Every dog deserves a second chance, and there’s plenty of pups in Manchester currently looking for their “forever homes”.
Dogs Trust Manchester’s rescue centre in Denton has been responsible for the rehoming of countless four-legged friends since it opened in 2014, and since lockdown alone, more than 350 dogs have found love with new owners – which staff say is “a real testament to how effective our virtual rehoming has been”.
But there’s always more dogs with love to give to those ready to receive it.
Reckon you’re a good fit and can provide a suitable home for these five dogs in Manchester currently searching for a place to call their own?
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Vinnie
Crossbreed | Male | 1 – 2 Years Old
Manchester
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Dogs Trust Manchester
Vinnie is a one-year-old large crossbreed looking for a patient, experienced, and confident family who is prepared to put some work to have a fabulous dog.
Giving an insight into Vinnie’s character so prospective owners can get to know him a little better, Dogs Trust Manchester said: “Vinnie is a sweet but sensitive boy who has lacked in socialisation so he can easily go from being very excitable – particularly around new people – to suddenly being unsure, and [he] shows this by mouthing his handler for reassurance.
“He loves his toys, so much so that he will happily play with them on his own, but is always up for sharing them with his human friends [and] he is keen to go and see hello to other dogs, but is actually a bit shy and quickly gets overwhelmed.”
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Vinnie is looking for an active, adult-only home with a large private garden and who have experience and are confident around large breeds.
You can find more about giving Vinnie a home here.
Luna & Ghost
Siberian Huskies | 1 – 2 Years Old
Manchester
Dogs Trust Manchester
Luna and Ghost are a sweet and intelligent pair of young pint-sized huskies who are searching for their new forever home.
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Typical of the breed, they are an active pair who love running around and playing with each other, and they both enjoy getting lots of fuss and attention from her human friends – but after a busy day, they will snuggle up with each other for a nice snooze.
Dogs Trust Manchester say: “Luna and Ghost are to be re-homed together, and because of this, a home with more than one person is needed and they will need a good sized secure garden with at least 6ft fencing for them to have lots of playtime off the lead. They have been friendly with other dogs and could meet with doggy friends out and about [but] they can just be a little shy at times, so will need to be the only dogs in the home.”
The pair can live with children aged 11 and older, but unfortunately cannot live with other dogs.
You can find more about giving Luna & Ghost a home here.
Barry
Crossbread | 2 Years Old | Male
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Manchester
Dogs Trust Manchester
Barry is an adorable two-year-old American Bulldog Cross with bags of love to give and on the lookout for his forever family.
His “goofball personality” has made him a firm favourite amongst his handlers at Dogs Trust Manchester who say: “Barry adores his favourite humans and loves to lean in for a fuss and a cuddle. He has loads of energy and enjoys playing with his toys and hopping in the car to go off on adventures where he can have a good sniff and explore everything – he’s sure to provide his new family with plenty of love and entertainment.”
Barry can be over the top and will need patient owners that have experience with strong / big dogs, and experience with bull breeds is essential.
He cannot have any young visiting children, and although he is dog friendly and has mixed with multiple dogs at the rescue centre, he can be over the top with them and so will need to be the only dog and pet in the home to allow him all the focus to settle.
Three-year-old crossbreed Dobby is a very active boy who loves to be out on long hikes in quiet areas and would be a great addition to an active family that can give him the stimulation he needs.
Dogs Trust Manchester say “there’s never a dull moment with Dobby around”.
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“He loves to chase his favourite toys around or spend his time playing food games… and once he’s all tired from a day of running about and showing us his tricks, Dobby loves a nice gentle fuss with his favourite handlers.”
Dobby is looking for a home with a private secure garden with no neighbouring dogs where he can relax and play, and adopters that are able to build his leaving hours and confidence at his pace. He can live with children aged 16 years and over who are comfortable around large dogs, but will need to be the only pet in the home as heis a bit worried by certain dogs – particularly larger males – but has been friendly towards some smaller dogs and females.
Macie is a beautiful nine-year-old Cocker Spaniel that loves nothing more than a couple of tasty treats, going on walks, and having sniffing adventures, and although it takes her some time to get to know people and will therefore need her adopters to be patient, Dogs Trust Manchester say she loves having a fuss and cuddles from her well-known handlers at the centre.
“She is such a sweet girl and one of her absolute favourite things to do is roll around in the long grass or in a sand pit on a lovely sunny day.”
Macie is looking for a female single owner that can keep visitors to a minimum, no visiting children as she can be uncomfortable around some people, and a secure garden with the facility to separate her from the front door so she doesn’t meet people she doesn’t know.
Macie can walk with other dogs, but prefers to do her own thing and doesn’t like them in her face so will need to be the only dog in the home, and also cannot live with cats.
Tom Aspinall is now the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight champion
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester’s very own UFC icon,Tom Aspinall, has been officially named the undisputed heavyweight champion.
Even more miraculously, he did so without even having to face an official title fight against the previous reigning champ.
With the news that legendary mixed martial artist and UFC veteran Jon Jones has decided to finally retire after more than a decade and a half in the sport, Tom Aspinall has now seen his interim heavyweight status upgraded to a full, undisputed world champion.
CEO and President of the league, Dana White, confirmed the decision this Sunday, 22 June, not long after Jon Jones announced his retirement on social media.
The moment Aspinall was named an undisputed UFC champion. You can literally hear the shock in the room when he delivers the update.
After 32-year-old Aspinall famously said, “I’ll retire Jon Jones without even fighting him” back in August 2024, it looks like the famed Salford-born fighter knew exactly how this story would play out.
Despite having long been admired as a pioneer of the sport and one of the personalities who helped put it on the map, Jones has also been heavily criticised for avoiding the Atherton-based athlete in recent years, having even been set a deadline by White to defend his title.
It got to suck a point that the local lad from Wigan even held up a rubber duck to the camera as he poked fun at Jones to millions watching worldwide while sat ringside at UFC London earlier this year.
Seeing Aspinall’s supremacy grow stronger in recent years, it was the fight every fan wanted to see; however, with Jones revealing his somewhat snap decision this week, it looks like they’ll just have to settle for him taking the crown by default.
The result of him hanging up his four-ounce gloves also means that there are now no American male champions in the UFC across all four active divisions for the first time since 2004.
As for Jones, 37, while it hasn’t come as a total shock to everyone given his hiatus (his last fight coming in November 2024 against Stipe Miocic), there were plenty who hoped they would one day see him come against the Manc MMA star.
DANA WHITE MAKES IT OFFICIAL!
Tom Aspinall is the NEW UNDISPUTED UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION! Jon Jones has RETIRED! 😱🏆 pic.twitter.com/0LSTe088me
Informing the fight world of his withdrawal in a lengthy statement on X, he said: “This decision comes after a lot of reflection, and I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the journey I’ve experienced over the years.
“From the first time I stepped into the Octagon, my goal was to push the boundaries of what was possible in this sport. Becoming the youngest UFC champion in history, defending my title against some of the best fighters in the world, and sharing unforgettable moments with fans across the globe—these are memories I’ll cherish forever.
“I’ve faced incredible highs and some tough lows, but every challenge has taught me something valuable and made me stronger, both as a fighter and as a person.” He went on to thank Dana White, his family, coaches and several others for his career thus far.
He also went on to add: “To my fellow fighters, thank you for bringing out the best in me and for the respect we’ve shared inside and outside the cage. As I close this chapter of my life, I look forward to new opportunities and challenges ahead.
“MMA will always be a part of who I am, and I’m excited to see how I can continue to contribute to the sport and inspire others in new ways. Thank you all for being part of this incredible journey with me. The best is yet to come.”
Between Aspinall’s dominance at the top of the heavy class and Liverpool’s Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett continuing to make waves in the lightweight division, it looks like the time of not just the UK but the North West might be beckoning.
Met Office launches nationwide search for new storm names and wants YOU to pick
Emily Sergeant
Is your grandma a force of nature? Does your best friend cause an impact wherever they go? Now you can give them the recognition they deserve…
By naming a storm after them, of course.
We know all the talk is about heatwaves at the moment, especially after weather forecasters have recently predicted that the UK is in for a ‘hotter than average’ summer this year, but let’s turn our eye to the upcoming storm season for a second, shall we?
That’s right – the Met Office is inviting the public to submit their suggestions for storm names for the upcoming 2025/26 season.
Now in its eleventh year, the Met Office works with Met Éireann in Ireland and KNMI in the Netherlands to compile the list every time the season rolls around, and this headline-grabbing naming initiative helps the media and the public communicate about the impacts of severe weather events more easily and effectively.
As part of the naming process, each of the three meteorological organisations will get to name storms using selected letters, with the aim being to reflect the diversity of the three countries, and in-keeping with usual storm naming conventions, names will be picked for every letter of the alphabet except for Q, U, X, Y and Z.
According to the Met Office, a number of factors are considered for a name to be on the list – including how difficult it might be to pronounce, if the name has different meanings in different countries, and if it could be considered controversial in some way.
Once the list of names is decided upon, it will be formally announced by the Met Office in September when storm season begins.
The Met Office has launched a nationwide search for new storm names and wants you to pick / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“The storm naming system has helped us communicate weather to help people stay safe,” commented Will Lang, who is the Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, “and wow we need the UK public to help us compile a new list.
“Whether you want to honour a weather-lover in your family, remember a family pet, or get a friend’s name in the headlines, we welcome submissions from the public to help us pull together next year’s list of storm names.”
People can only submit their names online via the submissions page here, where there’s also the option of adding a reason for the suggestion, and must not be submitted via social media as they will not be counted.
Emily Sergeant -
24th September 2021 
