An elderly dog who was found by RSPCA officers in a “shocking” state is now completely unrecognisable after having 2kg of matted fur shaved off.
The “sweet and gentle” pup – who is named Larry, and is thought to be 13-years-old – had suffered from months of neglect after he was abandoned in the Bradfield Road area of Crewe, before being rescued by the RSPCA, and was found with fur so heavily matted that it left his face almost completely obscured so that he couldn’t see.
He was found earlier this month (2 May) caked in faeces and urine – which had formed thick and hardened dreadlocks around his head, tail and feet.
Larry is a Poodle/Maltese-type pooch, according to the RSPCA, but he was actually in such an “appalling” state when he was first found, that officers said it was hard to tell what breed he was.
Elderly dog found in ‘shocking’ state now unrecognisable after RSPCA shave 2kg of matted fur / Credit: RSPCA
After rescuing Larry, and discovering that he wasn’t microchipped, RSPCA officers transferred the elderly dog to the animal welfare charity’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital in Salford, so vets could give him the care he deserved and, most-importantly, get to work shaving off his fur.
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Once their work was done, the vets revealed that they shaved almost 2kg of fur off Larry’s coat.
RSCPA centre manager Kay Hawthorn, who is actually currently fostering Larry, said he has been given “a new lease of life”.
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“Under the huge matted clumps of fur, a sweet and gentle dog has emerged who’s been given a new lease of life,” she explained.
“He was struggling to get around properly and it must have been so uncomfortable for him, but now he’s enjoying running around again, which is something he’s probably not been able to do for a long time, and given his advancing years, he’s surprisingly sprightly.”
“Surprisingly sprightly” Larry is now enjoying a new lease of life / Credit: RSPCA
While “surprisingly sprightly” Larry may now be enjoying a second chance at living a worthy life, the RSPCA is still intent on investigating his case as they believe he was either abandoned or “deliberately left to stray, and so is appealing to anyone who recognises the dog to come forward.
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RSPCA inspector Louise Showering said Larry was in an “appalling” condition, adding: “His coat looked like a pile of dirty old rags and it’s likely he’d been neglected for a prolonged period of time.”
Anyone who recognises Larry is urged to call the RSPCA’s appeals line on 0300 123 8018 quoting reference 1065689.
Featured Image – RSPCA
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8 million Brits are predicted to write their Christmas cards using AI this year, new research finds
Emily Sergeant
Millions of Brits are predicted to use AI to help them write their Christmas cards this year.
According to some new Royal Mail research, AI is most likely to be used for researching gifts (19%), festive party ideas (13%), and decoration inspiration (13%) throughout this festive season, but in what is a revelation many will find surprising – and even alarming – it’ll even be used for the timeless tradition of sending Christmas cards.
2,000 UK adults who celebrate Christmas were surveyed by the postal service early last month on how they plan to make use of technology this festive season.
The new research found that 11% of respondents will be using AI to help write the messages for their Christmas cards, which works out to be around eight million people.
It’s the under-55s who are driving the trend, as you can probably imagine – with 57% of this age group planning to lean on AI for guidance, compared to just 14% of those over 55.
Oh, and you’ll want to keep an extra eye on the Christmas cards that come from the men in your life too, as men are 67% more likely than women to use AI to help them.
Eight million Brits are predicted to write their Christmas cards using AI this year / Credit: KoolShooters
Although it may be largely frowned upon, it’s fairly easy to see why people are turning to tech to find the right words, as the Royal Mail’s research found that nearly one in five (19%) Brits say they don’t know what to write in cards, and this figure rises even further to 31% when it comes to 18-24-year-olds.
Despite the use of AI as a helping hand, three quarters of Brits (74%) do still think it’s important to keep the tradition of sending handwritten Christmas cards alive.
“AI is becoming part of everyday life for many people,” says technology journalist and broadcaster, Georgie Barrat. “So it’s natural we’ll see it used during the festive season. When it comes to writing cards, it can help you go beyond a simple ‘Merry Christmas’ and choose words that feel more unique.
“Often, people know what they want to say – they just need a little help expressing it.”
Richard Travers, who is the Managing Director of Letters at Royal Mail, concluded: “No matter what you include in your card, or how you choose to write your message, cards are truly a way of spreading festive cheer.”
Featured Image – Richard Bell (via Unsplash)
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Manchester’s 2025 Christmas Parade in pictures as tens of thousands turn out for festive event
Emily Sergeant
Tens of thousands of residents flocked to the city centre this past weekend for Manchester’s annual Christmas Parade.
Over the past few years since it first took place in 2022, Manchester Christmas Parade has become a festive favourite with both locals and visitors alike, and with more than 400 participants and performers gracing the city’s main shopping streets this year, it’s really not hard to see why it’s a much-loved fixture in the city’s countdown to Christmas.
Seen by many as the heartwarming event of the festive season, Manchester Christmas Parade was even ‘bigger and better’ than last year’s fantastic crowdpleaser.
Even a drop of the classic Manchester rain didn’t stop play on the day, as the fabulous festive Parade made its way through the packed city streets to the smiles and cheers of all those watching.
Despite the Manchester weather, tens of thousands of you turned out to make Sunday’s Christmas Parade truly magical. 🎅 👼 🥁
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the heart-warming event of the season.
“I remember thinking at the end of our fabulous Manchester Christmas Parade last year that we would never be able to top it,” commented Cllr Pat Karney, Manchester City Council’s Christmas spokesperson. “But this year’s parade has been off-the-scale brilliant – it was so much fun and you could see how much all the children loved it.
“The city centre was heaving, it felt like millions of Mancs had turned out for the parade, and what a performance we put on for them.”
The streets were filled with music and laughter this year, as well as the return of Manchester’s very-own Elf Express, complete with VIP passenger Santa hitching a ride on his way to the North Pole, together with his trusty team of elves.
Tens of thousands of people turned out for Manchester Christmas Parade 2025 this past weekend / Credit: Manchester City Council
Not only that, but Nutcracker-inspired toy soldiers also sweept their way through the Parade on segways, alongside a roaming Christmas tree, a pair of gentle giant-sized reindeer, a stunning arctic fox, and Jack Frost himself.
Brand-new for this year will be the fantastic Festive Fantasy Candyland Castle, which stood over three-meters tall and truly was the stuff of fairytales.
“Manchester once again helped make the magic and the memories for a whole generation of families from across the city and beyond,” Cllr Karney concluded.
Emily Sergeant -
31st May 2023 
