From being paid a salary to play Animal Crossing, to becoming a professional wine taster and getting paid to watch Netflix in your pyjamas, there’s been some pretty exciting and unique job opportunities cropping up over the last few months of lockdown, but now that elements of normality have begun to resume, there’s a new career prospect that dogs and their owners are bound to love.
This one takes the dog biscuit.
Luxury dog-friendly cottage provider Canine Cottages is currently recruiting for 10 lucky dogs and their owners to become 2020’s Canine Critics and enjoy a free staycation to a destination of their choice in the UK.
The chosen pups – who must be from the UK – will become “paws on the ground” and be responsible for reviewing cottage holidays, posting on Canine Cottages’ social channels, sniffing out adventures along the way and just generally living the doggy dream.
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Each lucky pup will receive a £1,000 voucher for a cottage holiday, and they’ll also get some some delicious treats, goodies and other freebies to try out too.
Canine Cottages
The ‘job’ description for a Canine Critic as found on the Canine Cottages website reads: “The lucky winners get to give us the lowdown on how fantastic it is to stay in our dog-friendly cottages as they’ll win a free stay in a UK location of their choice.
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“They’ll also get the chance to review the property and the local area, helping dog lovers to discover the best places for their four-pawed pals to fetch, play and run.”
The competition has exploded in popularity from 7,000 hopeful applicants in its debut year to more than 50,000 in 2019.
Dogs all over the UK dreaming of being crowned a Canine Critic celebrity.
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Speaking on the 2020 search, Shannon Keary – Digital PR Manager at Canine Cottages – said: “Our 2019 campaign was phenomenally successful and we were overwhelmed with the calibre and quantity of entries.
“The chosen 2019 Critics have been amazing and we’ve loved having them as ambassadors for our brand. Now we cannot wait to recruit ten, new top dogs for 2020. We’re on the hunt for a diverse selection of ‘real’ dogs who love to explore the UK and have their photo taken, as well as a willing human to sit, stay and lie down with.”
She also revealed that one of last year’s winners – Woody, from the Midlands – had a fantastic time being a Canine Critic.
His owner commented: “There were so many amazing things about being chosen as the Midlands’ Canine Critic but I think if we had to pick one, it would be the getting chosen part. Woody’s my hero and for one year, he was also the Midlands’ hero – that’s pretty special and I don’t think anything can beat that feeling.
“I just wanted to bottle it up.”
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How could you pass up on this perfect staycation opportunity?
It couldn’t be easier to stick an application in either, as all you’ll need to do is fill out a simple application form and provide a photo of you and your furry friend to be in with a chance of being picked.
The 2020 Canine Critic competition is now open and deadline for applications is 29th October 2020.
You can apply via the Canine Cottages website here.
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Motorists warned of common winter driving habit that could land them with annoying fines
Emily Sergeant
With the temperatures drastically dropping now as we head into winter, motorists are being warned against a common driving habit.
On a wintry morning when the windscreens are frozen and your hands are equally as frozen too, it’s pretty common for drivers to start the engine, turn the heater right up, and remain stationary for several minutes to warm the car up before setting off on their journey… but did you know that doing this could see you, inadvertently, fall foul of the law?
That’s right – as ridiculous as it sounds, leaving your car engine running ‘unnecessarily’ while parked on a public road is illegal.
And to make matters worse, the rules on ‘engine idling’, as it’s known, apply regardless of whether the driver is using the heating, waiting for someone, or simply sitting in the vehicle.
Known as a stationary idling offence, Rule 123 of the Highway Code states that drivers must not leave a vehicle’s engine running unnecessarily while it is stationary on a public road, and according to the rule, a fixed penalty of up to £80 can be issued, right there and then.
Motorists are being warned of a common winter driving habit that could land them with annoying fines / Credit: PickPik | Wikimedia Commons
Fines will only be handed out if a motorist is stopped by a police officer who asks them to switch the engine off, and they fail to comply.
“However tempting it might be to sit in a vehicle with the engine running and the heater on to warm up, we strongly advice against it,” commented RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis.
“As well as polluting the air and wasting fuel, drivers who leave their engines idling unnecessarily on a public road also risk an on-the-spot fine of £80. On cold mornings, the best approach is to clear any ice or snow properly and ensure windows are fully de-misted before setting off, then get on your way and let the car warm you up.”
There are some exceptions to the rule, however, as keeping the engine running is permitted in certain circumstances.
This includes when a vehicle is stationary because of traffic conditions, when the engine needs to run so a mechanical fault can be investigated, or if certain work is being carried out on the side of the road.
Manchester has been named the most ‘pet-friendly’ city in the UK
Emily Sergeant
A new index has revealed the best cities for pet owners in the UK, and it’s great news for Manchester.
Millions of us share our home with a pet, and making sure we give them the best possible life is often at the forefront of our minds, right?
While there’s a lot people can control about their pet’s lifestyle, many of the factors that affect their happiness are determined by location, and sadly for the 83% of the UK population who live in more urban areas, the challenges to give a pet a good life can feel even greater – with less access to green space, and fewer social spaces to take dogs, for example.
But when it comes to cities, which are the best ones to own a pet in? Well, pet insurance firm Lassie has decided to get to the bottom of this and do some updated research.
Lassie analysed data across nine metrics that determine a pet’s wellbeing to create a ‘Pet-Friendliness Index’, and using this index, the UK’s five most populous cities were each assigned a score out of 100 and ranked to determine which is the most and least pet-friendly.
/ Credit: Gustavo Fring (via Pexels) | Manchester City Council
The index looks at four main categories to gauge how suitable each city is for pets – green space, environment, health, and infrastructure.
Then, within these, experts compared a range of measures, including air quality, temperature, costs, access to vets, road safety, pet-friendly rental housing, social opportunities, and many others.
And Manchester has taken the stop spot, with a score of 66.
The UK’s Most Pet-Friendly Cities
Manchester
Birmingham
Liverpool
Leeds
London
In-keeping with its general growing popularity as a city, Manchester leads in the health category, with a high number of vets per head and the lowest rate of serious road collisions, while also ranking highest in terms of publicly listed dog friendly venues per resident.
“We tend to think that being a good pet owner comes down to what we do at home, but your postcode could be playing a much bigger role in your pet’s happiness and health than you realise,” commented Hedda Båverud Olsson, who is the CEO and co-founder of Lassie.
“Our findings show that not all cities are created equal when it comes to pets. The difference between living in Manchester and London isn’t just about green space or somewhere to walk your dog, it can mean higher vet bills, poorer air quality and fewer veterinary practices nearby.”
Featured Image – Paul Harris / National Trust (Supplied)
Emily Sergeant -
30th September 2020 
