Covid saves the old English sheepdog

(Image credit: Radarreklama/Getty Images)

The old English sheepdog has been saved from extinction after changes in lifestyle mean that more owners are prepared to take on the big, shaggy dogs, reported The Times. The breed was put on the Kennel Club’s vulnerable list in 2020 after annual registrations of new puppies fell below 300. But in 2021, breeders reported the registration of 377 puppies, an increase of 66%. The Kennel Club credited changes in lifestyle associated with the Covid pandemic, such as people working from home and families moving out of cities.

‘Dirty behaviour’ at Winnie the Pooh home

Police are clamping down on doggers in the “family-friendly forest home of Winnie the Pooh”, reported the Daily Star. Families flock to the spot hoping to walk through the scenery associated with the AA Milne books, but “due to a spike in dirty behaviour”, these days families are “more likely to see a rocking transit van than a charming animated bear”, said the paper. Police are urging people engaging in “acts of a sexual nature” to not visit the Sussex beauty spot.

‘Mystery forces’ wreck Wiltshire road

The B4069 in Wiltshire has been severely damaged by “mystery forces”, said The Daily Telegraph. One section of the road has been so badly damaged that the tarmac is completely snapped or lying at a 45-degree angle in some places, but no one knows what caused the “earthquake-like damage”. “The underlying ground has slipped and we need to understand why that has happened,” said Dr Mark McClelland, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for transport.