Tuesday 31 January 2012

Dutch pigeon sold for record £209,000



A Dutch pigeon fancier sold one of his birds for the world record sum of £209,000 during an internet auction on Monday.

Dutch pigeon sold for record £209,000


Pieter Veenstra auctioned 245 pigeons on the Belgian website Pigeon Paradise, or PIPA, for over £1.6 million, including the record-breaking hen, of the Dolce Vita breed.
The buyer, Hu Zhen Yu, is a Chinese shipping magnate, who bought the bird for breeding rather than racing in China, where pigeon fancying is a fast growing sport and big business.
His purchase beat the previous bestselling pigeon, euro Diamond sold for £142,000 in November last year.
The record breaking price fetched by the bird has sparked a furious debate in the world of pigeon racing, a cult sport in Britain, Belgium, Holland and Germany that is not traditionally regarded as a rich man's pursuit.
Ken Ambler, a fancier from Oxenhope in West Yorkshire, said that the sport pigeon racing had been transformed since he took it up 70 years ago with expensive birds now "housed in luxury" compared to "the basic orange box lofts of yesteryear".
Terence Wright, from Enniscorthy in Ireland, said: "Is it so good to see all these top European birds go to China, to see the best stock leave our shores and to know that soon all our best pigeons blood lines will be no longer available to the fanciers of Europe?"

Monday 30 January 2012

Toddler chews head off snake


A 13-month old Israeli toddler chewed the head off a snake.

Toddler chews head off snake
An expert said the snake was a non-venomous species which resembles a viper, above 

Thirteen-month-old Imad Aleeyan, who has six teeth, was found chewing on the head of the 12 inch snake by his mother, who alerted the neighbourhood with her screams."I was making his milk and I looked over and saw he had a snake in his mouth," said his mother, Ghadir Aleeyan who lives in the Arab Israeli town of Shefa'Amr, 9 miles east of the port city of Haifa.
"I started to scream. I couldn't believe my eyes," she told AFP. "I nearly died of fright."
Her screams brought the rest of the family – and the neighbourhood – running.
"We rushed in and found the baby with a snake in his mouth, chewing it. It was really scary, just horrible," the boy's aunt, Yasmin Shahin, said.
"When he pulled it out, Imad started crying," she said, describing the snake's head as "very badly chewed" when it emerged from the boys mouth.
They immediately checked the child for any bite marks but found none, with doctors at Rambam hospital in Haifa confirming he was unharmed.
"Doctors at the hospital told us the snake was really poisonous but that we were very lucky because they release less venom in the winter," she said.
Dr Boaz Shacham, an expert on amphibians and reptiles, told AFP that from looking at images of the smashed-up serpent online, it appeared to be a coin-marked snake (hemorrhois nummifer), a non-venomous species which resembles a viper.
Such snakes grow up to three feet in length, he said suggesting it was a "very young" specimen.
"It probably didn't bite the child because of the cold," said Dr Shacham who is the head of the herpetology collection at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
"They are not really active in winter."

Thursday 26 January 2012

Helmet camera catches driver threatening to kill cyclist

Scott Lomas, 25, of Colonial Road, Feltham has been convicted of using threatening words or behaviour towards barrister Martin Porter whilst he was cycling.

Martin Porter was cycling from Berkshire to London in November 2010 when he was abused by Scott Lomas who tried to overtake him in his car.
Mr Porter captured the incident on his helmet camera and pressed charges against Mr Lomas.
In the footage, Mr Porter asks Mr Lomas whether he had threatened to kill him. "Yeah I did, yeah," Mr Lomas can be heard saying.
West London Magistrate's Court fined Mr Lomas £250 on January 18 for using threatening words or behaviour towards Mr Porter.

Tuesday 24 January 2012

Couple demand compensation after wedding day disasters

A newly-wed couple are demanding compensation after their big day was beset by a string of blunders that left them with the wrong vows, music they had not chosen and no photographs.

Couple demand compensation after wedding day blunders
Husband and wife (just), Peter and Michelle Rogers from Malmains Road in Dover
Peter and Michelle Rogers were also forced to hang around for two hours after the registrar failed to turn up because she was walking her dog.
The couple had paid £4,500 for a full marriage package at Dover’s Discovery Centre organised by the local county council.
The ceremony had been due to take place at 2.45pm on January 7, but when the expectant groom arrived 15 minutes before hand, he was told to “get out” by a member of staff who said the venue was not ready.
Around half an hour later the couple were informed that the registrar who had been due to conduct their ceremony had not turned up because she was walking her dog.
When another official eventually turned up two hours later, she had the wrong vows, the wrong music and even called the bride by the wrong name.
By the time the ceremony was over it was too dark for the official photographer to take any pictures of their big day, leaving the pair heartbroken.


Mr Roger, 41, a sales director said: "I made my way to the auditorium where the ceremony would be and was told by a worker at the centre to 'get out because we are not ready'.
"I sat there for around 30 minutes waiting for some news or information, but got nothing.
"When I asked for an explanation from the council about why the registrar who was due to conduct the ceremony hadn't turned up I was told she was out walking her dog.
"I couldn't believe my ears - they should have been at our wedding service, but instead were out with their dog."
He added: "The whole day was just one thing after another and the thing that bothers me most is that after saving up the money for the wedding the council haven't even given us a decent explanation about why everything went so badly wrong.
"Michelle's special day was ruined, she spent most to the time waiting in the pub or standing about in the pitch black when she should have been walking down the aisle with a smile on her face to get married to me."
Peter said: "The £4,500 we paid to Kent County Council included pretty much everything, from the wedding dress, to the suits and dresses worn by the page boys and bridesmaids.
"But all that was ruined by the simple fact that nothing went as it should have done."
The couple are now demanding compensation to make up for the string of blunders.
A county council spokesman said: "Due to a communication breakdown our staff did not arrive in time to marry Mr and Mrs Rogers at the agreed time.
"We are very sorry for the distress we caused and we have written to Mr and Mrs Rogers to convey our sincere apologies."

Saturday 21 January 2012

US man jokes after nail is removed from his brain

Chicago man Dante Autullo was recovering yesterday after having a nail removed from his brain – which he hadn't known was there.

US man jokes after nail is removed from his brainX-ray of a nail embedded in Dante Autullo's brain

X-ray of a nail embedded in Dante Autullo's brain Photo: AP
Dante Autullo thought his doctors were joking, and that he had merely cut himself with a nail gun while building a shed. But they assured him that the X-ray was real: a nail was lodged in the middle of his brain.
Mr Autullo, from Chicago, was recovering on Friday after undergoing surgery at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where doctors removed the 3.75-inch (7.62cm) nail, according to agency reports.
The nail had come within millimeters of the part of the brain that controls motor function.
"When they brought in the picture, I said to the doctor, 'Is this a joke? Did you get that out of the doctors joke file?'" the 32-year-old recalled. "The doctor said, 'No man, that's in your head.'"
As he was rushed by ambulance to another hospital for surgery, he posted a picture of the X-ray on his Facebook page.
Mr Autullo, who lives in Orland Park, said that he was building a shed on Tuesday and was using the nail gun above his head when he fired it. With nothing to indicate that a nail hadn't simply whizzed by his head, his long-time companion, Gail Glaenzer, cleaned the wound with peroxide.
"It really felt like I got punched on the side of the head," he said, adding that he continued working. "I thought it went past my ear."
While there are pain-sensitive nerves on a person's skull, there aren't any within the brain itself. That's why he would have felt the nail strike the skull, but he wouldn't have felt it penetrate the brain.
Neither he nor Miss Glaenzer thought much about it, and Mr Autullo went on with his day, even ploughing a bit of snow. But the next day when he awoke from a nap, feeling nauseated, Miss Glaenzer sensed that something was wrong and suggested they go to the hospital.
At first Mr Autullo refused, but he relented after the two picked up their son at school on Wednesday evening.
An X-ray was taken a couple hours later. And there, seeming to float in the middle of his head, was a nail.
Doctors told Mr Autullo and Miss Glaenzer that the nail came within millimetres of the part of the brain that controls motor function, and he was rushed by ambulance to the other hospital for more specialised care.
"He feels good. He moved all his limbs, he's talking normal, he remembers everything," Miss Glaenzer said. "It's amazing, a miracle."
Neurosurgeon Leslie Schaffer acknowledged that Mr Autullo's case was unusual, but not extremely rare. The surgeon said that having a nail penetrate the skull is not like being shot in the head, noting that a bullet would break into multiple pieces.
"This [the nail] is thinner, with a small trajectory, and pointed at the end," he said. "The bone doesn't fracture much because the nail has a small tip."
Dr Schaffer said that the man's skull stopped the nail going farther into his brain. He said he removed the nail by putting two holes in Mr Autullo's skull, on either side of the nail, then pulled the nail out along with a piece of the skull.
The surgery took two hours, and the part of the skull that was removed for surgery was replaced with a titanium mesh, said Mike Maggio, a hospital spokesman.

Thursday 19 January 2012

New Zealand campaign to make sheep shearing an Olympic event

It probably had to come, from a country with almost ten times as many sheep as people: New Zealand wants sheep shearing made into an Olympic event.

New Zealand campaign to make sheep shearing an Olympic event
Many of the world's best shearers take part in New Zealand's own national Golden Shears contest
The New Zealand Farmers Federation, a rural lobby group, claims wool shearers should be recognised alongside the world's finest athletes for their "sport".
Jeanette Maxwell, a spokesman for the federation, describes top shearers as "athletes who take it to another level".
She said: "I can testify to the physical effort shearing takes.
"Surely, the time has come to elevate shearing's sporting status to the ultimate world stage.
"One way would be to make shearing a demonstration sport at the Commonwealth Games, if not the Olympics itself."
In March the small North Island town of Masterton will host the World Shearing Championships.
The event, which attracts competitors from Britain, Ireland, Australia, South Africa and a handful of other countries, sees large numbers of fleeces shorn at frantic pace.
Many of the world's best shearers also take part in New Zealand's own national Golden Shears contest, which attracts wildly enthusiastic crowds and extensive coverage in the country's media.
Shearing contests are divided into men's and women's categories.
Both offer considerable prize money and even greater prestige.
Ms Maxwell pointed out that Irishman Ivan Scott, the current men's world record holder, gained his world eight-hour solo title after shearing 749 sheep.
Kerri-Jo Te Huia, the women's champion, smashed the previous world record by 37, shearing 507 sheep in eight hours.
Shearing is already recognised as a sport by SPARC, the government's Sport and Recreation Council, which provides grants to help run competitions.
New Zealand's human population of about 4.4 million is outnumbered by a national sheep flock of almost 40 million, with most lamb meat being exported to Britain, the Middle East and Asia.

Sunday 15 January 2012

Mouse taped to firework during New Year to be exhibited

A mouse that was taped to a firework rocket during Dutch New Year festivities and later died of its burn injuries is to be exhibited in a museum.

A mouse that was taped to a firework rocket during Dutch New Year festivities and later died of its burn injuries is to be exhibited in a museum.
Two 20-year-old men from the Frisian village of Drachten were arrested for maltreating the mouse in a country that takes animal cruelty so seriously it has 500-strong police unit dedicated to stamping it out 
The rodent, named Astromuis – Astro mous – by the Dutch media, has been stuffed and mounted in a "triumphant position" surrounded by firework rockets on a display that opened to the public on Thursday.
Two 20-year-old men from the Frisian village of Drachten were arrested for maltreating the mouse in a country that takes animal cruelty so seriously it has 500-strong police unit dedicated to stamping it out.
Astromuis was rescued by police with burns to his stomach and paws but died last Friday. The mouse is not the first victim of cruelty to animals to be preserved for posterity in Friesland's Natuurmuseum.
Also displayed is Dominomus, a stuffed sparrow which was shot in 2005 after it flew into an exhibition centre where 18 million dominoes were precariously balanced ready to be toppled for a world record attempt.
The bird had knocked over 23,000 dominoes before it was killed to become an animal cruelty cause célèbre
Another sparrow on display, Tennisbalmus, was killed by a tennis ball during a high-speed power serve in 1996.
Christiaan Walen, the museum's taxidermist, said that the Astomuis exhibit would help prevent future cruelty to animals.
"The story behind the mouse can help schoolchildren and other people learn respect for nature and everything that grows and thrives," he said.

Friday 13 January 2012

Hamster named Frederick among bizarre items left behind by Travelodge guests

A list of the most bizarre items left behind by guests at Travelodge hotels has been revealed, including a hamster named Fredrick and an 18-month-old baby.

A Roborovski hamster named Frederick was left in a room at a Travelodge after its owner forgot it when shopping
A Roborovski hamster named Frederick was left in a room at a Travelodge after its owner forgot it when shopping 
The astounding list of lost-and-found items has been compiled by the budget hotel chain after amused staff gathered up the abandoned treasures.
Among the quirkier items left behind include a life-size Mr Blobby costume, a case full of 100 Duchess of Cambridge masks, and an urn containing the ashes of a guest’s late wife.
One careless visitor left a box contained £50,000 worth of watches and a newlywed bride nearly lost her Vera Wang wedding gown when her husband forgot to pack it.
Staff at Nuneaton Travelodge were even treated to a Christmas surprise when a couple left an entire Santa’s grotto is their room.
They appear to have held their own early celebrations, and left a whole Christmas tree with decorations, lights, a model reindeer, a Father Christmas outfit and a turkey dinner behind.
An 18-month-old boy was accidentally left behind in a Winchester Travelodge, after his busy parents each thought the other had placed him in his car seat.
They drove away to attend a wedding, before realising their toddler son was not in the back of their car moments later.
An energetic Roborovski hamster was also found in his cage in Knutsford, after his forgetful owner drove back to Bristol without him.
In Liverpool, female guests lived up to their reputation, leaving behind a case full of spray tan, hair extensions and false eye lashes.
The items are just some of the abandoned goods left by the 13 million people staying in the Travelodge’s 496 UK hotels.
The most common items left behind are phone or laptop chargers, closely followed by pyjamas, clothing and teddy bears; 75,000 of which have been reunited with their young owners in the last year alone.
Jon Hendry Pickup, operations director at Travelodge, said; “Each year our lost and found box gets filled with some remarkable items.
“We have had Ferrari keys, a four foot stuffed Macaw parrot, a rare Toby jug and a life size Santa’s grotto to name just a few.
“It just goes to show the amazing cross section of people stay in our hotels.”

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Dogs cause three family arguments every week

The average dog causes three family rows a week - as owners argue over where it can sleep and who should take it for walks, a survey has found.

Arguments over who should walk the dog are among the dilemmas that cause friction
A study shows 'man's best friend' can also be his worst enemy, triggering nearly 2,000 family arguments during its lifetime
Spats range from disagreeing about who should take the dog for a walk, feeding them too many treats and what to do with them when holidays loom.
Nikki Sellers, Head of Pet Insurance at esure, said: ''Owning a dog is not dissimilar to having a baby.
''Round the clock care and responsibility throughout a dog's life can become tiresome for any pet owner but should never be overlooked.
''Maintaining a dog's physical health through exercise plus regular stimulation to avoid them running riot around the house should at least help avoid some arguments.
''A healthier dog may also lead to fewer costly trips to the vet too but for advice on how to look after a dog properly, owners should seek professional help.''
The study also revealed one quarter of owners regularly argue about where the dog should be allowed to go in the house with beds, upstairs or sofas causing most rows.
One fifth of families frequently argue whose turn it is to clean up the mess in the garden, while one in ten disagree who should clear up the carpets should they be soiled.
Disciplining the dog is one of the biggest causes of arguments - as 18 per cent of couples often fall out because one is accused of being too harsh on the dog.
A further 15 per cent of families often row about who should be training the dog, while one in ten people get annoyed if the dog is 'humanised'.
Other arguments about the dog include who chose to buy it in the first place and how much has been spent on the dog.
They're also likely to cause unrest if they damage the children's toys or chew the family's shoe collection.
The study also revealed while the majority of family arguments are more likely to be about the children than the family pet, 14 per cent of owners reckon they row about the dog more than their children.
Incredibly, in 17 per cent of households the dog disputes have got so bad one member of the family has slept in the spare room, while a quarter of those polled have been known to storm off after things got too heated.
In fact, 26 per cent of dog owners have at some point considered getting rid of their beloved dog after a bust-up.
TOP 20 DOG DISPUTES
1. What to do with the dog when going away
2. Who should walk the dog
3. Whether the dog should be allowed on the beds
4. Whether the dog should be allowed upstairs
5. Who should clean up the mess in the back garden
6. Being too harsh on the dog
7. Letting the dog onto the sofa
8. Money spent on dog
9. Training the dog
10. Feeding the dog from the table
11. Who should babysit / look after the dog
12. Grooming the dog
13. Damage caused by dog
14. Who chose to buy the dog in the first place
15. Who clears up when dog wees / poos
16. Who clears up when the dog is sick
17. Humanising the dog
18. Allowing the dog into forbidden rooms
19. Children's toys being eaten
20. Shoes being chewed

Monday 9 January 2012

Vietnam man Nguyen Duy Hai has 90kg tumour removed

Nguyen Duy Hai with his 90-kg tumour next to his mother at FV Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday, before a 12-hour operation to remove it, in a photo released by the hospital 
A previous operation failed to stop the dramatic growth of the tumour
A Vietnamese man is in a stable condition in hospital after doctors removed a giant tumour which weighed far more than the rest of his body.
Nguyen Duy Hai's 90kg (198lb) tumour, which was growing on his right leg, was removed in a complex 12-hour operation.
The lead doctor, an American, waived his fee and other costs were funded through donations, the hospital said.
Family members burst into tears of happiness when they discovered he had survived, reported VietNamNet.
Mr Hai, who is believed to be 31, has been living with the tumour - which is non-cancerous and linked to a rare genetic disorder - since he was four years old, reported AFP news agency.
Part of his leg was amputated when he was 17 in an attempt to stem the growth of the tumour, reports said, but without success.
The tumour prevented Mr Hai walking and also hampered sleep.
This latest operation was carried out on Thursday at the France-Vietnam (FV) hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and led by US Dr McKay McKinnon, who previously successfully removed an 80kg tumour from a Romanian woman, AFP reported.
Family members and friends left their home in the mountainous central area of Da Lat to go to Ho Chi Minh city, where they prayed for Mr Hai and wept tears of joy once they learned he had survived, VietNamNet said.

Friday 6 January 2012

Frankenstein ants created by scientists

Scientists have bred supersoldier ants with enlarged heads and jaws by using ancient genes to trigger development.

A 'supersoldier' ant with a minor worker
The monster ants, which use their size to protect the entrance to their nests, are a throwback to their ancestors that lived millions of years ago.
Supersoldier ants can be born naturally but are rare. They breed in the deserts of American and Mexico where they have evolved to protect their colony from invading ants.
But the man-made specimens were created from ordinary Pheidole morrisi ants, which contain the genetic tools necessary to develop into supersoldier ants.
Scientists in Canada used a special hormone on the larvae of ordinary worker ants to create the monster ants.
The research was published in the Science journal.
Authors Dr Rajendhran Rajakumar, from McGill University, Canada, and colleagues wrote: "We uncovered an ancestral development potential to produce a novel supersoldier subcaste that has been retained throughout a hyperdiverse ant genus that evolved 35 to 60 million years ago."
The results suggest that holding on to ancestral development tool kits may play an important role in evolving new physical traits, say the researchers.

Tuesday 3 January 2012

Sweden: Wedding ring 'found on carrot' after 16 years

Lena Paahlsson's wedding ring  
Lena Paahlsson says the ring was on a small carrot she was about to discard
 
A Swedish woman has discovered her wedding ring on a carrot growing in her garden, 16 years after she lost it, says a newspaper.
Lena Paahlsson had long ago lost hope of finding the ring, which she designed herself, reports Dagens Nyheter.
The white-gold band, set with seven small diamonds, went missing in her kitchen in 1995, she told the paper.
Although the ring no longer fits, she hopes to have it enlarged so she can wear it again.
Mrs Paahlsson and her family live on a farm near Mora in central Sweden.
She took the ring off to do some Christmas baking with her daughters, but it disappeared from the work surface where it had been left, she explained to Dagens Nyheter.
The family searched everywhere and years later took up the tiling on the floor during renovations, in the hope of finding the ring.
It was not until 16 years later when Mrs Paahlsson was pulling up carrots in her garden that she noticed one with the gold band fastened tightly around it.

Lena Paahlsson and her husband, Ola  
Lena Paahlsson and husband Ola say it is incredible that the ring has been found
 
"The carrot was sprouting in the middle of the ring. It is quite incredible," her husband Ola said to the newspaper.
The couple believe the ring fell into a sink back in 1995 and was lost in vegetable peelings that were turned into compost or fed to their sheep.
"I had given up hope," Mrs Paahlsson told Dagens Nyheter, adding that she wanted to have the ring adjusted to fit her.
"Now that I have found the ring again I want to be able to use it," she said.

Sunday 1 January 2012

Owners opt for 'ugly’ breeds of dog

"Ugly" dog breeds are increasing in popularity as owners look for pets which provoke a strong reaction, new figures show.

'World's Ugliest Dog' dies
Growing numbers of Britons are shunning traditional breeds in favour of the less obvious charms of animals which even their staunchest supporters might concede are not blessed in the looks department.
The surprising surge in popularity of a series of “ugly” or unconventional-looking dog breeds is revealed in statistics from the Kennel Club on the numbers of pedigree puppies born in the last decade.
Among the fastest risers were the Mexican hairless and Chinese crested, both of which are largely bald with wizened features, the Cirneco Dell’Etna and Pharaoh Hound, distinguished by their oversized bat-like ears, and the wrinkled-faced dogue de Bordeaux, owned by Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney, the England footballers.
Between these five breeds, 3,452 puppies were born in 2010, compared with just 990 in 2001.
Meanwhile, many traditional breeds are plummeting in numbers, among them the Yorkshire terrier (down 32 per cent since 2001 to 3,441 puppies in 2010), and West Highland White terrier, (down 51 per cent to 5,361), German shepherd (down 27 per cent to 10,364) and golden retriever (down 20 per cent to 7,911).
Experts believe the trend for “ugly” dogs is down to owners looking for increasingly rare and unusual pets, with the hairless breeds offering further attractions to people who suffer from asthma and allergies. The two with the most “extreme” looks are the Chinese crested and the Mexican hairless.
The Mexican hairless – also known as Xoloitzcuintle, or Xolos – originate in central and southern America and are believed to have been around for up to 3,500 years. Their early masters were the Toltecs, an ancient civilisation in the region, and the Aztecs, who believed they had special healing powers. They used them as companion animals – although they did also eat them as a delicacy.
When Christopher Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492, his journal noted the presence of the strange animals and they were taken back to Europe as a curiosity. The first pair in the UK were kept at London Zoo in the 1950s.
Because of their lack of hair, the dogs need to be covered in sun cream when outdoors, to avoid burning. Puppies are estimated to cost up to £1,000.
Lesley Lockhart, treasurer from the Mexican Hairless Club UK, conceded that the animals’ appearance did provoke a strong reaction from people but defended them as a wonderful pet with a proud heritage.
“The dogs do get funny looks, or double takes, when they are out and about. I have had people asking if they are poorly.
“We called our first one Marmite, because people either love them or hate them. People are a bit taken aback by them, but once they get to know them they are bowled over by them. To find true beauty you have to scratch beneath the surface.”
The dogs themselves do not appear to be troubled by their appearance. Although good natured, Ms Lockhart said that by reputation they were an aloof breed.
Their numbers in the UK have remained very low since the 1980s, when the first pair of pets was imported. However, it has started to grow in recent years and the breed club was established in 2004 to promote and protect the animal.
Its numbers have more than doubled to around 70 in the last two years, of an estimated worldwide population of 4,000.
The Chinese crested, which is more established in the UK, now numbers in its thousands, having increased from just 312 puppies registered in 2001 to almost 600 last year. The breed has, in recent years, dominated the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, an annual competition in California.
Also growing in popularity over the period are several other varieties, whose distinctive squashed features and flat faces mean they are similarly facially challenged. Among them are the griffon Bruxelloise (up 43 per cent to 201 puppies), Japanese chin (up 57 per cent to 302), and the shar pei (up 143 per cent to 2,304).
Two other unusual-looking breeds to have increased during the period are the more established pug (up 557 per cent to 5,726) and chihuahuas (up 322 per cent to 5,397), both of which have been popularised by celebrity owners, including Paris Hilton, Jonathan Ross, and Hugh Laurie.
Paul Keevil, who runs a group called British Heritage Dog Breeds, promoting more traditional, native varieties, said the trend for “eccentric-looking” dogs was about owners “making a statement – whatever that statement is”.
“There is certainly a growing appeal for these breeds, who seem to be, shall we say, a less attractive bunch.
“It is a desire for the bizarre. People want something that looks a bit usual, a bit striking. The dog is to make some kind of fashion or lifestyle statement.
“Maybe it makes the owner more beautiful. They say that people look like their dogs, but perhaps it doesn’t apply in these cases.”
How the UK’s 10 most popular pedigree dog breeds have changed in numbers
Labrador, 44,099 puppies registered in 2010 (a 31 per cent increase since 2001)
Cocker spaniel, 23,744 (87 per cent up)
English springer spaniel, 13,988 (18 per cent up)
German shepherd dog, 10,364 (27 per cent down)
Staffordshire bull terrier, 8,663 (14 per cent down)
Border terrier, 8,383 (87 per cent up)
Cavalier King Charles spaniel, 8,154 (21 per cent down)
Golden retriever, 7,911 (20 per cent down)
Pug 5,726 (557 per cent up)
Boxer 5,699 (40 per cent down)