Moira Dingle has thrown several punches throughout her years in Emmerdale. But Natalie J Robb, who portrays her, remembers one real-life fight that left her injured.
Emmerdale legend Natalie J Robb revealed she was once involved in a huge fight
She’s survived a brain tumour, kept Cain steady through the heartbreak of Nate’s death, and somehow held her family together.
Emmerdale’s Moira Dingle is about to face even more drama. “It’s all kicking off,” says Natalie J Robb, who plays the farmer. “She’s still in recovery, her tumour was only diagnosed last year.”
Moira has stood strong for hubby Cain, who’s still reeling after the discovery of Nate’s body in a lake. “She knows what it’s like to lose a child, so she knows the pain he’s feeling,” Natalie says, referring to the death of Moira’s daughter Holly. “But there’s just so many different emotions going on.”
Guilt is one of them. Before Nate’s death, he was beaten by Cain – fuelled by a rumour that Moira tried to kiss him. Believing Nate and Moira’s old affair had sparked again, Cain lashed out. “That fight they had,” Natalie says, “Moira believes she caused it.”
Moira is well-known for her intensity and her strong temper and fans often tell Natalie they wish they had Moira’s fire. In some ways, Natalie gets it.
Raised just outside Glasgow, she was a tomboy in a farming community. “There were more boys than there were girls. I didn’t get on with girls,” she admits. “I was into playing football.”
But life was tough early on – Natalie was picked on by other girls and sometimes, it was brutal. “I was walking home from school one night,” she says.
“I had a bit of a black eye, my lip was bleeding. My mum said, ‘Come with me.’ She dragged me to one of the girls’ house and said, ‘You’re going to fight her one-to-one.’”
The fight was stopped before it escalated but the lesson stuck. “I was terribly shy and quite sensitive,” she says. “But I’ve definitely changed. Maybe Moira has helped.”
Joe drops a bombshell on Moira, leaving the future of her farm in the balance
Now, the Dingle-Barton clan is about to be dealt another blow. Joe Tate’s gunning for Moira’s land, hoping to hand it over to Kim Tate, his step-grandmother.
“Moira can be a bit crazy, fierce and protective,” says Natalie. “But she’s a fair woman when it comes to farming and her business. What they’re trying to do to her is awful, it’s really bad. Her hands are tied.”
Butlers Farm is already struggling but losing it would leave Moira and Cain homeless. “The outcome is going to be much worse,” Natalie says.
“Ultimately, she thinks they’re going to have to sell. But Joe tells her fibs about her being a tenant farmer. She’s going to try to do everything to save it. But working with Joe? He gets right under Moira’s skin.”
As pressure mounts, Cain also locks horns with his brother Sam – who works for Kim and is friends with her through wife Lydia. Things boil over when two intruders are found hiding in Moira’s barn. Cain blames Joe, and tensions erupt.
“I go to punch Joe Tate, but as I do that, I punch Lydia in the ear,” Natalie says. “It’s very convoluted but it creates a big rift betweenSam and Cain.”
Luckily, the off-screen atmosphere is far calmer. Natalie and Jeff Hordley (Cain) have been filming together for over a decade. “We can work together with our eyes shut,” she says.
“We have a nice friendship and a good working relationship. But it was also nice to work with Ned Porteous, who plays Joe,and do things with Home Farm. It’s been talked about for a while, they’ve always wanted this land. They want the land for access, they don’t care about the farm.”
For Natalie, the storyline hits close to home. “I’ve got some farmer friends, they said that is the way it’s going a lot of the time. They’re making a lot of tenant farmers so they work their land,” she says.
“But they don’t have the same responsibility. It’s not theirs anymore, which is really sad. Farmers are a different breed, they have a different mindset and they don’t have time to mess around. They’re survivors. Even Jeremy Clarkson realises now how hard it is.”
British and Irish Lions: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 5 Joe McCarthy, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Jack Conan.
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Ben Earl, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Marcus Smith, 23 Bundee Aki.
Australia: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Harry Potter, 10 Tom Lynagh, 9 Jake Gordon; 1 James Slipper, 2 Matt Faessler, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 4 Nick Frost, 5 Jeremy Williams, 6 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson (c).
Replacements: 16 Billy Pollard, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Tom Robertson, 19 Tom Hooper 20 Carlo Tizzano, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Ben Donaldson, 23 Andrew Kellaway.
Jac Morgan unlucky to not feature after a great tour and Will Skelton and Rob Valetini will be out for the first test through injury.
ROUBAIX, France — As statements go, it’s a big one.
A towering mural in France of the Statue of Liberty covering her eyes is racking up millions of views online with its swipe at President Trump’s immigration and deportation policies.
Amsterdam-based street artist Judith de Leeuw described her giant work in the northern French town of Roubaix, which has a large immigrant community, as “a quiet reminder of what freedom should be.”
She said “freedom feels out of reach” for migrants and “those pushed to the margins, silenced, or unseen.”
“I painted her covering her eyes because the weight of the world has become too heavy to witness. What was once a shining symbol of liberty now carries the sorrow of lost meaning,” de Leeuw wrote in a July 4 post on Facebook, when Americans were celebrating Independence Day.
Her depiction of the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the French people in the late 1800s, has inspired some sharp criticism.
Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican lawmaker from Tennessee, wrote in a post on X that the work “disgusts me.” He said he had an uncle who fought and died in France, where U.S. forces saw combat in both World War I and World War II.
In an interview with the Associated Press, de Leeuw was unapologetic.
“I’m not offended to be hated by the Donald Trump movement. I am not sorry. This is the right thing to do,” she said.
The town stood by the work, with its deputy mayor in charge of cultural affairs, Frédéric Lefebvre, telling broadcaster France 3 that “it’s a very strong and powerful political message.”
Since returning to the White House amid anti-immigration sentiment, Trump has launched an unprecedented campaign that has pushed the limits of executive power and clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him. People from various countries have been deported to remote and unrelated places like South Sudan and the small African nation of Eswatini.
Polling by Gallup released last week showed an increasing number of Americans who said immigration is a “good thing” and decreasing support for the type of mass deportations Trump has championed since before he was elected.
The mural in Roubaix is part of an urban street culture festival backed by the town. Roubaix is one of the poorest towns in France. It was economically devastated by the collapse since the 1970s of its once-flourishing textile industry that used to attract migrant workers from elsewhere in Europe, north Africa and beyond.
Plazy writes for the Associated Press. AP journalists Ahmad Seir in Amsterdam and John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report.
A young woman emerged from the dark into a green and bushy clearing. Under the faux moonlight, she wandered the stage, speaking to herself. “Where’s my camera? I can’t believe I lost it. All my memories were there,” she said with a pang of panic in her voice.
Moments later, a young man surfaced from the same spot. His eyes scanned the area as well, with a pained look on his face. “Have you seen my drums?” When he plays his drums his heart races, he explained; his people feel joy, and the living, the dead and even the stars dance. “It’s like all our memories are there too,” he said.
With this poignant intro, Bad Bunny kicked off the “locals only” opening night of his 30-show residency in San Juan — which, for the first three weekends, will only be accessible to those who can show proof of their residence in Puerto Rico.
Taking place each weekend at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, affectionately referred to as El Choli by locals, the concert series revolves around his latest album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” and was advertised with name “No me quiero ir de aquí,” which translates to “I don’t want to leave here.” It’s a refrain that’s been associated with the artist since he used it as a lyric in his 2022 ode to his homeland, “El Apagón,” and he considers it still resonant today.
A celebration of Puerto Rican identity, a fighting spirit shaped indelibly by its music and history, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” also urges its listeners that time is not to be taken for granted, and the past, present and future are not just distinct phases but one whole, inextricably tied together.
(Lorenzo Lagares/For Los Angeles Times)
Fans that flocked to the opening weekend concerts were treated to Benito at the apex of his talents, not to mention his stamina. For three hours and over 35 songs, he danced, strutted and sang to the approving roar of over 15,000 in attendance. The show opened with rumbles of bomba y plena, and an unreleased track that got the crowd buzzing — followed by popular recent bangers like “Ketu Tecré,” “El Clúb” and “Pitorro de Coco.” He then regaled the crowd with a catwalk performance of “Kloufrens” and “Weltita,” which featured an appearance by Chuwi, the beloved tropical jazz quartet from Isabela.
The two stages were grandiose, both in size and production quality. The main stage was a reproduction of a hill, made to approximate the lush foliage found in Puerto Rico’s rainforest and central hillside towns. On one side, you could spy the two iconic Monobloc chairs from the album’s cover, and on the other, a flamboyán tree blossoming with red flowers. On the opposite end of the coliseum’s arena was a pristine pink vacation home, built to mirror the one from the short film that debuted along with the album.
That film introduced the characters of Old Man, played by acclaimed Puerto Rican filmmaker Jacobo Morales, and Concho, the sweet-natured Puerto Rican crested toad voiced by Kenneth Canales, which was brought to life by the stop-motion work of Quique Rivera. The two unlikely housemates returned in two new vignettes shown at the concert, in which they live in a cabin in the middle of snowy woods. Concho misses the Caribbean warmth, and feels very far away from home. A kind Morales reminds him: “We’re Puerto Rican no matter where we are, and even from afar we defend what’s ours.”
Remember, he says while looking straight at the camera, Puerto Rico is “the real calentón.” This cued a barrage of images that flashed across the screen, showing photos of historic protests and civil disobedience carried out over the decades by revolutionary Puerto Ricans.
(Lorenzo Lagares/For Los Angeles Times)
Benito reappeared under the flamboyán tree, where he was joined by guitarist Antonio Caraballo. Here, we got some of his lovelorn “Sad Bunny” persona as they reinterpreted acoustic versions of older hits like “Si Estuviésemos Juntos,” “Ni Bien Ni Mal” and “Amorfoda” before ending with “Turista.” All the while, Benito waxed philosophically to the audience, commiserating about matters of the heart.
From here, the action swiftly moved from the countryside to the pink house which suddenly filled with dancers in club wear — and Benito’s longtime tour DJ Orma. Those craving a rowdy perreo party got their wish, as his salsa-dembow hybrid track “Nuevayol” launched a 16-song stretch of frenzied, sweaty reggaeton and trap bops. Bouncing feverishly from “Titi Me Preguntó” and “La Jumpa” to “Yo Perreo Sola” and “Efecto,” Benito transformed the coliseum into a nightclub.
James and Benito have a friendship going back several years, and it’s hard to blame the superstar for wanting to hang with his pal — even if said pal is an American — during a concert by an artist who is not really vibing with the United States right now. But then again, if the home we see on stage is supposed to represent an Airbnb owned by non-Puerto Ricans — which is what was narratively implied — Benito might as well flex and bring in some elite gringos. Chants of “MVP! MVP!” rang out at one point, provoking the four-time NBA champion to throw up a hand heart gesture to the crowd. It’s all love.
That being said: “LeBron James sat on an air conditioner and danced while Bad Bunny sang ‘Safaera’” is a ridiculous Mad Libs sentence that actually happened.
As he paced from side to side on the house’s rooftop, Benito would again touch on the topic of time. “You get so caught up in the euphoria of the moment that you forget to appreciate the present,” he said. He asked the crowd to put their phones away and focus on the next song, and on whoever is accompanying them, or even someone across the aisle who has caught their eye. “This is the moment to act,” he added, and ask them for a dance, just before the thrust of “Eoo,” made famous from his sensual Calvin Klein underwear ad, got the whole building quaking.
Puerto Rican plena ensemble Los Pleneros de la Cresta appeared to interpret “Café Con Ron,” as well as one of their own songs, “Ábreme Paso,” which gave way to a second video vignette. It showed Morales’ Old Man leaving the cabin and trudging through a snowstorm, until he ran into Benito’s musical director Julito Gastón — the young man from the opening skit — sitting behind his drum. As they lock eyes, Morales leaves him with a word of advice that’s not just about the music, but the core of his being: “Never stop playing your drums.”
(Lorenzo Lagares/For Los Angeles Times)
Bad Bunny resurfaced, looking a bit more subdued. He spoke softly, but sternly, about Puerto Rico and its struggle against gentrification and government neglect. “We have to protect this land,” he said. “We have to protect what’s ours if we want our children to make a life here.” He followed it up by crooning “Lo Que Le Pasó A Hawaii,” the solemn décima all about how the archipelago is being threatened existentially.
An animated crash course in salsa history, narrated by Néstor Galán, set the scene for Benito’s touring live band, Los Sobrinos to assemble. Dressed in a vintage ‘70s garb of a Fania bandleader, Benito led the group into the last and most rousing part of the concert: a salsa reimagining of “Callaíta,” which gave way to to “Baile Inolvidable” and “Dtmf.” The crowd leapt to their feet, twirling and stepping to the rhythms.
Before he launched into the opening freestyle of “La Mudanza” he paused to gather himself; he took off his sunglasses to reveal his eyes had welled up with tears and gratefulness. As the image of a giant Puerto Rican flag graced the ceiling, he motioned for everyone to sing and scream the final lyrics in unison: “Nobody’s taking me from here, I’m not moving anywhere, tell ‘em this is my home, where my grandfather was born, I’m from P f—in’ R!”
In the lead-up to last year’s gubernatorial elections, Bad Bunny spent hundreds of thousands of his own money buying ad space on billboards across Puerto Rico urging its citizens to not vote for the ruling party, accusing them of being the main culprits of the island’s woes. The ads consisted of a simple, white text on a black background. In the end, the same party that has led since 2017 won reelection; and since then, the current governor, Republican Party member Jenniffer González-Colón, has only continued to be mired in controversy.
When entering the concert area, the large screens over the main stage showed one message with white letters on a black background: “Yo Te Lo Dije,” or “I Told You So.” When the show was over and everyone began to trickle out, a new message appeared, recognizable to all: “No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí.”
With his residency, Bad Bunny issues a rallying cry for Puerto Ricans: Act now. Change the future, so that you don’t regret the past. And most importantly, never stop playing your drums.
Chargers running back Najee Harris sustained a minor eye injury during a holiday weekend fireworks accident, but the prized free-agent signing will be ready for the upcoming season, his agent confirmed to The Times on Thursday after reports and online rumors prompted speculation of a more severe injury.
“Najee Harris was present at a 4th of July event where a fireworks mishap resulted in injuries to several attendees,” Harris’ agent Doug Hendrickson said in a statement. “Najee sustained a superficial eye injury during the incident, but is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season.”
With four 1,000-yard rushing seasons in Pittsburgh, Harris is expected to bring an immediate boost to a Chargers running game that sputtered last season in offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s first year. Harris, who signed a one-year deal worth up to $9.25 million, will pair with first-round pick Omarion Hampton in the backfield as the Chargers hope to make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 2008 and 2009.
The Chargers begin training camp on July 17 as one of the first teams to begin preparations for the upcoming season. The Chargers will play the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame Game on July 31 and open the regular season in Brazil on Sept. 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Like all young players thrust into the limelight, White admitted Hampton was a “little immature” when they first played together at Birmingham.
“Her emotions would take hold of her a lot, which they would do for any 16-year-old, and it was about dealing with the ups and downs.
“You won’t save a goal every time. Managing her emotions needed time, experience and understanding.
“I tried to take her under my wing a little bit and give her that guidance. I felt at that time she would be a very good goalkeeper but she needed some help.”
Hampton rose through England’s ranks, making her senior debut against future world champions Spain in 2022.
She made the squad for Euro 2022 but months after celebrating victory – often seen dancing with White during laps of honour – her career hit a stumbling block.
Reports suggested she was dropped from the England squad because of her behaviour and she had to wait until March 2023 for a recall, when manager Sarina Wiegman said Hampton had “sorted out personal issues”.
Speaking about that time, Hampton said the stories were “hurtful” and she revealed on the Fozcast podcast, external recently that she had considered quitting football.
“I was a very young girl when all the stories came out and you’re not really prepared for that. You don’t expect it,” she told reporters on Tuesday.
“There have been moments when everyone [in the squad] has probably thought they were in a tough position, but you get each other out of it.
“You can’t let all the media scrutiny win. If you do that it just adds fuel to the fire and I wasn’t willing to accept that.
“I wanted to show who I am as a person and show that wasn’t always true. I thought ‘just dig in’. I think I can say that I’ve proven people wrong.”
Ward managed Hampton at Aston Villa at the time, having brought her with her from Birmingham.
She fielded questions about Hampton’s situation in news conferences and left the goalkeeper out of the squad against Chelsea for the “best interests” of the team.
“We had an aligned agreement between Sarina, myself and Hannah on how we would help her with it,” said Ward, reflecting on the time.
“It was a difficult time for Hannah but it was probably a moment that really helped her. It was the moment she realised she had good support around her.
“She was a young kid that just really needed support.”
White, who captained England for Hampton’s debut, retired from international football just before she was dropped from the squad.
But White believed Hampton “just needed time” to mature and felt she did that under former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes when she joined them in 2023.
Having “an arm around her shoulders” helped, said White, as well as the drive to become Chelsea’s number one and get another shot on the international stage.
“It’s obviously not ideal not being selected for England. A lot of things transpired. Fair play to her because she did just get her head down and work hard,” said White.
“She just had to rebuild some of those relationships and gain them back in the England squad. I feel like she let her football do the talking.
“Everyone goes through ups and downs, rollercoaster emotions and going in and out of the squads. I am really proud of her. I’m excited to see her at the Euros.”
Since their arrival, audiences have witnessed a roster of guest hosts including Rochelle Humes, Emma Willis, Rylan Clark and Paddy McGuinness filling in when needed.
But it appears one ITV personality has set their sights firmly on the coveted presenting position – and they’re certainly familiar with the programme.
Former Made in Chelsea star turned broadcaster Ashley James has disclosed her ambitions to secure the hosting role.
In conversation with The Sun, she revealed: “I’ve always said that I’m always there when the time comes. I would always love to host This Morning.
This Morning star admits ‘I’m there when the time comes’ as they eye up hosting role(Image: (Image: ITV))
“I kind of follow where my interests are, and it’s got me to where I am today, and I’m always going to work harder than anyone else.”
The 38-year-old acknowledged her fortune, looking back on her entertainment career beginnings in 2012 when she had no industry connections whatsoever, reports Wales Online.
Ashley disclosed that upon leaving her previous employment, appearing on This Morning became her primary objective.
Ashley is a regular face on the ITV show(Image: ITV)
Her aspirations appear to have materialised, as ITV audiences regularly spot her as a guest panellist, frequently offering her perspective on current affairs alongside Nick Ferrari.
She continued: “I wanted to be on This Morning because it’s a show that I grew up idolising. It was the goal. So I love it and it’s such an amazing team. I love everybody that’s on there, both in front of the camera and and behind the scenes.”
Although Ashley hasn’t taken up the mantle of presenter just yet, it was recently revealed that Love Island alum and Loose Women panellist Olivia Attwood will be taking the reins of the show this summer.
Olivia Attwood is joining the This Morning team this summer(Image: ITV)
During a chat about her upcoming gig with Ben and Cat, she expressed her enthusiasm.
She said: “I’m going to be doing a couple of shows in the summer, I’m very excited to be joining you guys.
“It’s a huge honour, I’ve obviously grown up watching this show and being part of the Daytime team with the Loose Women has been the best experience and this just feels like a very natural progression of that.”
Ben and Cat have thrown their support behind Olivia, hinting that she’ll do a ‘brilliant’ job in her new role.
Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It’s Noah Goldberg with an assist from David Zahniser, giving you the latest on city and county government.
A few Los Angeles city councilmembers got in some final zingers before packing their bags for summer recess.
It was the final council session before the three-week pause, and members were working their way through a thick agenda Tuesday. After weeks in which the main focus has been President Trump’s immigration crackdown in the city, it didn’t appear there would be fireworks.
Then, Councilmember Traci Park rolled her eyes at Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez while he was speaking. And Councilmember Monica Rodriguez had some sharp words for both of them.
Let’s backtrack and figure out how we got there.
In May, the council passed an ordinance to raise the minimum wage for hotel and airport workers to $30 per hour — higher than the city’s minimum wage — with Park, Rodriguez and Councilmember John Lee voting against it.
Soto-Martínez, a former organizer with the hotel and restaurant union Unite Here Local 11, which pushed for the minimum wage hike, led the charge at City Hall.
Park said she voted against the ordinance because she thought that it didn’t take into account economic realities and that it would result in hotel and airport workers losing their jobs. Park’s opponent in a bitterly contested general election for her Westside council seat in 2022 was a Unite Here-backed candidate, Erin Darling.
After the minimum wage hike passed, a business coalition called the L.A. Alliance for Tourism, Jobs and Progress began a campaign to overturn it by gathering signatures to place it on the June 2026 ballot, which would at least delay its implementation.
Meanwhile, a petition circulator alleged that she was assaulted outside a Food 4 Less in Inglewood by an SEIU-USWW executive board member while gathering signatures. The woman filed a police report, and a judge granted her request for a temporary restraining order against the board member.
Enter Soto-Martínez and Park.
Soto-Martínez quickly drafted a motion asking for the LAPD to investigate the petition circulators for fraud and other misconduct alleged in the Unite Here letter.
When Soto-Martínez introduced his motion at the City Council’s Economic Development and Jobs Committee last month, Park spoke up, saying it was hypocritical for Unite Here to complain about misleading campaigns when it engaged in the same tactics “on a regular basis.”
Park quoted from a text message campaign that she said dozens of her constituents had brought to her attention.
“A new complaint alleges paid signature gatherers are using misdirection and misconduct to collect these signatures. Don’t sign the petition. Email Traci Park to tell her to stop this misleading effort to lower the minimum wage,” read a text message from Citizens in Support of the LA Olympic Wage, a campaign backed by Unite Here in favor of the hotel and airport minimum wage.
Park said the text made it sound as if she were involved in the campaign to repeal the ordinance.
“I have nothing to do with it. No one ever consulted me about it. No one ever asked my opinion about it,” she said at the committee meeting.
When the committee approved Soto-Martínez’s motion on June 17, she voted “no,” saying any investigation should scrutinize both sides of the wage campaign. The motion reached the full council on Tuesday.
Park quoted from the text campaign again and introduced an amendment asking for the LAPD to investigate both sides of the petition fight — those aligned with the L.A. Alliance for Tourism and those aligned with Unite Here.
“We know that engaging in misleading tactics are not unique to one group or one organization,” she said. “I know this because I have personally been targeted by misleading smear campaigns by the very group now complaining about this behavior.”
Soto-Martínez fired back at his colleague.
“There have been plenty of things said about me that have been misleading and I didn’t agree with, but I didn’t bring it into this chamber,” he said.
Soto-Martínez also said he wanted to draw a distinction between the text message campaign about Park and the alleged physical assaults against Unite Here campaigners.
Still, in the end, he said he supported Park’s amendment.
Park could be seen in a video recording of the council meeting rolling her eyes as Soto-Martínez finished his speech.
In a statement, Unite Here co-President Kurt Petersen called Park’s comments at the council meeting “unbelievably narcissistic.”
“Working people plea for her help after they were allegedly assaulted while they campaigned to raise wages. Instead of focusing on helping the victims, Councilmember Park complains about being criticized for her vote against the minimum wage, and equates criticism of her to the alleged political violence,” Petersen said. “This kind of greedy self involvement in the face of injustice is a hallmark of the billionaire allies of Councilmember Traci Park, and it’s why working people don’t trust her.”
Park responded in a statement, “Kurt Petersen is killing jobs and tanking our local economy. Iconic restaurants are closing, airport workers are being replaced by kiosks, hotels are pulling out, and working families are losing, not winning. His divisive and reckless tactics are speeding up automation and driving opportunity out of Los Angeles.”
Councilmember Rodriguez chastised both Park and Soto-Martínez.
“I think this idea that’s trying to assign blame to one side or another is kind of futile, given the demands of what we need LAPD to be focused on, but I think performative politics is the name of the game these days,” Rodriguez said. “Everyone needs to grow the hell up.”
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State of play
— SANCTUARY SUIT: The Department of Justice filed suit against the city of Los Angeles on Monday over its sanctuary ordinance, calling the ordinance illegal and saying that it discriminates against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. L.A.’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities has resulted in “lawlessness, rioting, looting, and vandalism,” according to the lawsuit. Mayor Karen Bass called the lawsuit part of an “all out assault on Los Angeles” by President Trump. Immigrant rights groups filed their own lawsuit against the Trump administration Wednesday, seeking to block the administration’s “ongoing pattern and practice of flouting the Constitution and federal law” during immigration raids in the L.A. area.
—HOMELESSNESS DROP: Homelessness declined by 15% overall in three areas of Los Angeles in 2024, according to a new Rand study. The biggest drop came in Hollywood, where the report found that the number of homeless people decreased 49% from 2023. The number fell 22% in Venice and went up 9% in Skid Row, according to the report. The Rand study linked the Hollywood decrease to a series of Inside Safe operations in 2024.
— SEE YA, CEQA: As part of the state budget, the California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 130 and Senate Bill 131 Monday, which exempts most urban housing projects from the California Environmental Quality Act. The act, known as CEQA, has often mired construction projects in years of litigation. Gov. Gavin Newsom muscled the new rules through the Legislature despite concerns from progressive lawmakers and environmental interest groups.
— MANSION SPEND: The L.A. City Council approved a plan Tuesday to spend almost $425 million collected from the city’s “mansion” tax on property sales over $5 million. Backers of the controversial tax — which has been criticized by the real estate industry for limiting property sales and reducing property tax revenue — say the fund is producing crucial dollars for affordable housing and homelessness prevention programs.
— FROZEN FUNDS: The Trump administration moved to withhold $811 million from California that would have helped students who are learning English or are from migrant families. “The [Education] Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities,” the administration said in a letter to states on Monday.
QUICK HITS
Where is Inside Safe? The mayor’s signature homelessness program returned to locations of past operations in Echo Park, Watts and South L.A. this week, according to the mayor’s office.
On the docket for next week: The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will vote to appoint Sarah Mahin as the first executive director for the county’s new Department of Homeless Services and Housing.
Stay in touch
That’s it for this week! Send your questions, comments and gossip to [email protected]. Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Saturday morning.
UK players love slot games, and Eye of Horus is up there with the best. It’s a standout classic.
Originally, it was released by Merkur Gaming but was later adopted by Blueprint. Eye of Horus has gained a loyal following. Players love its simplicity and expanding symbol feature.
In this Eye of Horus slot review, we cover the key mechanics, payout potential and where to play in the UK.
Book of Dead slot quick overview
👨💻 Software Provider
Blueprint Gaming/Merkur Gaming
🎰 Slot Type
Video slot
💫 Reels
5
💰 Paylines
10
💸 RTP
96.31%
🔥 Volatility
Medium
🤑 Max Win Potential
10,000x
🎞️ Theme
Ancient Egypt
🎉 Bonus Features
Free spins, expanding wilds, symbol upgrades
📉 Min Bet
0.10
📈 Max Bet
100
📅 Release Date
2016
Eye of Horus slot features overview
4
Eye of Horus keeps things simple but does it well. The standout mechanic here is the expanding wild. This covers the full reel and substitutes for all symbols except scatter. During free spins, the wild also upgrades high-paying symbols. You get better win potential!
The bonus round requires three scatters. You can also retrigger it up to five times. No complicated multipliers here, or mini games. The appeal is the streamlined action and symbol upgrades.
This game is great if you’re a casual player. Or someone who prefers a medium volatility slot with frequent bonus triggers and classic mechanics.
👍 Pros
Expanding wilds. Great visual impact and potential win boosts.
Free spins can be retriggered multiple times.
Symbol upgrade mechanic keeps it engaging.
Simple layout suits mobile play.
Clear win structure. Not overly complicated.
👎 Cons:
No multipliers or bonus mini games.
Visuals may feel dated compared to newer slots.
Max win lower than other high-volatility games.
Eye of Horus slot graphics, sound & gameplay mechanics
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Eye of Horus uses a classic ancient Egypt theme. The visuals are simple but bold. The symbols are clear and the reel setup is uncluttered. The background features stone pillars and hieroglyphs. It sets the tone without distracting the player.
The sound design is minimal. Reels spin with retro arcade-style clicks. Bonus triggers bring in a short Egyptian-style jingle. It’s functional rather than immersive.
Gameplay is smooth on both desktop and mobile. Touchscreen controls are responsive. All features are accessible across devices. The stripped-back style suits mobile play, especially for players who like a no-frills experience.
How to play Eye of Horus slot
Interested in trying it out? Here’s how:
Open the game at a licensed UK casino, such as Casimba, or take your pick among the best online casinos, as most of them have the classic Eye of Horus slot.
Set your stake using the control panel.
Press the spin button.
Look out for winning combinations.
Land three scatter symbols to trigger free spins.
Keep track of your balance and play responsibly.
Eye of Horus slot symbols
Eye of Horus uses a classic pay structure. Low-paying symbols are traditional card values from 10 to Ace. Higher-paying symbols are based on the theme. These are scarabs, ankhs and falcons, as well as others.
The Horus symbol acts as a wild. It can expand to cover the reel and substitute for all standard symbols. Three Temple Door symbols trigger the free spins round – the scatters, as it were.
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During free spins, each wild upgrade increases the value of mid-tier symbols. This adds extra win potential and variety.
Eye of Horus slot RTP, payout and volatility
Eye of Horus has an RTP of 96.31%. This means that for every £100 wagered, around £96.31 is expected to be paid back over time. It’s a theoretical value, not a guarantee – and not per player.
The game runs on medium volatility. Wins can occur at a steady pace but they tend to be moderate. This suits players looking for balanced risk and reward.
The maximum win is 10,000x your stake. There is no jackpot feature. However, the bonus round upgrades can help increase overall payout potential, particularly during longer sessions.
Eye of Horus bonus features and free spins
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The main feature in Eye of Horus is its free spins round. It’s triggered by landing three or more scatter symbols. These are represented by the temple doorway. They can be anywhere on the reels. This awards 12 free spins.
During the bonus round, you want wild symbols (the Horus icon). Each time one appears, one of the higher-value symbols is upgraded to the next level. You win potential increases. The wild also expands to cover the full reel. It means your chances of landing winning combinations are better.
Additional free spins can be retriggered. Two wilds during the round award three extra spins. Three wilds grant five more. This can continue until the maximum number of free spins is reached.
No multipliers or jackpots are featured. However, the upgrade mechanic provides good bonus potential, especially with frequent wilds.
Where to play Eye of Horus slot in the UK
Eye of Horus can be played at several trusted, UK-licensed casinos. All the best online slot site platforms like MrQ and Casimba have it. It’s offered alongside secure payment options and full access to responsible gambling tools, of course.
All recommended operators hold a licence from the UK Gambling Commission. That means player protection, fair gameplay and support. Mobile compatibility is also strong across both platforms.
Key takeaway
Eye of Horus is simple. It’s a retro-style slot with timeless appeal. The bonus round offers decent win potential, particularly for players who like symbol upgrade mechanics. The gameplay may feel repetitive to some but its classic structure makes it ideal for fans of traditional slots.
Eye of Horus Slot is a great pick for UK players who enjoy straightforward gameplay with nostalgic charm. Try it out at a trusted, UK-licensed online casino.
About the author
James Anderson
James Anderson is a Betting & Gaming Writer at The Sun. He is an expert in sports betting and online casinos, and joined the company in November 2020 to work closely with leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to curate content in all areas of sports betting. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter and Head of Live Blogs/Events at the Daily Express and Daily Star, covering football, cricket, snooker, F1 and horse racing.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
England Under-21s have proved they have the fight to defend their European title.
The mass brawl at the final whistle, coupled with a brilliant Euro 2025 quarter-final victory over Spain on Saturday, removed any doubt these Young Lions could be a soft touch.
Charlie Cresswell promised pre-game there would be no lack of fight from England after their limp 2-1 loss to Germany and the Young Lions lived up to the billing.
Cresswell was at the heart of protecting his team-mates, with players willing to fight for each other following a late challenge on Tino Livramento seconds before the final whistle sounded on their 3-1 victory.
Similar scenes followed England’s Euro 2023 final victory over Spain and the defending champions are not willing to let their title go quietly.
They now face the Netherlands in the semi-finals on Wednesday after a performance full of class, style, guile and fight.
“There’s better ways to build camaraderie,” manager Lee Carsley joked afterwards. “But we had something similar in the final [in 2023]. Emotions run high in those scenarios, you don’t want anyone to get sent off or throw a punch.
“You can see what it means to the players, we probably have to give them a bit of leeway. Thankfully it didn’t go over the top, it’s still not nice to see. We are always trying to encourage younger players to take up football but the passion was just a bit much.”
James McAtee, scorer of England’s early opener, also epitomised the mood, the Manchester City midfielder ready and willing to dish it out.
He said: “We were the two big teams in the tournament, so them kicking off, we can’t just sit back and just let them do it. We have to give them a bit back, so I’m happy with the boys.”
Asian shares were marginally higher on Tuesday as investors kept an eye on US-China trade talks that might help stave off a recession.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.9% to 38,445.68, while the Kospi in South Korea jumped 0.3% to 2,865.12.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged 0.3% higher, to 24,261.26 and the Shanghai Composite index was up 0.1% at 3,403.52. In Taiwan, the Taiex surged 2.1% to 22.253,46.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 advanced just less than 0.9% to 8.588,10.
On Monday, the S&P 500 edged up just 0.1% and at 6,005.88 is within 2.3% of its record set in February. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped by 1 point, which is well below 0.1%, to 42,761.76.
The Nasdaq composite added 0.3% to 19,591.24.
A second day of talks between the US and China was planned after the two global powers met in London for negotiations.
The hope is that they can eventually reach a deal to reduce painfully high tariffs against each other. Most of the tariff hikes imposed since US President Donald Trump escalated his trade war have been paused to allow trade in everything from tiny tech gadgets to enormous machinery.
Hopes that President Donald Trump will lower his tariffs after reaching trade deals with countries around the world have helped the S&P 500 win back gains after it dropped roughly 20% from its record two months ago. The index is back above where it was when Trump shocked financial markets in April with his wide-ranging tariff announcement on so-called “Liberation Day”.
Some of the market’s biggest moves came from the announcement of big buyout deals. Qualcomm rallied 4.1% after saying it agreed to buy Alphawave Semi in a deal valued at $2.4bn (€2.1bn). IonQ, meanwhile, rose 2.7% after the quantum computing and networking company said it agreed to purchase Oxford Ionics for nearly $1.08bn (€947.1mn).
On the losing side of Wall Street was Warner Bros. Discovery, which flipped from a big early gain to a loss of 3% after saying it would split into two companies. One will get Warner Bros. Television, HBO Max and other studio brands, while the other will hold onto CNN, TNT Sports and other entertainment, sports and news television brands around the world, along with some digital products.
Tesla recovered some of its sharp, recent drop. The electric vehicle company tumbled last week as Elon Musk’s relationship with Trump broke apart, and it rose 4.6% on Monday after flipping between gains and losses earlier in the day.
The frayed relationship could end up damaging Musk’s other companies that get contracts from the US government, such as SpaceX. Rocket Lab, a space company that could pick up business at SpaceX’s expense, rose 2.5%.
In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.48% from 4.51% late Friday. It fell after a survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that consumers’ expectations for coming inflation eased slightly in May.
Economists expect a report due on Wednesday to show that inflation across the country accelerated last month to 2.5% from 2.3%.
The Federal Reserve has been keeping its main interest rate steady as it waits to assess the inflationary effects of Trump’s tariffs. A persistent increase in inflation expectations among US households could drive behaviour that creates a vicious cycle that only worsens inflation.
In other dealings early on Tuesday, US benchmark crude oil picked up 31 cents to $65.45 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, also gained 31 cents, to $67.35.
The dollar rose to 144.93 Japanese yen from 144.61 yen. The euro slipped to $1.1399 from $1.1421.
At the time of writing (13:05 CEST), all major European indexes were in the red after China said the US “severely violated” the terms of their recent trade agreement. Market participants also considered the impact of US President Donald Trump’s plan to double current tariffs on steel and aluminium from 25% to 50% from this Wednesday.
The EURO STOXX 50 was down 0.68%, Germany’s DAX fell 0.48%, while France’s CAC 40 declined 0.63%.
“Donald Trump has upset markets once again,” Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said in an email note sent to Euronews.
“Doubling import taxes on steel and aluminium, and aggravating China once again, mean we face a situation where uncertainty prevails. Trump’s continuous moving of the goal posts is frustrating for businesses, governments, consumers and investors.
“Equity markets were down across Europe and Asia, with futures prices implying a similar pattern when Wall Street opens for trading on Monday. Unsurprisingly, gold got a boost as investors returned to safe-haven assets.”
US markets end May on flat note
Meanwhile, US markets ended May on a flat note, although for the month as a whole each of the main indices rose strongly following hopes of tariff reconciliations.
“Such optimism will face an immediate challenge as June begins, with comments over the weekend keeping the aggressive rhetoric in place. The latest broadsides from the White House were primarily directed at China and the EU, with both threatening a response in kind to any further tariff hikes,” Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, said in an email note to Euronews.
However, he noted, back on the ground, there were some promising economic signs with the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation, the Personal Consumption Expenditures index coming in lower than expected and with a consumer sentiment index showing higher than had been feared.
“However, such respite could prove short-lived as the latter was largely predicated on an apparent softening of hostilities between the US and China in the latter part of the month, which has since evaporated. There will be a further signal on the state of the economy at the end of the week, with non-farm payrolls expected to show that 130,000 jobs will have been added in May compared to 177,000 the previous month and that the 4.2% unemployment rate will remain unchanged.
“In the meantime, US markets have repaired much of the damage wrought over the last few months although sentiment remains fragile. The Dow Jones and Nasdaq are down by 0.6% and 1% respectively in the year-to-date, while the 0.5% gain for the benchmark S&P500 has in part been driven by a resurgence of the mega cap technology trade,” Hunter said.
Asia markets under pressure
In addition to contending with the weekend comments, Asian markets fell foul of geopolitical uncertainty following the latest Russia-Ukraine developments, with the Hang Seng under pressure based on the renewed likely tariff hikes on aluminium and steel.
“Mainland China was closed for a public holiday, which could leave some losses being stored up ahead of its reopening, likely exacerbated by a report which showed a further contraction in factory activity over the last month,” Hunter added.
In a room inside a North Hollywood warehouse, dozens of pets are ready for their owners to take them home.
Boots, a young black-and-white domestic shorthair cat, lies on his back, pawing playfully at the air. A trio of red, yellow and green parrots and cockatiels sit on wooden perches, oblivious to the piercing stare of a blue-eyed feline a few feet away. Princess, a senior Chihuahua, rests with her eyes closed and body curled into a tight cocoon, as a frenetic hamster named Ponby stands upright, his eyes bulging. There’s a naked guinea pig, a giant red macaw and an adorably chunky pit bull named Messy.
Eyes, such as those shown here on Messy the pit bull, are made of glass and closely match the animal’s original colors.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
All of these animals are loose, liberated from the confines of cages and leashes, and yet no havoc has ensued.
These animals are also all dead.
It’s an everyday scene at Bischoff’s the Animal Kingdom, a Los Angeles taxidermy business that has been preserving animals for 103 years. The business is multifold — Bischoff’s creates and rents out prop animals to film studios, museums and nature centers. Posters on the lobby walls boast the company’s work on shows like “American Horror Story” and “Westworld.” But in recent years, a bulk of its taxidermy requests now come from bereaved pet owners, those willing to shell out thousands of dollars for a tangible commemoration of their late “fur babies.”
Birds are commonly preserved at Bischoff’s, but the business has made mementos of more obscure pets, including chameleons, roosters and hairless guinea pigs.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
From full-body taxidermy to partial mementos — skulls, bronzed hearts or freeze-dried paws, for example — such services provide closure in ways that, clients say, traditional burials or urns cannot.
“It was honestly really comforting to have her back, and just be able to touch her and, in a sense, talk to her too,” said Bischoff’s customer Zoe Hays of the preservation of her Chihuahua-Yorkie mix Pixie. “She was a great little dog — also a menace to society, for sure — but she’s still with me, and she always will be.”
Bodily preservation, beyond the ashes or cemented paw prints offered by veterinarians and animal hospitals, has become a growing facet in the world of pet aftercare, with traditional taxidermists fulfilling many of the niche requests.
Redlands business Precious Creature initially only offered full-body taxidermy of pets until customers started suggesting other ideas, such as lockets containing patches of fur and cat-tail necklaces. (Most recently, owner Lauren Kane sewed a zippered pillowcase using the black-and-white fur of a rescue named G-Dog, or, as his owner fondly called him, “Fluffy Butt.”) In her documentary “Furever,” filmmaker Amy Finkel explores the lengths to which pet preservationists will go, asking, “Who decides what kind of grief is acceptable, or appropriate?”
Bischoff’s co-owner Ace Alexander had a songwriting career before transitioning to taxidermy.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Ace Alexander, 40, and Rey Macias, 55, the fourth owners in Bischoff’s long history, have steered the company to meet the new demand. Describing each other as “good friends,” the two men dress similarly in unofficial uniforms of black T-shirts and black pants, and they’re so in sync they sometimes finish each other’s thoughts. Since taking over the business, both have transitioned to primarily vegan diets.
“Bischoff’s used to be taxidermists to the stars in the trophy era, but now we’re taxidermists in the pet preservation era,” Alexander said. “People no longer hunt. Now they just love their pets.”
Hollywood needs supporting actors, even if they’re stuffed
Over the decades, Bischoff’s has preserved hundreds of animals. The Sumatran tiger has made many appearances in films and TV shows, including “Snowfall,” “Palm Royale” and “Welcome to Chippendales.”
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
In 1922, when Al Bischoff first opened the business on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, he’d stuff and plaster any animal brought to him. Most of the time, that meant trophies from hunting and safari trips, but it also included beloved pets owned by Hollywood elite. Roy Rogers used Bischoff’s to preserve his co-stars Trigger the horse and Bullet the dog. Buck — the dog from “Married with Children” — also got the Bischoff’s treatment.
Under Alexander and Macias’ tutelage, that’s still the case. They’ll preserve any animal you bring them — so long as it is not a protected species or an illegal pet. They’ll even make you a unicorn or a sasquatch or a wearable Velociraptor costume that roars and can open and close its jaws. The largest animal Alexander and Macias have preserved was an 11-foot-long buffalo, while the smallest, not including insects, was a hummingbird. Off the top of their heads, the only animal they haven’t preserved — yet — is the genetically rare white tiger.
Bischoff’s owners Ace Alexander, left, and Rey Macias show off a custom order of a pink peacock (sans tail) for a film.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
The majority of Bischoff’s clientele still comes from Hollywood. Due to federal and state laws, as well as industry regulators like the American Humane Association, it often makes more sense to use body doubles for animals when filming and is occasionally mandatory (such as scenes that involve roadkill or drowning incidents).
On a recent Wednesday, Alexander fielded calls from studios about the types of snake skins in stock, how to clean dirt off a rented coyote and the particular body poses of their turkeys.
“So what are you thinking?” Alexander said, talking on the phone. “Turkeys in flight? Perched? Or did you need a floppy version?”
As for the pet sector, which accounts for around 40% of their business, dogs and cats, unsurprisingly, make up the majority of the preservations, but the team has also worked on rabbits, rodents, chameleons and roosters. And although they will preserve your pet goldfish, they will strongly encourage you to consider having a synthetic version made of it due to the oils in the scales, which inevitably lead to deterioration.
Bischoff’s works on pets shipped from around the country as well as overseas. Dr. Xanya Sofra, who is based in Hong Kong, has had at least half a dozen of her papillons preserved by Bischoff’s. Another client, who was an avid hiker, had Bischoff’s preserve his golden retriever in an upright position so that he could carry it in his backpack on his treks.
Neither Alexander nor Macias had a background in taxidermy when they started working at Bischoff’s. They were both musicians, which is how they initially met. Macias also owned an auto shop and has been taking apart and fixing appliances from a young age.
Alexander picked up jobs at Bischoff’s when it was owned by the previous owner, Gary Robbins. The pay was good, the work interesting and he realized he had a knack for airbrushing and sculpting. In 2017, when Robbins was ready to retire, Alexander and Macias, who by then had also started working there, decided to buy the business.
Blending artistic skill with scientific knowledge
Each multi-level freeze-dryer can fit around a dozen pets at a time. Smaller pets need three to four months to dry out, while larger animals take nearly a year.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Bischoff’s specializes in a form of hybrid taxidermy, incorporating traditional techniques with the more new-fangled freeze-drying process. The results are not only more lifelike and long-lasting than the standard gut-and-stuff method, but it also allows for the bulk of the original animal to remain, including the skeletal structure, toenails, whiskers, eyelids, nose and teeth. The eyes, however, are made of glass.
The method leaves room for error. Water can be used to dampen and repose the body and paint can be removed or retouched.
“You can definitely backpedal,” Alexander said, making a note to check the texture of the preserved hearts on sticks in the next 24 hours.
Alexander credits this attention to detail to his predecessors, former owner Robbins and then-main taxidermist Larry Greissinger, who taught him the trade. Strict in their teachings, Robbins and Greissinger emphasized getting every bodily facet correct: from recreating the natural anatomy to sewing the perfect hidden stitch to making sure the eyes looked right.
“That’s where the emotion is,” Alexander said. “You can get the perfect body pose, but if the eyes aren’t sitting well or don’t carry any emotion, then the animal will never look alive.”
Bischoff’s has old and new taxidermy, including two polar bears from the 1940s and 1950s, a bull created in 2013 for the “Yellowstone” prequel “1923” and a buffalo that appeared in “The Lone Ranger.”
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
A few of Bischoff’s early taxidermy pieces are still on display, including a dog, which looks more like a cross between a wolf and a baboon, dating to the 1920s. Its plaster interior, an old taxidermy technique, gives it a stiff visage and makes it exceedingly heavy.
Bischoff’s prices reflect its modernized techniques, as well as the amount of time and attention to even the smallest of details required to make a dead pet come back to life. The cost for a fully preserved cat or a small dog like a Chihuahua starts at $2,640, with small birds, like a budgie, starting at $850.
A photo booth is set up in Bischoff’s warehouse, where images of the completed pets are taken.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Although most customers order full-body taxidermy, an “a la carte” menu has expanded over the years with jars of whiskers or fur, bundles of bones tied in a bow and, the most recent addition, freeze-dried hearts, which come mounted inside of a glass cloche. Bischoff’s also offers cloning services through its Texas-based affiliate Viagen Pets, to whom they send the pet’s skin tissues.
Pelts, paws and bronzed skulls are among the smaller items purchased by pet owners.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Bischoff’s in-house artist Laischa Ramirez creates hand-drawn portraits of pets for owners who request it.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Costly though their work is, Alexander and Macias see it as an investment. Pets, they point out, are friends you look at every day. You’re intimately aware of their nuances and quirks, like how their left ear might curl back more than the right one or the way their nose tilts ever-so-subtly upwards. Entrust their preservation to a novice or lower-cost taxidermist, and you risk losing some of the elements that made your pet who they were.
Bischoff’s has seen its share of people who’ve preserved their pets with budget taxidermists only to be disappointed. “It’s unfortunate because at that point, there’s not much we can do,” Alexander said. Such pets are cremated “because they just can’t stand to look at them.”
Bischoff’s key component? Compassion
Pets and pet hearts sit in a freeze-dryer at Bischoff’s.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
In the back of Bischoff’s warehouse is where the equipment resides and the smells of the oils running the machines permeates the space. The company has one aquamation machine that uses alkali solution, heat and pressure to break down the organic material into ashes. With interior chambers lined with perforated metal walls, the contraption somewhat resembles a fast-food restaurant’s deep fryer. Except, one taxidermist notes, when the process is done, instead of having golden fried potato strips in each basket, all that is left are bones.
Oftentimes at the ends of these processes, Bischoff’s workers will find inorganic remnants from the pets, such as microchips, metal plates or orthopedic screws. They give them to their owners as keepsakes.
Macias’ son, 29-year-old Chris Macias, works alongside his dad at Bischoff’s. He started helping out to make extra money while attending nursing school, but when business picked up, he decided to transition fully into the taxidermy business. He does a little bit of everything — recently, it was prepping a seal pelt for the San Pedro Marine Mammal Care Center — but tends to do pet pickups the most. Less technical though it may be, it is more emotionally taxing as he’s interfacing with grieving clients who might still be in shock or confused as to what exactly they want to do with their late pets.
Two calico cats were returned to Bischoff’s by the children of the woman who owned them after her death.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
“Everybody’s different, but I just try to be there for them,” Chris said. “Their pet was part of their family, so I totally understand. Because all of us here, we have our own pets as well. We get it.”
Though Alexander never imagined building a career out of preserving dead pets, he said, “We’ve found joy in this work and we just see preservation as another form of art.”
It’s that art that is helping keep the memories of beloved pets alive — for generations even. Hays, the owner of Chihuahua-Yorkie mix Pixie, already has a contingency plan in place for Pixie’s taxidermy upon her own death. It will be “adopted” by another family member. Her daughter has already called dibs.
And many of Bischoff’s pet preservation customers are repeat clients, which is something that Alexander and Macias take pride in. Two women picking up the taxidermy body of their late cat recently chatted with Alexander about their newest rescue, a diabetic stray cat burnt in the Altadena fires. They couldn’t help but comment on the “beautiful bone structure” of the feline, still very much alive.
“I was like, ‘Hmm, you’re definitely going on the altar some day,’” one of the women said.
