Latest news with #LagottoRomagnolo
Sky News AU
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'Wholesome goodness handmade in Balmoral': King Charles III launches luxury dog biscuits and tweed petwear in subtle challenge to Meghan Markle's lifestyle brand As Ever
King Charles is giving his estranged daughter-in-law Meghan Markle a run for her money with a line of royal dog biscuits, hand-baked in the kitchens of Balmoral Castle. The monarch, 76, announced the new product on August 1 as part of his Balmoral Pet Collection. "Hand-baked in the Balmoral Castle kitchens, these 100% natural biscuits are lovingly made in small batches using wholemeal flour, egg, and chicken stock," Balmoral Castle said in a social media post. "Each bag contains 75g of wholesome goodness your dog will love." The biscuits are part of a wider collection of luxe dog accessories, including a Balmoral tweed collar for £32 (AUD $65) , a matching lead for £40 (AUD $82), a tweed treat bag for £30 (AUD $61), and a coat of arms dog bowl priced at £28 (AUD $57). Over at Sandringham, a £45 (AUD $92) "Happy Hound" tweed dog coat has also been unveiled. Sold through the estate's gift shop, the coat's listing reads: "Stylish, machine washable and with a water layer, the Sandringham tweed dog coat is perfect for frosty winter walks." The pet collection was reportedly inspired by Charles' new canine companion, Snuff, a Lagotto Romagnolo, a rare Italian breed known for its truffle-hunting abilities. Snuff is the King's first personal pet in over two decades, following the death of his Jack Russell terrier, Tigga, in 2002 at age 18. Meanwhile, Queen Camilla also added a new member to the royal pack in May, adopting a rescue puppy named Moley from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. The late Beth, one of the Queen's beloved rescue terriers, also came from the same shelter, as did Bluebell, who still lives at Clarence House. Moley now appears to be the furry face of the new pet range, fronting the packaging of the dog biscuits, which seem to be made from recyclable material. The launch comes as Meghan Markle continues to build her own lifestyle empire under the As Ever brand, which previously teased the launch of dog treats, but has yet to release them for sale. Earlier this year, the Duchess of Sussex, 44, whipped up a batch of peanut butter dog cookies during her With Love, Meghan cooking series on Netflix. The treats were for her friend Delfina Blaquier's dog, Nina, as well as her own late rescue beagle, Guy, who sadly died in January. "They provide us with unconditional love, so they get unconditional peanut butter dog biscuits," Meghan said during episode four of the show. She has previously sent her homemade dog treats to the Figueras family, with Blaquier sharing a snap of the signature cursive labelling and packaging on Instagram in June. While Meghan often posts her favourite lifestyle picks on her curated 'Shop My' Instagram account, no animal-related items have yet been linked to the page, nor have any dog products appeared on the official As Ever site. Instead, her brand has so far focused on pantry-style goods and vintage wines. The latest launch, announced on her birthday on Monday, is a new vintage of her Napa Valley Rosé. "Today, our founder celebrates another year (Happy Birthday, Meghan!) and tomorrow, we're raising a glass to celebrate our newest release," read an As Ever email sent to subscribers. "We've worked thoughtfully to bring these exceptional bottles to you, and more of your other favourite As Ever products are also being restocked shortly." The wine has sold out twice since its initial debut. Other products on the site, including herbal teas, cookie and crepe mixes, flower sprinkles and fruit spreads, are currently sold out, although a new batch of raspberry spread is listed as "coming soon", with a six-jar-per-person limit.
The Age
25-06-2025
- Science
- The Age
When kelpie-cross Kip sits down while riding a paddle board, scientists pay attention
In May 2024, on a rocky expanse of tussock-grassland on Melbourne's western outskirts, Zoos Victoria detection dog officer Nick Rutter observed his canine colleague Daisy suddenly cease her nose-down sweep of the terrain and sit down. Turning her head, her eyes caught his as if to say, Nick, you're going to want to see this. With a quickening heart, Rutter caught up to Daisy – a small, eight-year-old Lagotto Romagnolo with a brown woolly coat as tight as an '80s perm – and spied in the dirt beside her a tiny burrow, into which he fed an endoscope camera. 'And I could see this tiny, gorgeous [Victorian grassless] earless dragon face peering back at me,' Rutter says, referring to the 15-centimetre-long creature – the most imperilled reptile in Australia. 'It was an absolutely amazing, career-defining moment. A moment of joy.' Estimates of the sensitivity of dog noses relative to human noses vary wildly, from 10,000 to 1 million times more sensitive. Whatever the number, it explains why humans have long made use of dogs' highly tuned olfactory abilities to aid them in everything from hunting game to detecting cadavers, drugs, explosives, cancer – and endangered species. As of June this year, Rutter and his (human and canine) colleagues at Zoos Victoria's Wildlife Detection Dog Program have assisted threatened-species biologists in finding 15 Victorian grassland earless dragons, a species not seen for half a century and thought extinct until one was found in 2023. The dog squad, based at Healesville Sanctuary within the Coranderrk Bushland Nature Conservation Reserve 60 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, isn't only searching for the tiny reptile, which is now the subject of a breeding program. The squad's five dogs are also trained to sniff out broad-toothed rats, Tasmanian devils, Baw Baw frogs and platypuses. In lieu of a salary and superannuation, the dogs, who live on site, are compensated with hugs, treats, soft toys and play. 'We call it a 'party',' says Rutter, who was never allowed a dog growing up and is now making up for it. 'So when they find their target, we kind of get down on our hands and knees and have a party with them. Some of the dogs really like a tennis ball and to let off a lot of steam. Some like a high-value reward, like a nice bit of boiled-up venison or some chicken. Daisy, she's a cuddler.' The training process is a slow one, says Naomi Hodgens, fellow detection-dog team member along with La Toya Jamieson and Rutter. Over about nine months, trainers begin familiarising the dogs with their new target while teaching them to ignore competing odours. Eventually, the dogs are taken out into the field to find their species in situ. Loading Hodgens and Jamieson are currently surveying platypus numbers within the Coranderrk Creek. To combat some of the hard-to-access bushland, Kip, a 10-year-old kelpie-cross, and Moss, a six-year-old labrador, have each been trained by Jamieson to stand on the bow of paddle boards while Hodgens and Jamieson navigate through the creek. When the boards come within a metre or two of an occupied platypus burrow, which can be hidden from human view, the dogs sit and point their noses in the direction of the burrow.
Sydney Morning Herald
25-06-2025
- Science
- Sydney Morning Herald
When kelpie-cross Kip sits down while riding a paddle board, scientists pay attention
In May 2024, on a rocky expanse of tussock-grassland on Melbourne's western outskirts, Zoos Victoria detection dog officer Nick Rutter observed his canine colleague Daisy suddenly cease her nose-down sweep of the terrain and sit down. Turning her head, her eyes caught his as if to say, Nick, you're going to want to see this. With a quickening heart, Rutter caught up to Daisy – a small, eight-year-old Lagotto Romagnolo with a brown woolly coat as tight as an '80s perm – and spied in the dirt beside her a tiny burrow, into which he fed an endoscope camera. 'And I could see this tiny, gorgeous [Victorian grassless] earless dragon face peering back at me,' Rutter says, referring to the 15-centimetre-long creature – the most imperilled reptile in Australia. 'It was an absolutely amazing, career-defining moment. A moment of joy.' Estimates of the sensitivity of dog noses relative to human noses vary wildly, from 10,000 to 1 million times more sensitive. Whatever the number, it explains why humans have long made use of dogs' highly tuned olfactory abilities to aid them in everything from hunting game to detecting cadavers, drugs, explosives, cancer – and endangered species. As of June this year, Rutter and his (human and canine) colleagues at Zoos Victoria's Wildlife Detection Dog Program have assisted threatened-species biologists in finding 15 Victorian grassland earless dragons, a species not seen for half a century and thought extinct until one was found in 2023. The dog squad, based at Healesville Sanctuary within the Coranderrk Bushland Nature Conservation Reserve 60 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, isn't only searching for the tiny reptile, which is now the subject of a breeding program. The squad's five dogs are also trained to sniff out broad-toothed rats, Tasmanian devils, Baw Baw frogs and platypuses. In lieu of a salary and superannuation, the dogs, who live on site, are compensated with hugs, treats, soft toys and play. 'We call it a 'party',' says Rutter, who was never allowed a dog growing up and is now making up for it. 'So when they find their target, we kind of get down on our hands and knees and have a party with them. Some of the dogs really like a tennis ball and to let off a lot of steam. Some like a high-value reward, like a nice bit of boiled-up venison or some chicken. Daisy, she's a cuddler.' The training process is a slow one, says Naomi Hodgens, fellow detection-dog team member along with La Toya Jamieson and Rutter. Over about nine months, trainers begin familiarising the dogs with their new target while teaching them to ignore competing odours. Eventually, the dogs are taken out into the field to find their species in situ. Loading Hodgens and Jamieson are currently surveying platypus numbers within the Coranderrk Creek. To combat some of the hard-to-access bushland, Kip, a 10-year-old kelpie-cross, and Moss, a six-year-old labrador, have each been trained by Jamieson to stand on the bow of paddle boards while Hodgens and Jamieson navigate through the creek. When the boards come within a metre or two of an occupied platypus burrow, which can be hidden from human view, the dogs sit and point their noses in the direction of the burrow.
Daily Mail
26-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Horror as adorable puppy called Goose is killed by unexpected décor item in ritzy apartment building
An adorable puppy was unexpectedly killed after eating what appeared to be harmless landscape décor in the courtyard of a swanky Washington DC apartment complex. Goose, a two-year-old Lagotto Romagnolo dog, was frolicking in the lush, pet-friendly courtyard of The Lurgan earlier this month - a luxury complex in downtown DC's Mount Vernon Square - when he innocently ate the petals of a Carolina jessamine vine, The Washington Post reported. Within just minutes, Goose fell violently ill and, despite frantic efforts to save him, died shortly after being rushed to the vet. Now, horrified residents are demanding answers from the complex - questioning how something so dangerously toxic could be hiding in plain sight - as they call for better safeguards to protect their beloved pets. 'For dog owners, we are totally outraged because there has been inaction,' Rini Sampath, a Lurgan resident and friend of Goose's owner, told the Post. 'And if you have ever lost a dog, you know it's more than just "losing a dog,"' she added. On April 16, the two-year-old fluffy brown pup was enjoying his usual playtime in the courtyard of the 214-unit upscale apartment complex, happily roaming through the greenery and manicured flowers. At one point, Goose unsuspectingly nibbled on some of the vibrant yellow petals from a Carolina jessamine vine lining the courtyard - a plant known to be poisonous to both pets and humans. It took only moments for things to take a devastating turn, as a seemingly ordinary day quickly spiraled into a gut-wrenching suburban nightmare that no pet owner ever expects to face. 'The dog was here and happened to eat a flower,' Sampath told WUSA 9 News. 'And started convulsing five minutes afterwards.' Rachel - Goose's owner, who has yet to speak publicly due to the overwhelming grief - immediately raced to an emergency veterinarian in Georgetown, desperate to save her young pup. However, Goose tragically succumbed to the plant's dangerous toxins - a cruel twist no one saw coming. 'At Georgetown, the doctors were able to revive him,' Sampath explained to The Post. 'But later they told the owners at that point euthanizing him would be the most humane thing.' Sophie Andrews, Medical Director at the Humane Rescue Alliance, told WUSA that the plant's toxins can trigger vomiting and diarrhea in mild cases - but in more severe instances, like Goose's, they can prove fatal in just minutes. 'In more severe cases, it can cause neurotoxicity, causing muscle weakness and issues with breathing, which is likely to have been the issue in this situation,' Andrews told the outlet. Management sent out an email the very day Goose died, notifying tenants that the courtyard was shut down but would reopen later that day - all without mention of the deadly plant The horrendous incident sparked a battle between the building's tenants and management, with residents demanding to know why the plant was ever included in the courtyard's landscaping - especially when they're paying a $75 monthly pet fee, which they argue should be reason in itself to prioritize pet safety. Management sent out an email the very day Goose died, notifying tenants that the courtyard was shut down but would reopen later that day - all without mention of the deadly plant, WUSA reported. In a move that further fueled their rage, management failed to send out a building-wide notice informing other pet owners that Carolina jessamine is extremely toxic, the Post reported. However, in a private exchange with Goose's owner reviewed by The Post, the building's management acknowledged that his death was most likely the result of ingesting the toxic plant. 'We know this is a very emotional and sensitive time,' a representative wrote in the email. 'We are sincerely sorry to hear of this incident, as fellow pet owners, we share the extreme sadness and mourning of our residents and fellow resident pet owners in hearing of this incident.' Frustrated by the complex's lack of urgency, Sampath took matters into her own hands - launching a personal campaign to warn hundreds of fellow tenants about the deadly plant lurking in their own courtyard. 'I put fliers around yesterday to let folks know about what's going on since the apartment hasn't shared the details on their own,' Sampath told WUSA. The horrendous incident sparked a battle between the building's tenants and management, with residents demanding to know why the plant was ever included in the courtyard's landscaping - especially when they're paying a $75 monthly pet fee, which they argue should be reason in itself to prioritize pet safety However, by the next morning, all of her fliers had been removed. Sampath then launched an online petition, demanding that the dangerous plant be removed from shared-use landscaping across DC. The petition has nearly 700 signatures as of Friday evening. 'Rachel is devastated,' Sampath told WUSA. 'And she doesn't want this to happen to anyone else ever.' A week after the tragedy, the building finally removed the poisonous vine from the courtyard, followed by a building-wide note stating that they had asked 'experts to review all the plants in the pet-accessible areas,' the Post reported. Yet residents are still pushing for a wider ban, as the stunning but toxic plant is commonly used throughout the South, despite their known dangers. 'The Lurgan may not be the only building with this kind of landscaping,' Sampath told the Post. Goose's owner is still waiting on the results of her beloved dog's necropsy to confirm the ultimate cause of death, according to WUSA. Residents of The Lurgan, including Sampath, are now working with local officials on legislation to ban the plant from other common spaces, including schools and parks. The Carolina jessamine vine is native to an area starting from the Mid-Atlantic region and growing down to Florida. According to the Home and Garden Information Center, all parts of the plant are very poisonous to both humans and animals alike. The sap from the bud may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals. Children can also be easily poisoned from sucking the nectar from the flowers.
Washington Post
25-04-2025
- Washington Post
Puppy death at D.C. luxury building sparks push for ban of deadly plant
The death of a puppy earlier this month at a downtown D.C. apartment building has set off a conflict between residents and their building management over pet safety. On April 16, Goose — a two-year-old Lagotto Romagnolo dog — was playing as usual in the courtyard of the Lurgan, a 214-unit luxury apartment complex close to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in downtown's Mount Vernon Square neighborhood.
