Latest news with #DrChrisBrown
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Dr Chris Brown warns dog owners to NEVER play fetch with tennis balls
Australian vet Dr Chris Brown has issued a grave warning to dog owners about playing fetch with tennis balls. The Bondi Vet revealed things he would never do as a pet owner - including a popular game thousands of Aussies play with their dogs. Appearing on Sunrise, hosts Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington asked the animal expert why he's against letting dogs chase tennis balls, as this seemingly innocuous park activity can come with long-term health risks. 'This is a big one so a lot of dogs are absolutely ball obsessed, ball is life... they'd chase a ball but that puts a lot of stress on their joints,' Brown explained. 'You'll see border collies down in the park just chasing ball after ball. They generally get early onset arthritis in the hips and in their knees from the forces on their joints.' It wasn't the only concern the Channel Seven TV host had about dogs playing with tennis balls. Interestingly, the vet explained that the materials and construction of tennis balls are not designed with a dog's mouth in mind. 'The fur on a tennis ball is highly abrasive because it needs to withstand hard courts when you're playing tennis,' Brown said. As a result, the vet noted that dogs who constantly chew on tennis balls are prone to tooth erosion. 'Ball obsessed dogs often have worn down teeth,' he said, adding that this can become a problematic health issue for dogs as they get older. Elsewhere in the interview, Brown explained why pet owners should never feed their dogs more than once a day. 'This is an interesting one,' the vet said. 'Similar to human intermittent fasting, there's genuine research around the fact that if you feed your dog once a day, they will live longer and have a lower risk of cognitive decline-like doggy dementia - compared to feeding them two to three times a day. 'So (feeding once a day) helps to regulate their blood flow, sugar, insulin release and actually means their brain stays younger for longer.' Surprisingly, many pet owners agreed with the vet's advice to avoid using tennis balls when playing with dogs. 'Completely agree with the ball thing as someone who worked in the dog industry,' one said. 'My adult dogs are fed once a day in the afternoon. Always have. And agree with the tennis ball... been there, done that,' another shared. 'The ball theory is true' 'The ball theory is true - my dog just recovered from ball injury and now back to square one with new injury,' one revealed. While another was stunned be the advice, saying: 'Can't believe a border collie can't chase a ball as it effects its joints. These dogs run for miles zipping in and out of sheep - surely a thrown ball can't do more damage?' When one person questioned why ball chasing games would be an issue for herding dogs - which are built for long stretches of running - another person helpfully pointed out that the two activities are quite different. 'The sudden jolting stop to get the ball can tear their ligaments', they responded. '[When they are] herding sheep they are not doing sudden jolting stops close to the ground.' Brown's segment also called out cat owners for a common habit. The TV vet recommended that a cat should never be left alone for extended periods of time - and certainly no longer than 24 hours. 'All the research is now showing that cats actually experience a level of cortisol increase when we leave the house or leave them alone,' he explained, adding that this can result in them experiencing 'more separation anxiety than dogs do'. The revelation stunned Barr, who said she'd always had the impression that cats seemed unfussed about whether people were around or not. 'It's probably a surprise for a lot of people,' Brown agreed. 'A lot of people think that cats are very independent and sometimes a bit aloof. 'They like to give the impression that they don't need you.' The vet said the tell-tale signs of a cat experiencing stress or separation anxiety included a 'sneaky' vomit, weight loss, or 'licking themselves a lot'. Brown said that all these signs pointed towards a cat who is 'actually quite stressed and experiencing extreme separation anxiety'. The animal expert concluded that '24 hours alone is the absolute limit' for a cat to be left alone. 'Don't go away for the weekend and leave them without any sort of care or attention,' he added.
The Sun
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I thought I'd found love with my dream TV vet but scammer used cruel trick to swindle me out of £11k disability benefits
SEEING the message pop up on her Instagram account, Lisa Nock's heart fluttered. It had only been a month since they began talking but there they were - three little words she had never expected to see, "I love you". 8 8 8 Lisa, 44, hadn't been looking for love so it was unexpected to say the least, but what was even more surprising was who was sending the messages. TV vet Dr Chris Brown, best-known for his Aussie TV Bondi Vet, was her admirer... or so she thought. But Lisa, who has autism and mobility issues after being hit by a car as a child, later discovered that the man she was talking to was in fact a romance scammer who conned her out of £11,000 in Instagram cryptocurrency. Superfan Lisa was drawn in by a "fake but convincing" Instagram account she thought belonged to Dr Chris. The crook running the account posed as the celeb vet when he contacted Lisa who believed she was talking to the real vet. The conversation turned "romantic" and the fraudster began "love bombing" Lisa and even proposed. Believing they were in a relationship, Lisa agreed to transfer the fraudster money for flights and visas to visit her in the UK. Over a year-and-a-half, Lisa transferred them a total of £11,000 through multiple cryptocurrency wallets, with the biggest single payment being £7,000. Lisa, who cannot work, from Staffordshire, West Midlands, said: "I thought it was real at the time. "Although they were flirty at the beginning, we were talking for six months before money was mentioned.' Romance Scammer Jailed Again - Sharon's Story After initially contacting what Lisa thought was Dr Chris' Instagram account in September 2022, the account responded immediately. The pair began chatting before exchanging numbers and messaging via WhatsApp. "I felt very excited because I wasn't expecting a response," Lisa said. "Our chat started friendly, talking about family and friends but then it soon turned flirty, and then the love bombing started. "I wasn't looking for something like that but I liked the friendship side of it." 8 8 8 By November, the scammer pretending to be Dr Chris said he "loved" Lisa. He claimed he would come and visit her in the UK, but needed £2,000 for flights. Lisa said: "I lost myself in it and believed that he loved me. "I wanted to see him so much, I started going without things like Taekwondo and swimming lessons to transfer the money." WHAT IS LOVE BOMBING? EVERY person who is seeking to find that person they want to spend the rest of their life with is prone to love bombing. Before we go on to explain the term, it is important to know that when these things are done in the right way it could just be someone you have found a connection with. Love bombing is often used by controlling, narcissistic and abusive individuals. They try to quickly obtain the affection and attention of someone they are romantically pursuing by presenting an idealised image of themselves. That is the important thing to remember, as a lot of the tactics used by a love bomber are common traits you would expect from a partner. It is all about the context they are used in, for what purpose and how it evolves into something else. More often than not, a love bomber will switch to becoming abusive, very difficult and manipulative once they feel secure in the relationship. On 23 April 2023, Lisa transferred £2,000 to an account via PayPal. The scammer then persuaded Lisa to transfer another £7,000 to pay for a temporary hire - a different vet to take over Bondi Vet - whilst he visited her in the UK. He set her up with a cryptocurrency wallet - where holdings are only accessible by using a private key. Lisa transferred a further £2,000 in cryptocurrency payments before saying she "couldn't do it anymore" in December 2024 because she could no longer afford it financially. The fraudster didn't follow up with Lisa and their communication ended for good. Lisa started to suspect the whole thing was a scam when she noticed the different emails were personal Yahoo emails and not official business emails from the vet. Eventually realising that she was being scammed, Lisa cut ties with the fraudster in January 2025 and contacted West Midlands Police who in turn reported it to Action Fraud. The investigation is ongoing. She said: "I'm not hopeful that I'll get any money back. "They are sneaky and clever - they really fooled me. "I feel humiliated and let down. "Looking back, there were red flags, such as I never spoke to this person over the phone or FaceTime. To this day, I don't know who I was talking to for a year and a half which is scary. Lisa Nok "I stopped buying certain things and going out with my friend so I could put aside some of my disability allowance. "How can people be so cruel? "To this day, I don't know who I was talking to for a year and a half which is scary. "I wouldn't want anyone to go through what I have and I hope the real Dr Chris knows I'm still a fan." 8 8 She added: "They knew I was disabled, had limited funds and they exploited that entirely. "I didn't have a lot financially and now I've been left with nothing. "I'm sharing my story to help warn others, especially those that are vulnerable like me. "I never thought something like this would happen to me - until it was too late." How do I spot crypto scams? CRYPTO scams are popping up all over the internet. We explain how to spot them. Promises of a high or guaranteed return - Does the offer look realistic? Scammers often attract money by making fake promises. Heavy marketing and promotional offers - If they are using marketing tricks to con customers you should beware. Unamed or non-existent team members - Just like any business you should be easily able to find out who is running it. Check the whitepaper - Every crypto firm should have a white paper. This should explain how it plans to grow and make money. If this doesn't make sense, then it could be because the founders are trying to confuse you. Do your research - Check reviews online and Reddit threads to see what other people think.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I thought Bondi Vet Chris Brown was in love with me and showering me with texts and calls. I'm devastated to learn I was catfished by AI
A UK pensioner has been conned out of her life savings after falling for an AI scam that TV's Bondi Vet was in love with her but needed cash after being kidnapped. Lisa Nock, 44, from Staffordshire, was browsing Instagram in 2022 when a fake account posing as Dr Chris Brown bombarded her with direct messages. Ms Nock admits she was lonely and vulnerable at the time at the time after losing her partner in a car crash, and had been left disabled in another traffic accident. But the avid animal lover said her life changed and she was delighted when the TV star said he wanted to meet her in England. 'I was chuffed that Chris Brown had messaged me, I'm a huge fan and hoped this might be our chance to meet,' Ms Knock told the Daily Telegraph. The surprise messages began a chain of correspondence that spanned two-and-a-half year, but the scammers soon told her Dr Brown needed money to visit her. They moved the conversation to WhatsApp and continued to groom her, using artificial intelligence to convince her she was in a romantic relationship with him. 'After a few months, I admit I was enamoured. He told me he loved me and wanted us to marry – of course I said no, and asked if it was a scam,' Ms Nock said. She tried calling the Whatsapp number, but her attempts were blocked. Scammers then used a sophisticated AI program to call Ms Nock via encrypted messaging app Telegram. AI Chris Brown said he hoped the call had cleared her doubts. The conmen also used AI image generators to create 'photos' of the TV doctor and shared them with Ms Nock, a volunteer English and drama teacher. She lives of just $1246 each month from her UK pensions, two thirds of which she pays to her parents in rent. The remaining $400 however ended up being sent to the cruel scammers each month for almost three years. Ms Nock sent the money through gift cards, Bitcoin and Crypto information. 'I was vulnerable and wanted to believe we could be friends, we both love animals, I had lost my partner in a car crash a few years ago,' she said. Ms Nock finally realised it was all fake when the conmen posed as Dr Brown's 'management' team and told her he had been kidnapped, before demanding $40million. Ms Nock has now reported the scam to British police. She also wanted Dr Brown to know people were using his likeness to defraud innocent members of the public. The 44-year-old is now paying off a 'big' credit card debt and suffers depression. She insists she was 'no fool', but fell for the ingenuity of AI and does not want anyone to repeat her mistake. Ms Nock first appeared on Catfished Podcast to say the ordeal left her feeling like she'd been 'groomed'. 'And all of a sudden when it's dropped a bombshell on you, you just lose that trust in anybody and it can be hard to hold down a relationship once you've been traumatised in that way,' she said. 'That will live with me forever.' Dr Brown previously posted on social media to warn the public scammers have been pretending to be him on the internet. 'I'm sorry I even have to say this,' he posted in November 2024. 'But just to be clear, I don't have any other private chat accounts, pages or other special accounts. 'Nor any Telegrams or chat rooms where I have offline conversations. 'Sadly, all of these are just scammers. And not even good ones, the way they assume I talk is a little embarrassing. And trust me, I don't have the time! 'I'd rather be talking pets than scammers but enough is enough.' Dr Brown is one of Australia's most internationally renowned TV figures.
