3+ hour, 26+ min ago (854+ words) In the end, it went off without a hitch. But for a few moments, on a windy Saturday afternoon in the national capital, the smooth running of the wedding of Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon hung in the balance as a shy cavoodle prevaricated about walking down the aisle. Toto Albanese, Australia's first dog, was the designated ring-bearer for the first wedding of a sitting prime minister. Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon at their wedding on Saturday.Credit: Michael Bowers But according to several guests at the wedding, held at The Lodge, Toto took more than a little convincing to walk down the aisle alongside Ella, Haydon's five-year-old niece and flower girl. "She was a reluctant ring bearer," said one guest, who asked not to be named. "I don't know if Toto was just feeling shy or confused or just…...

1+ day, 3+ hour ago (658+ words) Lately, I have been feeling sad. I can't say why " because there is no one reason. Just repeated disappointments that are a feature of living, in the same way repeatedly bashing my shins would be a feature of me attempting a hurdle race. You don't have to know a lab to love a lab in a yellow raincoat. Credit: Getty Images I admit I tend towards melancholy. I feel feelings deeply and sadness seeps in easily, sometimes undetected until it becomes a tricky thing to manage, like rising damp at the back of your cupboard. Which is strange because I know myself to be a generally optimistic, joyful person. I throw myself into life, with a genuine love of laughing and sunshine and music and dancing. But sometimes I have to try really hard to do those things " and lately…...

6+ day, 15+ hour ago (30+ words) The owner of two pugs stolen in Sydney's south is offering a $5000 reward for their safe return as police look to speak to a suspect. The Sydney Morning Herald...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (268+ words) The mysterious case of a stolen ute and missing dog later found dead has taken a twist, with police revealing they no longer believe the story told by the animal's owners. Nathan McKeown and Louise McKeown reported their black ute had been stolen from Wynnum with their pet German Shepherd Arnie in the back on November 8. The duo did several high-profile media engagements including television interviews calling for the thief to return the dog, with the story attracting significant nationwide attention. Arnie, a seven-year-old German shepherd, was sleeping in his family's ute when it was stolen.Credit: Nathan Mckeown "I haven't been sleeping well," Nathan McKeown told Nine News last week. The vehicle was found with the seven-year-old dog dead inside on Tuesday along Amelia Street in Fortitude Valley. Police said they had wound up their investigation, having devoted significant…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (276+ words) A family dog lost when a Brisbane man's ute was stolen has been found dead in the vehicle almost a week after the theft was reported to police. The location of Arnie the German shepherd became the centre of a citywide search, with his owners Nathan and Louise McKeown appearing on multiple TV channels appealing for the dog's return. On social media, more than 16,000 people followed a Facebook page tracking possible sightings of the animal. Arnie, a seven-year-old German shepherd, was sleeping in his family's ute when it was stolen.Credit: Nathan Mckeown Arnie went missing on November 8, when the McKeowns' black ute was taken from a property in the bayside suburb of Wynnum with the dog asleep in the tray. "Since receiving the report, police have worked around the clock following all lines of inquiry to locate Arnie and…...

2+ week, 1+ day ago (19+ words) A traffic-dodging dog has made a hasty getaway on the Pacific Motorway in Currumbin. The Sydney Morning Herald...

3+ week, 3+ day ago (433+ words) John O'Reilly, a forest manager in western Ireland, could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the grainy video on his phone, sent to him by a truck driver. There, slinking through the woodlands of County Clare, in Ireland, was the impossible: A stocky, tan-coloured animal with a shaggy mane and tufted tail, lumbering into the trees and then out of view. "You're saying, "Christ, that couldn't be what it looks like?" O'Reilly recalled. The video began spreading on news sites and social media in Ireland, prompting both speculation and scepticism. After nearly a week, Ireland's police force, known as An Garda S'och'na, solved the confounding case. The creature was no apex predator. It was a shaggy Newfoundland dog. Its name? Mouse. (Despite the proximity to Halloween, it's still unclear why Mouse had been groomed to look like a lion....

3+ week, 4+ day ago (25+ words) A 63-year-old retiree says she was saved from a brutal Adelaide dog attack by her 13-year-old poodle. The Sydney Morning Herald...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (523+ words) Security at Federation Square is going to the dogs. Border collies, kelpies and Australian shepherds will patrol Melbourne's central plaza daily for the next six months to keep food-snatching seagulls away from picnickers and diners. Tania McGregor at Federation Square with her seagull patrol dog Freya.Credit: Eddie Jim Seven sheepdogs will be trained to roam between 11am and 3pm from November 17 in a trial modelled on the "Seagull Patrol" initiative at the Sydney Opera House. Tania McGregor's four-year-old Australian shepherd Freya attended her first training on Wednesday with James Webb, who runs the patrols in Sydney. "She loves to chase birds, and she loves to be the centre of attention," McGregor said of her dog. "So she's loving being in the centre of Melbourne with everyone looking at her." The Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation, the state government body that manages Federation…...