Latest news with #CavalierKingCharles
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Daily Mail
A vet and her friend claimed a dog owner falsely accused them of stealing her pet... here's why they're the ones who have to pay $660,000
A vet and her friend have been ordered to pay $660,000 in legal costs after losing a defamation case against a dog owner and a pet detective. Ainslee Munro and agronomist Lauren Marchant lodged the case at the NSW District Court in 2020 after they claimed they were falsely linked to the disappearance of a five-month-old puppy. Judge Judith Gibson ordered on April 24 that the two women pay $629,000 to the pet detective and $30,000 to the dog owner. The judge found they had stolen the puppy, which was a high-value Cavalier King Charles spaniel, and taken him to a breeder. The spaniel, 'Teddy', was reported missing when his owner Shannon Wheeler returned home in Young, NSW, on June 9, 2020. In a post to a Facebook group at the time, Ms Wheeler said: '(The back) gate could have been opened any time between 9.30am and 7pm. We are very worried.' She then found CCTV images of two women walking down the street with a small black dog on the day of the incident and posted them on social media. Social media users identified one woman as Munro, who had worked with Greyhound Racing NSW, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. An investigation by Ms Wheeler and pet detective Anne-Marie Curry ensued as they looked into Munro and her friend Marchant. Ms Wheeler, a beautician, then shared a 'name and shame' social media post tying them to Teddy's disappearance but, within 24 hours, she and Ms Curry were served concerns notices. Marchant and Munro claimed the posts and comments painted them as 'criminals, dog thieves, (and) liars'. But the defamation case was dismissed in NSW District Court by Judge Gibson in February after she found evidence supporting the allegation the pair stole Teddy. 'The intention to deprive the true owner was more or less instantaneous with their recognition of the value of Teddy,' Judge Gibson found. Teddy was a black and tan male, non-desexed Cavalier King Charles, with puppies valued from $1,000 to $3,000 on Gumtree. The court heard Munro and Marchant did not take Teddy to a pound when found him on the street, reported. They instead drove to a former colleague's home who was a licensed microchipper and Cavalier King Charles breeder. Teddy jumped out of the car and escaped. He has never been found. Judge Gibson told the court she was 'comfortably satisfied' Munro took Teddy to the breeder 'namely to put Teddy into his backyard'. 'I am comfortably satisfied that she did so for the purpose of seeing if he would like to keep Teddy,' she said. She added Munro took Teddy there knowing the ex colleague had the 'expertise and equipment to remove and replace Teddy's microchip if required'. Judge Gibson also said that, if Ms Wheeler and Ms Curry had not proved the pair stole the dog, she would have ordered damages of $10,000 to Munro and $15,000 to Marchant. But as a result of the judge's findings, it was the pair who were ordered to pay $629,000 to Ms Curry and $30,000 to Ms Wheeler who self-represented herself, meaning her legal costs were lower. The demand has been stayed as Munro and Marchant filed at the Court of Appeal on May 13.
Daily Mirror
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
GBBO's Prue Leith issues blunt response to husband's fear of being outlived
Great British Bake Off judge Dame Prue Leith has been married to John Playfair since 2016, following the death of her first husband Rayne Kruger Dame Prue Leith, the culinary legend from Great British Bake Off, has shared her husband's fears of adopting a new dog that might outlive him. The restaurateur and baking sensation has become a familiar face on our screens through her various TV stints. The 85-year-old is perhaps best known for her stint as a judge on Channel 4's Great British Bake Off, where she joins Paul Hollywood at the judging table. In her personal life, Dame Prue is married to John Playfair, whom she met at a dinner party in Yorkshire, following the death of her first husband Rayne Kruger. The couple tied the knot in 2016, and while they share a loving home with their two Cavalier King Charles spaniels, they're in discussions about whether or not they should add another furry friend to the mix. John voiced his concern that any new pet might outlive him, but Dame Prue has been having none of it, reportedly dismissing his apprehension with a firm: "What nonsense", when she spoke to the Times. In addition to this, the expert baker has been frank about her own age, expressing on the Travel Diaries podcast: "I haven't got much longer, I'm 85, I want to spend as much time as I can with him." The Bake Off judge has also discussed the dynamics of her relationship, praising her husband's down-to-earth nature. She said: "One of the wonderful things about him is that he is totally without ego, he doesn't feel threatened by the fact that I have a higher profile than he does, when I introduce him (to people) he always just says, 'I'm the handbag carrier, I'm her chauffeur'." Her journey in the culinary world began at the age of just 20 when she trained at the Cordon Bleu Cookery School. This led to an impressive career that includes launching her own restaurant. Dame Prue later joined The Great British Bake Off in 2017, when she replaced Dame Mary Berry. Eight years on, and she's started to talk about life after the popular baking programme. Speaking to the Mail On Sunday earlier this year, she admitted that she would take part in the 2025 edition, but didn't know if she would be around in future seasons. She explained: "I'm doing this year's Bake Off, and I don't know if this will be my last. I've got to stop some time, so I might stop next year. I thought I'd just see how I go this year, because I definitely feel a bit older this year than I did last year. "Things like getting out of a chair takes me longer than it used to. I don't like big steps without a handrail. None of these things worried me two years ago – I could run upstairs – and so I'm very keen to leave Bake Off before I'm asked to leave." Dame Prue has also graced screens on some of the nation's most cherished shows, including The Great British Menu and Prue's Cotswold Kitchen.
Wales Online
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Prue Leith's defiant two-word reply to husband's heartbreaking fear about dog 'outliving him'
Prue Leith's defiant two-word reply to husband's heartbreaking fear about dog 'outliving him' Great British Bake Off star Dame Prue Leith has opened up on a recent disagreement at home with her husband John Playfair, as he shared his fears at not living longer than a new dog Dame Prue Leith gave a defiant two-word reply to John Playfair's fear about a dog outliving him (Image: Emporium Productions ) Great British Bake Off star Dame Prue Leith has issued a defiant two-word reply in response to her husband's fear that a new dog may outlive him. The renowned restaurant owner and baking aficionado has been a household name for years now thanks to her countless TV appearances. She is perhaps most well-known for her on-screen partnership alongside Paul Hollywood on Channel 4's Great British Bake Off, after filling the shoes of Dame Mary Berry following her departure in 2016. But, away from demonstrating her baking knowledge on some of the nation's favourite shows, Dame Prue found love again after meeting John Playfair whilst attending a friend's dinner party in Yorkshire, over a decade since her first husband Rayne Kruger sadly passed away. Dame Prue and John have been married since 2016 (Image: Getty Images ) Going on to exchange vows with the retired clothes designer back in 2016, Dame Prue has revealed how they have struggled to see eye to eye over one thing recently. Currently caring for two dogs together, Tattie, six and Teasel, three, Dame Prue has revealed to the Times how she remains at loggerheads with her husband about the possibility of adding another canine to their family, as John confessed his fears that he thinks a new dog may outlive him. Article continues below Dame Prue claimed how they are at loggerheads about buying another dog (Image:) However, with Dame Prue in total disagreement and presumably eager to give her Cavalier King Charles spaniels another friend, she came back to her husband with a simple yet passionate retort as she told the 77-year-old "what nonsense". While Dame Prue has revealed that her husband has aired concerns about his own longevity, she too has been open about fears regarding her age. Speaking on a recent episode of the Travel Diaries podcast, she said: "I haven't got much longer, I'm 85, I want to spend as much time as I can with him." Elaborating further on wanting to make the most of the time she has left, she added: "One of the wonderful things about him is that he is totally without ego, he doesn't feel threatened by the fact that I have a higher profile than he does, when I introduce him (to people) he always just says 'I'm the handbag carrier, I'm her chauffeur'." Dame Prue is best-known for judging alongside Paul Hollywood on the Great British Bake Off (Image: Getty Images ) Article continues below Meanwhile away from sharing an insight into her marriage with John, Dame Prue's hugely successful culinary career spans decades, after her first steps into the industry came back when she attended the Cordon Bleu Cookery School when she was 20-years-old. Since then she has gone on to open her own restaurant and appear in some of the country's most well-loved TV shows including The Great British Menu, Prue's Cotswold Kitchen and The Great British Bake Off. The accomplished baker returns to our screens later today (May 10) in her Prue Leith's Cotswold Kitchen at 11.40 am on ITV.
Newsweek
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Owners Rescue Abused, 'Timid' Dog—18 Months Later She's Unrecognizable
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A dog rescued from an abusive situation has flourished into an incredibly social pup, as proven by how she greets strangers. Zayn Moriarty, 18, lives in England with his family dog, Chewy, a 2-year-old mix-breed they took into their home in August 2023, who has gained legions of online fans after a video of her went viral. "We rescued her from an abusive home, her tail was snapped and she was so timid and shy when we first brought her home, she wouldn't even walk through doors," Zayn told Newsweek. But after being taken in by Zayn and his family, Chewy has become a completely different dog, with Zayn explaining: "We've slowly got her more comfortable, and she's just grown into such a friendly and social dog." This was clear to see in a viral video to Zayn's TikTok account @.ttoshi on May 8, which has racked up more than 360,000 views in just over a day. Pictured: Chewy the dog hops on her hind legs to greet two strangers walking towards her. Pictured: Chewy the dog hops on her hind legs to greet two strangers walking towards her. TikTok @.ttoshi Set to the sound of Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl," it shows Zayn walking Chewy through a park, as the dog stands on her hind legs, her paws raised in the air, as she jumps determinedly towards two kids walking towards her. Her front paws don't touch the ground at all as she hops repeatedly towards them, her tail wagging and ears bouncing with the force of her jumps—only returning to the ground when she reaches them and adorably demands pats. Zayn wrote over the video that the kids were "literal strangers btw [by the way]." And he told Newsweek: "She literally greets everyone how she does in the video, she loves hopping on her back legs and meeting new friends—human or otherwise!" TikTok users loved the sweet clip, with one writing they were "crying, why did he continue for so long," and another admitting: "This is literally my dog I get SO embarrassed." Pictured: Chewy finally returns to four paws as she reaches the strangers she was so eager to greet. Pictured: Chewy finally returns to four paws as she reaches the strangers she was so eager to greet. TikTok @.ttoshi One wondered: "Do all anxiety-having owners get dogs like this cuz same," as another took a different direction: "I wish life was this whimsical and joyful for me." And as one shared: "Mine wants to be one of the teenage boys when he sees a gang of lads. I feel sad for him. He just wants to be one of the gang." Zayn and his family believe Chewy is a mix of a spaniel and Irish Setter—two breeds known for their social and friendly nature, according to PetMD. In a vet-reviewed article listing the 18 friendliest dog breeds, the Cavalier King Charles spaniel and Irish Setter were named third and fourth on the list respectively. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Times
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Prue Leith: ‘My dog Tattie once ate my friend's ankle boot'
T he writer, restaurateur and Great British Bake Off presenter has two Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Tattie, the dog she bought her husband as a wedding gift, and Teasel. Tattie is six and Teasel is three. I gave Tattie to my husband, John, as a wedding present. John had said he didn't want another dog because he didn't want the dog to outlive him. And I said, what nonsense. You're only 70. When we came back from our honeymoon in Scotland, I put her into John's hands. And you could just see him melting — love at first sight. She is a very pretty dog. We call her Princess Tatiana. Then we got Teasel so that she'd have a companion. Teasel is small, dark, hairy and
