Love pet

Louise Harris, left, with Bev Nicholson and Chinese Crested Mugly, right, threw a wedding for her pet terrier Lola after running a competition on Facebook to find a suitor


The bride wore a white dress decorated with 1,800 Swarovski crystals and accessorised with a pearl necklace.

And as she trotted into the room to the wedding march, played by a harpist, she was met by the groom, smartly dressed in a tuxedo.

Afterwards, 80 guests enjoyed a sumptuous buffet in a marquee adorned with £4,000 of flowers, balloons and decorations.


Confetti canines: The dogs were married on the grounds of a mansion in Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, costing £2,500 for the venue alone


But this was no ordinary wedding. The happy couple were two pampered dogs who were married in a ceremony in the grounds of a mansion in Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, costing an extraordinary £20,000.

The event was planned by the bride’s owner, Louise Harris, 32, who dotes on six-year-old Yorkshire Terrier Lola and wanted to find her a partner to stop her getting lonely.

‘I wanted Lola to have the perfect day,’ said Miss Harris, who owns a dog boutique and grooming parlour near her two-bedroom flat in Chelmsford.


Pampered pooch: Aside from Lola's wedding, Louise, pictured giving the speech, estimates she has spent a minimum of £101,680 on her three pets in the last six years


‘It was meant to be a relatively small affair with 30 guests but the list just kept getting bigger and bigger because I didn’t want to leave anyone out – just like most weddings, I guess.

‘The day was perfect from start to finish and Lola loved being the centre of attention all day.’

Miss Harris ran an online competition to find the perfect partner for Lola, as the dog’s younger siblings Lulu, four, and Larry, two, are very close and often ignore her.

She received hundreds of responses, whittled them down to a shortlist of six, and after a series of meetings found Lola’s favourite was Mugly – a Chinese crested dog who was voted Britain’s ugliest hound in 2005.


Extras: Lulu acted as Lola's bridesmaid in a £100 dress by Latimer Couture, complete a £200 Swarovski crystal necklace and £150 head dress and Larry was page boy wearing a £100 tux


Lola wore a £1,000 wedding dress, made by dog clothes designer Michele Ochs, who created all the outfits in the Beverly Hills Chihuahua film, customised with 1,800 Swarovski crystals by Latimer Couture


'It was a great day and we had a great time but I don't want to do it again again time soon, so Lulu and Larry best not get any ideas!

'My dogs are well cared for and are spoilt with love as well as presents so I don't see anything wrong with spending so much on them.'

Every Friday Louise takes her dogs to have their personal weekly massages and deep coat conditioning treatments at Diva Dogs which has amounted to a whopping £14,560.

She has also spent £6,000 on beds and blankets, including custom made beds complete with initials in gold leaf and one with ostrich feather and finest faux fur, and cashmere blankets and pillows.

Each dog has their own ornate iron bowl costing a total of £800, steps worth £720 to allow them to get onto sofas, £8,000 worth of pet carriers, and £2,500 worth of hair accessories including two custom made tiaras with genuine pearls and Swarovski crystals costing £400 and £300.

She has also spent £4,500 just on Burns holistic food, £5,000 on dog insurance, £2,000 on photography and £3,000 on an oil painting.

The dogs have also been treated to £8,000 of toys and treats and £5,000 spent on their birthday parties complete with birthday cakes costing £60 each.


source: dailymail

By Matt Blake


Don't let his doleful eyes and soggy whiskers fool you.

For this is the face of a cold-blooded terror, hellbent on tearing chunks from any stranger who dares tread his precious driveway... or so Royal Mail would have you believe.

Meet Rusty the Jack Russell, whose squeaky yap strikes fear into the heart of postal workers throughout Plymouth, in Devon.

He is so fearsome that post chiefs have now banned all door-to-door deliveries to his entire street - after tried to nip one terrified postie.

Barely the size of a cat, Rusty has been branded 'an unacceptable hazard' to staff.

Now residents of more than 30 homes on Newman Road, in Plymouth, have been told to collect their own mail from the post office rather than from their doormat, after the hound 'attacked a postal worker'.

Residents say the decision is 'barmy'.

Mum of four Karen Mitchell - Rusty's owner - said: 'They've suspended the post in the whole street over a dog that's smaller than my cat.

'He's just a small, yappy dog. If the kids open the front door, he runs out. He barks but if you walk towards him he just runs away. He's never bitten anyone.'

She said the harmless mutt actually belongs to her five-year-old son and even sleeps in his bed at night.

No more post: Mum of four Karen Mitchell hit out after residents of more than 30 homes on Newman Road, in Plymouth, were told to collect their mail from the post office rather than from their doormats


Rusty is one of three dogs owned by the family - they have a 12 year old German Shepherd named Molly and a three year old Rottweiler called Mia.

Karen said the last letter she received was on March 25th from Mail chief saying: 'The dog attacked the postman on the 24th and we have now suspended deliveries to the whole of Newman Road.

'This exceptional step has been taken in order to safeguard Royal Mail employees.'

Resident Gordon England, 55, said: 'I can't believe it's been suspended for the whole street.'


source:dailymail

By Mail On Sunday Reporter


Taste for theft: Pugs have been found to be the most likely dog to steal their owners' things, a survey says


Mischievous dogs are responsible for stealing a staggering £33 million worth of their owners’ possessions each year, according to new research.

Almost three-quarters of items taken are underwear, a survey found.

One in ten dogs has a taste for the finer things in life, such as cash and jewellery, while slippers, TV remote controls and toys are also on the list.


And as pupils up and down the country can confirm, even homework is included in the canine crimewave.

A study by dog food company Bakers Complete showed that pugs are the most likely to steal, followed by cocker spaniels, labradors and shih tzus.

Animal behaviourist Peter Neville said: ‘More often than not, dogs do this to encourage family members to play with them.’

Mr Neville said that thefts do not come naturally to dogs and stealing their owners' possessions might simply be a means of convenient entertainment.

'If an unusual or high value object does vanish and you suspect your dog is the culprit, check the obvious hiding places first, as highlighted in our research – the basket, the garden and under the sofa,' he added.

The Bakers Complete study also revealed that dogs in Scotland and Wales are the most likely to be light-pawed with their owners' belongings, while Northern Irish canines are the least likely to steal.

The research also found that 19 per cent of owners are embarrassed by their mischievous mutt’s behaviour.


Loyal companion? Your faithful friend may not be as trustworthy as you assumed


source:dailymail

By Daily Mail Reporter


Britain's soaring dog population is finally set to overtake its feline rival.
The number of dogs is at an all-time high having risen from 5million in 1970 to 8.3million today.

Cats meanwhile have fallen from a 2004 peak of 9.6million to a mere 8.6million, according to figures by Mintel for the Pet Food Manufacturers' Association.

Ben Perkins, an analyst at Mintel, told the Sunday Telegraph: 'Dogs are now seen as a fashion accessory, with the likes of Paris Hilton seen carrying hers around, whereas cats are getting less attention.

'They aren't seen as a sociable animal and you're not likely to see a celebrity holding a cat.'

Figures from the Kennel Club reveal 'handbag dog' breeds such as Pugs have increased sixfold and Chihuahuas have trebled since 2001.

Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today, told the paper that an increase in amateur dog breeding was the reason behind the rising number of canines.

Man's best friend?: While cats are falling, the number of dogs is on the rise


She said some owners have a litter of puppies and sell them on to cover the cost of their dog.

'I should be pleased but I'm horrified', she said.

'It is easy money but it means some breeds have seen a huge rise in numbers and many of those dogs end up in rescue centres because they can't be looked after.'



source:dailymail