphone that contained evidence of some of the participants’ extensive participation in the dog fighting “industry.”

Authorities seized and rescued 78 pit bull-type dogs in this investigation, including 51 recovered during search warrants executed this spring.

Agencies in Florida assisted in the case.

“The brutality of dog fighting, combined with armed drug distribution, negatively affects our community,” Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker for the Middle District of Georgia said. “The collaboration among law enforcement agencies at every level during this investigation and prosecution was essential in bringing these defendants to justice and rescuing abused animals.”

Off the lead at Gunwalloe, Cornwall

Recently, Cornwall Council lifted the season-long dog ban on many of the county’s beaches, restricting it to just July and August rather than the six months or so it had been previously. The council publishes a list of beaches, with all restrictions listed, that it’s important to check before heading out (there are still 11 beaches where dogs are banned between 10am and 6pm, and there are three protected wildlife areas where they are banned at all times). One of the best beaches, we think, is at Gunwalloe where visitors can stay at the National Trust holiday cottage right by the beach and the cafe has water bowls for dogs. Church Cove is restricted for dog owners in July and August but Dollar Cove next door is dog-friendly at all times. The coast path runs right along the beaches and takes you over to Poldhu or Porthleven, so there are plenty of options for walkies.
Layla Astley

Dog-friendly inn in the Lake District

The four-star hotel Inn on the Square (doubles from £100 B&B) in Keswick is very dog-friendly. It provides a dog spa – very useful after a lovely walk in the fells – dog beds, and tips on green spaces for dogs to do their business. Keswick is a beautiful town with fantastic pubs on gorgeous Derwentwater. The hotel charges a nightly supplement of £25 a dog. Up to two dogs can stay in your bedroom.
Dee

A castle fit for a canine in South Ayrshire

North Firbank Cottage (from £700 a week, sleeps four) in the Culzean Castle and Country Park Estate near Maybole is a delightful cottage with two sizeable secure gardens for your dog. It is owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is on a short private road that leads only to a couple of rentable cottages. A few minutes’ walk in one direction is the estate’s public car park, lake, cafe and children’s adventure park, while a few minutes’ in the other is the huge sandy Maidens beach (dogs welcome all year) with views of Arran and Ailsa Craig. Included in the price are miles of footpaths in the Culzean Estate and admission to the castle (but no dogs inside).
David Gilmore

Isle of Man’s best friend

The Isle of Man has miles of lead-free walking around the sandy beaches at the top of the island. There are 18 preserved national glens all suitable for off-lead walking – with clean rivers to splash in – and several have a lovely beach at the end. Dash around Gansey Bay beach (dogs welcome all year) in the south, then sit with your well-behaved dog in the bar of the Shore Hotel overlooking the bay.
Sue

Pamper your pooch in Norfolk

East Ruston Cottages in north-east Norfolk are totally devoted to dogs, providing everything you need for you and your dog. All cottages take at least three dogs. The cottage we stayed in earlier this year had a dog shower and toys, towels, treats and even a birthday card for our border collie. It was lovely for us as well. The company will even provide dog sitters if needed.
Margaret Dennis

Bracing beach walkies on Anglesey

Ynys Môn (Anglesey) is the sort of place where you wake to gulls not traffic. We booked a cottage above Red Wharf Bay then spent each tide-out morning striding sand to Traeth Lligwy, dogs off lead (there are no dog restrictions there) and noses full of salt. Lunch meant fish and chips outside the Ship Inn where water bowls appear before menus. For rainy days there is the dog-friendly cafe at the Oriel Môn museum and arts centre or woodland walks in Newborough Forest where red squirrels flit overhead. Every evening our spaniel snored beside the log burner while we planned tomorrow’s ideal beach.
Pamela

Pooch on the loose in Pembrokeshire

Explore ancient oak woodlands and secret beaches at The Little Retreat in Lawrenny (domes sleeping four from £120 a night), Pembrokeshire. Nestled in the walled garden of a 12th-century castle, these luxury domes are fully dog-friendly and overlook the Daugleddau estuary – perfect for wild swims and kayak adventures. Nearby, stroll to hidden coves or visit Carew Castle’s dog-welcoming (on the lead) grounds. It’s a wildly peaceful escape packed with history, beauty and charm.
Rosa

Set tails wagging in the Cotswolds

We really enjoyed a visit to the De Vere at Cotswolds Water Park with our dog. Our ground floor room had doors opening out on to a wide wetland panorama and a boardwalk to pootle along with the dog. The usual extras (beds etc) are provided, you can take your dog to breakfast and use the spa. Nearby towns such as Cirencester are fantastic for dogs, and the biggest hit of all was the Cotswold Wildlife Park nearby, a superb dog-friendly (dogs must be kept on a lead) animal park and gardens.
Jenni

Beach heaven at Ballymastocker, County Donegal

We spent our childhood summers at Rita’s chalets in Portsalon in County Donegal. The accommodation was basic and cheap. There was no heating, TV or shower but they allowed Sandy, our faithful dog, to stay every year. We still go back but the accommodation, now called the Pier Apartments (from €310 for two nights, two apartments, sleep 5 each) has been massively upgraded. But some things have stayed the same. The harbour is still full of kids jumping into the sea from the pier. The views are as spectacular as ever, and dog-friendly Ballymastocker beach is still the best in the world. And Sandy has been replaced by Benji.
Keiran

Winning tip: Mull – the isle of dogs

The Isle of Mull is the most dog-friendly island I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. George the labrador was welcomed with open arms on the ferry crossing from Oban – where they even had a special dog seating area with bowls of water and treats available. All the beaches are breathtaking, and dogs can roam off-lead to their hearts’ content. We even managed to take him on the tiny foot ferry over to The Boathouse restaurant on Ulva, where he made best friends with celebrity pooch Grampa, owned by the well-known interior designer Banjo Beale.
Hywel Sedgwick